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!

Cravings and Permission

It’s Monday night, which means TOPS weigh-in night.  That small step up and onto the scale seems like scaling a mountain sometimes.  And really, I can’t kid myself.  I know if the result is going to be good or bad.  The people who step onto the scale, see the number and give it the “I don’t understand that … I’ve been good this week.”  Uh-uh!  Doesn’t work that way.  I had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be a good weigh-in for me this week and it was.  I was down 2 ¼ pounds.  I’ll give myself a little “whoop-whoop” for that!

Before anyone looks at the date of my last post and thinks “no way”, let me clarify.  This loss is a whole week’s worth of being good.  I started thinking about this blog and putting together the first post for quite awhile before I posted it.  I am going to try for one post a week … probably on Monday night or sometime on Tuesday.  I may slip in an extra one here and there if something tickles my fancy.  It’ll make up for the week I may miss because I can’t think of anything even reasonably intelligent to put on paper.

I am sitting in front of my laptop at my kitchen table watching Dancing with the Stars as I type this.  Yes, Dancing with the Stars … sigh ... it’s a guilty pleasure.  And speaking of guilty pleasures I do have another one too.  Okay, not so much a guilty pleasure as a dirty little secret!  I also just ate a chocolate bar.

Before you start shaking your head, tsk-tsking, and pointing fingers at me, here’s a little deal I made with myself …

If I have a craving during the week I wait it out.  More often than not it goes away, especially if it was a craving brought on by something I saw on television (the Food Network will be the death of me), read in a book (authors seem to take sadistic delight in describing amazing sounding food in great, mouth watering detail) or saw in a magazine.  If the craving does not go away I allow myself a “treat” on Monday night.  Weigh in is on Monday, so if I need to eat something “bad” I do it on Monday, within reason.  Let's face it - you can’t sit down and eat a whole pizza or a bucket of KFC and not expect an impact on the scale, not to mention your hips.  Then I get past it, and get right back on track again.  Also, hehehe, I have a whole week to work it off.  So tonight it was a Three Musketeers Bar.  As I may have mentioned once or thrice, chocolate is definitely my weakness.  Admittedly, it may not be the best "tip" in the world of weight loss … but it’s worked for me in the past and I am counting on the fact that it will help me keep those cravings in check this time around too.  It's a quarter-step backwards that helps me keep my sanity.  I mean, who doesn't get a little ugly living in a world of total deprivation?  Frequently I will look forward to it all week and then when Monday night rolls around I find it’s not so important anymore and I skip my “treat” altogether.  Just giving myself permission seems to be enough.  This week it wasn’t and I caved.

I believe that giving yourself permission to have a small slip empowers you.  It allows you to plan for it, prepare for it mentally and then get it over with.  No beating yourself up … after all you have already decided it was okay.  No whole days of senseless eating because you “blew it anyway, so what does the rest of the day matter”.

It may not work for everyone and I am not necessarily recommending it.  I am only an ordinary person trying to find her way to a healthier lifestyle and a lower number on that pesky scale, and sharing what works for me.

The only other thing I stress is if you are going to give yourself permission to have a not so perfect food for heaven's sake ENJOY IT!  Don’t eat it with a guilty conscience.  Don’t scarf it down without tasting it.  Eat it slowly and ENJOY every single morsel.  ENJOY it and call it good … over and done with … and on to healthy, portion controlled choices for the rest of the week!