In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together until well mixed. Stir until the sugar dissolves. When adding the vanilla flavor, you can switch out the vanilla extract for vanilla bean. It's so so yummy! Just split open the vanilla beans with a small knife, and scrape the seeds into the ice cream mixture and mix well. If you can, refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes or more (even overnight) for full vanilla flavor. It also helps it freeze faster! Pour the mixture into your ice cream freezer, and churn ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions. Place the ice cream in an airtight plastic container, and store at the back of the freezer. You can eat the ice cream right away, but it's more of a soft-serve ice cream at that point. Freeze for a couple of hours before serving if you want to be able to scoop the ice cream.
Notes
*This is for a 4 quart ice cream maker--you can easily alter it to fit a different size! *Depending on the type of ice cream freezer you have, you may need to use rock salt and ice when churning. I suggest keeping some on hand through the summer months, just in case!