There is something special about summertime when you homeschool.
The school year slows down, the schedules become a little more relaxed, and suddenly the days seem longer. We still learn during the summer in our home, but the learning looks different. Instead of textbooks and lesson plans, we spend more time in the garden, in the kitchen, reading books on the porch, and finding little opportunities to learn through everyday life.
One of my favorite things about homeschooling is that learning doesn’t stop when the book closes. Learning happens all day long while life naturally unfolds. One of the best places for that to happen is in the kitchen.
One of our favorite recent activities has been making frozen treats together with the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe. If you’ve never used one before, it is a countertop frozen treat maker that can turn frozen ingredients into ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt, and other delicious desserts. What surprised me the most wasn’t just how good the treats tasted. It was how much fun it became as a shared activity for me and my daughter.
Learning Doesn’t Have to Look Like School
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that children learn constantly, whether they’re sitting at a desk or not. When we make strawberry sorbet together, there is actually quite a bit of learning happening. My daughter practices reading recipes and directions. She measures ingredients and works with fractions. We talk about how fruit freezes and how the machine transforms frozen ingredients into a smooth dessert. We discuss nutrition and healthy food choices. Without even realizing it, she’s learning math, science, reading, and life skills all at the same time. That’s one of the reasons I love homeschooling so much. Learning becomes part of everyday life. The kitchen becomes a classroom. The garden becomes a science lab. The grocery store becomes a lesson in budgeting. And making homemade sorbet becomes a fun family memory.
Why We Love the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe
I’ll be honest. I am not a gadget person. I do not like to have gadgets in my kitchen, so when I first heard people talking about the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe, I wasn’t sure it could possibly live up to the hype or if I really even wanted one. Social media has a way of making every gadget seem life-changing and besides that we have an ice cream maker in our basement that has been down there for about 14 years and we have not desired to use it. But after using the Ninja CREAMi, I understand why so many families love it and I can tell you it is in no way just an ice cream maker like the one in my basement is. The biggest advantage is how easy it is to control the ingredients. When you make your own frozen treats, you know exactly what’s going into them. There are no mystery ingredients. No artificial colors if you don’t want them. No unnecessary additives. Just real food. As someone who is always trying to make healthier choices for my family, that’s a huge benefit.
Plus, it gives us another reason to spend time together in the kitchen.
Our Favorite Strawberry Sorbet Recipe
I am going to share out sorbet recipe here so you can try it, too.
This has quickly become our go-to summer treat. It is refreshing, simple, easy (for a gadget hater like me) and it is packed with real strawberry flavor. It tastes like you are eating a bowl of frozen strawberries….well, you are, but it is sorbet!
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar or sweetener of choice
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Water as needed
Directions
- Wash and hull the strawberries.
- Add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice to a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a Ninja CREAMi Deluxe pint container.
- If needed, add a small amount of water to reach the fill line.
- Place the lid on the container and freeze on a level surface for at least 24 hours.
- Once frozen solid, remove the lid and place the container into the outer bowl of the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe.
- Select the Sorbet function and let the machine work its magic.
- If the mixture appears crumbly after the first spin, use the Re-Spin function.
- Most of the time, one additional spin creates the perfect smooth texture.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
- It’s amazing how something so simple can taste so good.
Tips for Making Better Strawberry Sorbet
There are some tips that will help you that we have learned.
Use Ripe Strawberries
The better your strawberries taste before freezing, the better your sorbet will taste afterward. Sweet, ripe strawberries produce the most flavorful sorbet.
Freeze Completely Flat
Place the container on a level shelf in your freezer. If the mixture freezes unevenly, the machine may not process it as smoothly.
Don’t Skip the Lemon Juice
The lemon juice brightens the strawberry flavor and helps balance the sweetness. You don’t need much, but it makes a noticeable difference. Please, don’t leave out the lemon juice.
Use the Re-Spin Function
Many first-time users think they’ve done something wrong when the sorbet looks powdery after the first cycle. Nope, it just needs a Re-Spin. This is completely normal.
Experiment with Fruit Combinations
Once you master strawberry sorbet, try other fruits.
Some of our favorites include:
- Strawberry banana
- Peach
- Mango
- Mixed berry
- Pineapple
Summer is the perfect time to experiment with fresh seasonal produce.
Homeschooling Through Everyday Life
One thing I wish more people understood about homeschooling is that learning doesn’t only happen from curriculum. Some of the most important lessons happen through daily experiences. Cooking teaches patience. Gardening teaches responsibility. Reading together builds vocabulary. Family conversations develop critical thinking skills. Making sorbet may seem like a small thing, but it’s really an opportunity to teach planning, measuring, following directions, nutrition, and problem-solving. Children remember experiences far longer than worksheets. Years from now, I doubt my daughter will remember every page she completed in a workbook. But she will probably remember standing in the kitchen making strawberry sorbet on a hot summer afternoon.
Those are the memories that stick.
Slowing Down During Summer
I think one of the greatest gifts homeschooling has given our family is the ability to slow down. We aren’t rushing from school drop-off to after-school activities. We have the freedom to enjoy simple moments. Some days that means reading on the couch. Some days it means working in the garden. Some days it means spending an afternoon experimenting with new recipes. And sometimes it means deciding that the day’s lesson is simply enjoying time together. The older I get, the more I realize how important those moments are. Life moves quickly. Children grow quickly. Summer seems to fly by faster every year. That’s why I try to be intentional about creating opportunities for connection. Not expensive opportunities. Not elaborate opportunities.
Just simple moments that bring us together.
Building Family Memories One Recipe at a Time
One unexpected benefit of the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe is how it has become part of our family routine. My daughter loves helping choose new flavors. She enjoys blending ingredients and watching the machine transform them into frozen treats. There is excitement in waiting for the mixture to freeze and anticipation when it’s finally ready to spin. Those little moments create memories. And honestly, that’s what homeschooling has always been about for me. It’s not just academics. It’s building a life together. It’s teaching practical skills. It’s creating strong family relationships. It’s helping children learn while still enjoying childhood.
The frozen treats are wonderful, but the time spent together is what matters most.
Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a fun summer activity, homemade strawberry sorbet in the Ninja CREAMi Deluxe is a great place to start. It’s easy enough for children to help with, delicious on a hot day, and creates opportunities for learning without feeling like school. For our family, it has become one of those simple summer traditions that brings everyone together. And honestly, those are my favorite kinds of traditions. The ones that don’t require a lot of money, planning, or stress. Just a few strawberries, a little time together, and a willingness to enjoy the season you’re in. Because before we know it, summer will be over, the routines will return, and another year will pass. Until then, we’ll be enjoying homemade strawberry sorbet, making memories in the kitchen, and embracing the slower pace of homeschool life one summer day at a time. If you would like to check this Ninja gadget out for yourself click here