"Where's the Gelato?"

We've been home since Saturday night and are easing back into "real life."  We've gone through the pile of mail that accumulated while we were away, finished up all the laundry from the trip, and are just about used to the time change (though I haven't slept past 5:30 A.M. the past two mornings).  Some things are a bit harder to get used to, like not having great gelato any time we wanted it.   

Yesterday afternoon Paul came out to the kitchen, looked in the freezer and said, "Where's the gelato?" 

We decided to try making some, using the World's Best Ice Cream Machine, otherwise known as the Lello 4080 Musso Lussino.  It's been in storage down in the basement for a few years, tucked safely out of sight after I gained twenty pounds the first year we owned it by making and eating so much fabulous ice cream.   This morning we got it out, found a place for it in the kitchen, poured in a chocolate variation of this recipe which we made yesterday and chilled overnight, and let it churn.  

Paul and I sampled it a few minutes ago and it sure is good!  

Italians seem to eat a lot of lusciously rich gelato and manage to stay slender.  I think small portions are the key.  Paul and I were satisfied with the quarter cup we had, so we're off to a good start.