Healthy Ice Cream

have you tried a healthy creamy ice cream that is dairy free, gluten free, sugar free, 100% vegan and is made with just ONE super healthy ingredient…

The magic ingredient ……banana.

Bananas have many health benefits including lowering the risk of strokes, kidney stones, improving blood sugar levels, preserving memory and boosting mood.

Many of us have tasted simple frozen bananas as a healthy cooling treat in the summer. But this goes one step further.

When you think of blending a frozen banana , you perhaps assume it would be icy of flaky. But the small amount of fat in a banana helps turn it into a rich and creamy ice cream.
It is a great way to use up bananas that are getting over-ripe – store them in the freezer for a few days until you are ready to use them.

Have a go at this low calorie healthy and delicious guilt free treat.

• Peel your bananas first.
• Cut them into small pieces.
• Freeze for just 1-2 hours on a plate.
• Blend, blend, blend – scraping down the bowl when they stick.
• Enjoy the magic moment when they turn into ice cream!

Here are a couple of other suggestions for tasty variations:

Hazlenut Chocolate Spread and Banana Ice Cream
2 peeled medium bananas, sliced into coins and frozen until solid
4 tablespoons Nutella or other hazelnut-chocolate spread
Blend bananas in food processor until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Blend in Nutella, and transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

Peanut Butter & Honey Banana Ice Cream
2 peeled medium bananas, sliced into coins and frozen until solid
3 or 4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons raw organic honey
Blend bananas in food processor until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Blend in peanut butter and honey, and transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

Cinnamon Banana Ice Cream
2 peeled medium bananas, sliced into coins and frozen until solid
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground cinnamon
Blend bananas in food processor until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Blend in sweetened condensed milk and cinnamon. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

Dark Chocolate Banana Ice Cream
2 peeled medium bananas, sliced into coins and frozen until solid
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend bananas in food processor until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Blend in cocoa powder, cream, and vanilla. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

Strawberries & Cream Banana Ice Cream
2 peeled medium bananas, sliced into coins and frozen until solid
1/2 cup roughly chopped frozen strawberries
2 tablespoons cream
Blend bananas in food processor until they are the consistency of soft serve ice cream. Blend in strawberries and cream until smooth, and transfer to a freezer container and freeze until solid.

Change your World

If everyone put forth a little effort towards making the world a better place, it would simply become a better place. If everyone smiled a bit more, opened doors for strangers, and helped keep our outdoor spaces clean, we would live in a brighter and friendlier world.

These little things may not seem like much, but collectively they can change the world. Pick two (or more) to do today and see how your perception of the world around you changes.

You help mold your environment.

IMPROVING YOUR LIFE, COMMUNITY, AND THE WORLD – ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME

1. Smile More – It seems as though we live in a time where avoiding eye contact is the norm. For the sake of your mood and others around you, smile. If someone says good morning, smile and say it back. Or better yet, you say good morning first. Simple niceties should never be downplayed as their presence (or absence) can truly change someone’s day.

2. If you see garbage, pick it up – If you see an empty paper cup on the sidewalk, do you walk by it? Pick it up. You may not have been responsible for it, but you can be responsible for helping keep things clean. Truly, litter and clutter can change the attitude of a community. Rather than place blame, do your part to make things more beautiful.

3. Buy someone’s coffee (or tea) – Random acts of kindness are good for everyone involved. Buy the next person in line their beverage.

4. Grow a garden – Whether it’s in your backyard, in containers on your patio, or in a community garden, growing food isn’t only good for your health, it’s good for your soul and the environment. You can even use food scraps to grow various plants.

5. Speak to strangers – Say hello to strangers. When you’re waiting in line, talk about the weather. Small talk used to be more common, but we’ve allowed the concept of “stranger danger” to come in between us, despite crime rates being at historic lows.

6. Conquer fear – Fear can hold you back from experiencing the things in life that are most fulfilling. When you conquer your fear of failure, your fear of emotional intimacy, or your fear of becoming everything you’ve ever dreamed of, you’re free to be fulfilled.

7. Give when you get – Whenever you get a little, give a little. Try donating to a good cause or volunteering for an organization you know is sincere. Support companies that support others and give back based on your purchase. It doesn’t get much better than helping others.

8. Take responsibility for your results – The blame game serves no one. When you take responsibility for your actions and the results they garner, you become an active participant in building the life of your dreams.

9. Visit with your neighbors – Communities are forged on the little conversations had at mailboxes, in driveways, as you take out the garbage or help one another scoop the sidewalk.

10. Apply what you’ve learned – When you know better, you owe it to yourself and everyone around you to do better. Apply the concepts you hold dear in your everyday life.

[c/o E. Renter]

Vibrant Cities…

I’m going to start on another series of information… much like my ‘interesting food facts’ (which I am still continuing with)… this time about my selection of random vibrant cities of the world 🙂

Hope you enjoy reading it all! 😛

xx