"Hey, wait a minute!" you say, "Ice cream? Melissa, that's not healthy."Well, this is a traditional treat that I have experimented with over the past couple years and I've actually come up with a healthier alternative to the sugary, chemical laden original. Not only that, but I prefer it.
A good friend of mine bought an industrial strength blender that came with some ice cream recipes. These recipes used milk cubes, nut butter, natural sweetening agents and other wholesome ingredients which would blend to "ice cream" consistancy. My blender wasn't quite as strong as hers but it was new and up to the task. I found that by using the "ice" button and stopping it frequently to stir, I could get similar results.
It wasn't hard to figure out that I could use almond milk & butter, organic cocoa, agave nectar or maple syrup and other ingredients to suit my own preferences. The end result is not calorie-free by any means but it doesn't leave a coating on my tongue like store-bought ice cream does and it sits nicely in my stomach. No guilt either.
This method requires a little more effort than driving to the closest ice cream shop or scooping from a manufacturer's carton, but it's not completely disruptive to normal life. I usually get six to eight 1/2 cup servings from 2 ice cube trays and I store it away in plastic, single-serve containers so it is ready the next time the craving hits. That is, unless there are no other competing desserts in the house in which case my family gets into the action. We are usually fighting over the last drops in the blender. Never enough for the voracious ice cream appetites in my family.
Even though I've chosen not to indulge in McDonald's Sundaes and McFlurries, Wendy's Frosties, Cold Stone, Baskin Robins, Dairy Queen, or grocery store frozen treats...I've still found a way to include ice cream into my diet in a healthy, moderate way. Smile.
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