Independence, with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sorbet

I think that the fourth - Independence Day here in the U.S. - is one of my favorite holidays. Its the only truly summer holiday, since neither June nor August has one. Its patriotic and pretty, with that red, white, and blue. It means lots of parties, food, and fireworks. And coincidentally, its my grandparent's wedding anniversary. Its also the day the boy and I met.
And with those events to celebrate, I decided to make a very simple, but extra-special treat. It involves two of my most favorite things: ice cream and berries. I opted to make a vivid red raspberry sorbet, and a comforting and pale vanilla ice cream that would be topped by a few blueberries.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
Heat the milk, salt, and vanillas (extract, bean) in a saucepan, at the lowest temperature possible for at least 10 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil or simmer. Remove from heat, and allow the mixture to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, and scrape it into the mixture.
Stir together the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and gradually add warmed milk by the 1/4 cup-full, stirring constantly as you pour. Pour the warmed yolks back into the saucepan.
Cook over low heat, alternately whisking and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Remove from heat, and whisk vigorously to make sure there are no eggy lumps.
Pour the mixture into the cream, and beat for 2 minutes to combine. Chill the mixture until it is cool - at least 10 minutes. Chill for at least half an hour (you can chill overnight if you want). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

Raspberry Sorbet
2 cups of fresh raspberries
1/2 cup caster (or fine) sugar
1 1/3 cup water
In a heavy saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil, and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Allow it to cool in the refrigerator for 20 minutes (or longer). Prepare in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturers instructions.

I partially chose desserts that involve my favorites because this Independence Day, too, will have added meaning to me. Even though the American Dream is not as easy to achieve as it sometimes is made out to be (especially in this economy), the opportunity to strive for it is still there. For me, what I am appreciating is the opportunity to pursue my personal dreams. And that opportunity is not just legal and physical, but social and spiritual. The freedom to be the type of person we want to be. For me, it was to be a lover of words, books, and knowledge. Which leads me to the really, really, REALLY exciting news. I just found out myself. What the really, really, REALLY big news is that - in less than two months' time - I will be starting law school. I thought I was going to be retaking the admissions test this fall, and applying for next fall - but suddenly - those plans changed. I am still in a state of shock. But, it feels like everything before this has lead me to this point.