Food Friday - Guilt Free "Ice Cream"

Ice Cream is not usually my "go-to" snack, but every once in a while I just get the craving.  When that craving hits it is NOT for a scoop of vanilla in a bowl.  If I am going to indulge it usually involves wanting something that tastes a little decadent.  Since I don't eat ice cream often enough to keep it in my freezer when the craving hits it usually also involves a drive to the nearest ice cream shop.  Be it Dairy Queen, Baskin Robins or Marble Slab, let's face it, the diet is going out the window.

I came across this suggestion on Pinterest and followed it back to a posting by The Kitchn.  It sounds really yummy and much lower in calories and fat than regular ice cream.  I haven't tried it yet, but think that it would definitely satisfy any errant cravings I might suffer.  Since the satisfaction criteria is usually cold, flavourful and creamy ... this seems like it would do the trick.  I might add in some almonds or other nuts just for the crunch I like, but even so, overall it would still be okay on my eating plan.

GUILT FREE "FAUX ICE CREAM"

4 bananas, just slightly overripe (brown spots good, completely black not so good)

2 tbsps creamy peanut butter (optional – thus 2 ingredient ice cream)

2 tsps cocoa powder (Dutch process), (optional – thus 2 or 3 ingredient ice cream 
depending on peanut butter)

DO NOT FREEZE THE WHOLE BANANA, you’ll have a heck of a time blending that 
beast.

Peel the bananas and slice them up into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.

Place the banana slices in the freezer for about an hour or until they are frozen solid.

Put the frozen slices in a food processor and pulse. First they will start to resemble gravel, but keep going. The bananas will soon turn into a frozen mush – at this point, start scraping the sides 
down (you will do this a lot). Or you could add a dash of milk since the liquid will help 
the blending. After a few minutes of stopping to scrape the sides down, the banana begins to blend into a creamy texture.

When the bananas look like whipped ice cream, you can add your mix-ins like peanut butter and/or cocoa powder, chocolate chips, toffee, raspberries, anything goes!

Straight out of the food processor, the ice cream is like soft serve. You can also freeze it for a firmer texture. I find it’s pretty hard (and therefore, brittle) when I scoop it immediately after removing it 
from the freezer. Just give it a minute or two to soften up.

Makes a pint.

My own thought:

For an extra special little treat, before freezing, layer the soft "ice cream" between waffle cookies (Pizzella) or thin chocolate wafers and enjoy an "ice cream" sandwich.  Maybe a little less guilt-free, but better than the processed kind found in the grocery store.  Much more cost efficient too.

Enjoy!

Thursday's Random Thought - Before & After Simulator

I was looking around on www.Pinterest.com the other day and came across an interesting “before and after” type picture.  Clicking on the image led me to a really good link at www.modelmydiet.com.

There they have a Virtual Weight Loss Simulator and Motivational Tool.  You can pick an appropriate model, either male or female, choose a background and then anonymously input your height, weight and goal weight.  The simulator will generate pictures of how your body will change as you get to your goal weight.

Let’s face it, we all need a lot of motivation and for me, visual is often the best.  The model in the picture is pretty generic but you can pick hair color, facial shape, clothing and the like to make it look as close to yourself as possible for a computer generated image.

If you have a little time and are a little curious, head over and check it out.