Column by Adrienne McGee Sterrett

Lists.

I like them.

They’re an orderly way to organize my thoughts on any given subject. There is something about old-school pen to paper that gets my brain’s gears going. Or slowed down appropriately. If I’m honest, my mind can be both slow to start and rev too high occasionally. The act of writing a list finds a good middle ground, a way to explore the topic methodically.

Without a list, I feel like I’m winging it. Spontaneous and silly should never be managed to the point of withering up and dying, but sometimes bad things happen when I wing it. Well, the grocery store wouldn’t call it bad, I suppose. Those are the visits where I only really needed milk, shampoo, lunchmeat and buns. A shopping cart full later — interesting looking granola, cheese I’ve never seen before and am intrigued by, a pork shoulder because my goodness that was some sale. And I walk out without milk, shampoo, lunchmeat and buns.

The act of decorating for Christmas is fraught with distractions. OK, let’s get the little tree out … which is one shelf over from the ice cream maker, tucked in for a long winter’s nap. But it’s too late. I saw it. And my brain is spinning through its file of ice cream recipes, and now I have a hankering. Putting Christmas away brought it all back around. One thing at a time. Not today. Maybe soon — after I work through the items on my list a little more.

So, 2018 is here and what we do have? A list. It’s not resolutions, per se, because those are too easily given up on and pushed aside. It’s a list of goals. And I’m happy to announce that one box is checked already — a fresh look for Salt magazine. Please spend some time with this issue and let us know your thoughts.

I’ll start a list for that.

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If you’re now hungry for ice cream, because why should winter stop you from doing anything, here’s a quick and easy recipe I discovered while winging it last summer. See, it’s not all bad. This is technically ice milk, as I didn’t have cream in the house at the time and thought I’d experiment with doing without. It’s light and refreshing. If you do have cream, use 2 cups milk and 2 cups cream.

Lemon Ice Cream

4 cups 2 percent milk

Scant 2 cups sugar

Lemon candy flavoring oil, to taste

Frozen berries, to taste

Whisk together sugar and milk until sugar dissolves. Add lemon oil. (I love lemon, so a very quick pour of the tiny bottle worked for me. This was perhaps 1/16 teaspoon.) Stir.

Pour into ice cream maker and follow directions. When thickened, add a generous handful of frozen raspberries or blueberries or a variety and stir by hand. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze overnight to harden before serving.

No ice cream maker? Stir all the ingredients together and freeze. The texture will be grainier, but it works.

Salt Magazine

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