That was the moment when I discovered that I could have ice cream in about an hour with a little help from a tiny (and now very beloved) appliance: my blender.

With a blender and short list ingredients, you have all you need to make your very own homemade ice cream. Here's how the magic happens:

The basic steps

1. Gather the ingredients

All you need for basic ice cream is milk, ice cubes, sugar and vanilla extract. Some recipes also call for heavy cream for a richer consistency.

2. Blend it together

Add your ingredients to the blender - just like you would to make a smoothie or milkshake - and blend them together.

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3. Freeze the mixture

Pour the mixture into a sealed container and put in the freezer for about an hour. If you like a soft-serve consistency, you won't have to wait as long before you can enjoy your ice cream.

And almost as exciting as the ice cream itself: Clean-up will be easy. Simply put the ingredients away, rinse out the blender and load up the dishwasher. If you have leftovers, store them in the freezer for next time.

The flavors are endless

When you're in control of the recipe, you can make whatever kind of ice cream floats your boat. Feel free to experiment with fruit, chocolate, cookies and other classics. If you need some inspiration, here are 13 easy ice cream blender recipes to try.

You can also give your ice cream a healthy spin by using alternative ingredients. For instance, LEAFtv recommended substituting frozen bananas for sugar. Prevention magazine also compiled a list of healthy ice cream recipes that are high in good fats, protein and antioxidants that store-bought versions generally lack.

The tips to know

Now that you're aware of how easy it is to make homemade ice cream, keep these tips in mind to perfect the practice:

• Make frozen milk cubes:

If you're planning ahead, pour some milk into ice cube trays and freeze them. Blend them instead of ice cubes so the finished result is creamier and doesn't have an icy taste or texture.

• Use powdered milk:

Adding this can help you achieve that rich and creamy texture you know and love, even if you use regular ice cubes.

• Go for the toppings:

Adding ingredients to the blender will turn your ice cream a different shade and create a consistent flavor throughout. However, feel free to stick with a classic vanilla and embellish with toppings after. Alternatively, you can add chocolate chips and fruit chunks after blending so that they're in the ice cream, but their shape and texture will still be intact.

• Maintain your blender:

You never know when the craving is going to hit. Be sure to keep up on your appliance maintenance so you always have working tools to satisfy the hankering.