July is National Ice Cream month and that is something worth celebrating. So, we are here to celebrate with another ice cream recipe (that brings us up to 2!). Maybe by the end of the month we might make it to 3 recipes. Summer is just so busy... but so is the rest of the year. One day I just might get used to my busy life.
We LOVE ice cream at our house, but there are a few drawbacks to this obsession. Ice cream isn't the healthiest thing to have an obsession with. And The Princess's mild milk allergy does not allow her to eat a lot of ice cream. Even though it is delicious, who would choose it over an itchy rash. Umm... not me. Another option is ice cream made with non-dairy milks, but these can get pretty expensive and are usually only found at health food stores or online. Funny story: not long after The Princesses was diagnosed, my hubby came home with lactose free ice cream. He thought his would solve The Princess's problem. :) I had to explain that she is allergic to the milk protein and isn't lactose intolerant. What a sweet daddy though, trying to help! But, I digress.
My answer to our dilemma... homemade ice cream!!
This is one of our favorite recipes and believe it or not, it is healthy. It uses natural sweeteners which is a bonus when there is so much around us loaded with refined sugar. It has avocado (good healthy fat that is great for growing kids). My family doesn't particularly like avocado so this is a good way to get some in our diet. The best part... it is super fast and easy to make.
Disclaimer - this recipe does call for a high-powered blender. I use a blendtec. Yes, it has a high price tag. So is it really worth it? YES!!!! I bought mine about 3 1/2 months ago and I have used it 3-5 times a day every day. We make smoothies (love the green smoothies), salad dressings, homemade nut butters (obviously not with peanuts, but we like almond butter) and so many other things. If you are in the market for a new blender, take a minute to look into the blendtec. You won't be disappointed. I have not been paid to say any of this... I just have an obsession with my blender. (Who knew this post would be all about my obsessions?)
On to the ingredients:
2/3 cup coconut milk (I use silk brand)
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup chopped dates*
1/2 large ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
3 cups ice cubes
Add first 5 ingredients to jar and secure lid. Select "Sauces". Add ice cubes to jar and secure lid. Select "Ice Cream" and serve immediately.
*I buy chopped dates rolled in oat flour because they are cheaper than whole dates. They can be soaked for a bit (if you remember - which I never do) before using. I generally just throw mine in and use the "Sauce" button a couple times to make sure they get well blended.
You can even make your frosty into fudgesicles. Yum!! For a full recipe of these, substitute 1 cup ice cubes for 1 cup of plain almond milk. After blending, pour the frosty into popsicle molds, insert popsicle sticks and freeze until solid.
Jana
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