We went to a great homeschool group activity all about the science behind making ice cream. The moderator made up 4 pages of specific questions based on the scientific method. We all brought our cream, sugar, and flavorings and the mod had ice and rock salt for us. We decided on mocha and brought along coffee and cocoa powder. We mixed it up in a bowl, tasted it to make sure is was good, transferred the mixture to a baggie (which went into a larger baggie), and transferred that into an even larger baggie filled with the ice and salt. Then we wrapped it in a t-shirt and shook the hell out of it. W and I each grabbed an end for a while and then K and J took a turn. I can't believe how good it came out. It was better than the best ice cream you can buy (or maybe it's just my chocolate-craving PMS coming through this week, lol).

The science part of it was understanding why rock salt added to ice works like a freezer. Well, rock salt lowers the temperature at which water freezes. So, our ice melted, but the resulting water ended up being colder than 32 degrees F. This means the water in the bag was as cold as a freezer would be. We talked about the scientific method and the kids wrote their observations and conclusions on the worksheets.

After we all cleaned up (it got messy, LOL), the kids got to run around outside for a couple of hours. It was 81 degrees out and the kids had so much fun playing. W hung with the big boys, and both K and J's bffs were there. J went to dance at 4 (until 7:45) and K went with her to hang out with the owner's dd who is her age. W took a nap, I picked up B and went to work. When the girls got home they made tuna casserole for everyone while B picked me up from work. I love that all the kids love to cook. I just wish I was better at it so I could teach them more, lol.