When my father went through chemo he lost weight as if it were falling off him. The chemo dulled his appetite to the point that he didn't want to eat anything. I'd imagine George is experiencing something like this: He probably just can't bring himself to eat right now. It has nothing to do with what his priorities "ought" to be. If I were Leone (hi, Leone!) I'd be "into" anything that helps George put the weight back on. Those sorbet and ice cream experiments sound fab to me. Wouldn't mind having a sample of all of them right now! Karen

There are other protein drinks similar to Ensure that taste a lot better. I mostly drink PureProtein, but I also like Owyn Protein Shake but it is a bit more expensive. They have a coffee flavored drink that is especially good, but it has a fair amount of caffeine in it. IMO you should not be adding sugar and especially not corn syrup to protein drinks. I have occasionally added coffee liqueur or Frangelico to mine, but in very small quantities. If I were going to make ice cream out of it, I would mix it in a blender with a banana, some yogurt, and some Splenda for sweetener. Or I might mix it with coconut milk. I have an ice cream machine with a compressor, and so I am make ice cream at any time on demand, although I really do not use it that much any more.

"kframe - By my calculations you need about 2.25 cups of HC to make 1.5 quarts of ice cream." Yes, it's generally more expensive to make your own ice cream. But have I said, anywhere, that the overall cost is what I object to? No. And besides, NO ONE makes my signature flavor of ice cream... cinnamon nutmeg. "To reiterate the point that I cannot seem to get through:... ice cream is a luxury." So what? The status of an item in a family's grocery order is NOT the issue. The issue is how the company is conducting its purchasing interaction with the consumer -- above board, or underhanded and sneaky. I know you've been tossing out the fact that ice cream is a "luxury" item. I've not addressed it because it's not germane for the reason I've stated above. The milk comparison is even less valid as I'll got months without purchasing milk. To me, milk isn't even a necessity, but again, its importance on my overall shopping list isn't the issue.

Some folks, like my mom, only make ice cream with a custard base. Mom thinks anything else is not worth eating. I, being the modern, cutting-edge, foodista (that's a joke folks!), have made ice cream with such exotic ingredients as Greek yogurt, eschewing a cooked custard base. Below is a cooked custard recipe from The Kitchn: Basic Custard Ice Cream Base 3 cups dairy (whole milk, heavy cream, or a mix) 1 cup sugar 8 egg yolks pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla (optional) Have a strainer in a bowl ready over an ice bath. Bring the dairy to a simmer in a medium pot over medium-high heat--about 5 minutes. Watch it carefully so it doesn't boil over. Remove from heat as soon as you see bubbles forming and let sit until it's cooled to room temperature--about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the eggs, sugar, and pinch of salt into a thick paste. When the dairy has cooled, stream it in while stirring the egg mixture. Once combined, return everything to the pan and cook over medium-low heat. Stir gently in an "S" shape, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. The sauce is ready when it looks silky, has thickened so it coats the back of a wooden spoon, and has reached a temperature of about 170-degrees. Strain it into a bowl set over an ice water bath and stir in the vanilla. When cooled, freeze mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Here is a link that might be useful: Custard Base for Ice Cream from The Kitchn