Coconut Milk Ice Cream Almond - Vegan

Hello,

I scream, you scream, we all scream for all ICE CREAM! We love ice cream in our house but it was starting to become a thing of the past for us!  My husband is sensitive to sugar and too much can lead to migraines.  You can certainly buy coconut ice cream made with agave nectar and similar varieties at health food stores however, it will cost you an arm and a leg!  I decided to buy an ice cream maker and get busy creating this creamy delicious concoction in my kitchen…..
The ice cream maker I am using is by Cuisinart and I bought it on Amazon for about $50.00.  I love the simplicity, you freeze the bowl overnight, mix your ingredients and you have homemade ice cream in about an hour or less.  You can make any flavor you like.  The recipe below is for Almond Ice Cream.  I have made chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, pistachio, strawberry and vanilla.  The base remains the same, coconut milk, vanilla extract, salt, cornstarch & coconut sugar.  You swap out the mix-ins! 

Who doesn't love ICE CREAM? :)

Enjoy! 

Almond Ice Cream 

1 can of coconut milk - I recommend using full fat.  You can use the light version, the only difference is the consistency will be a bit icy vs. creamy. 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract or use a vanilla bean - scraped
1/2 cup coconut sugar or white sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3 tablespoons almond butter

Mix all ingredients using a blender, pour into ice cream maker and finish freezing process in freezer!  The ice cream maker is important, it whips air into the ice cream giving the ice cream that creamy texture!  

Flavor Options:
Pistachio: almond extract & pistachio nuts - shelled
Chocolate: coco powder (un-sweetend) & chocolate chips (melted or whole)
Chocolate Peanut Butter: coco powder (un-sweetend) and peanut butter - if watching calories: PB2 is a great substitute for full fat PB. 
Strawberry: Fresh Strawberries chopped

I used MFP (My Fitness Pal) to obtain calorie content and the Almond Ice Cream is 209 calories per serving, based on 6 servings total.  This is about 1/2 cup per serving.  

Pumpkin Chili

Hello,

This chili is perfect for a cool Fall day and healthy too! 

Enjoy :)

Pumpkin Chili

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 Sweet Onion Chopped

2 Bell Peppers Chopped

4 Cloves Garlic Diced

2 Sweet Potatos Peeled & Chopped into bite size pieces

1 Tablespoon Chicken Bouillon

1 Can Organic Pure Pumpkin

1 Can White Beans or Kidney Beans

1 Can Black Beans

1 Can Diced Tomatos (28 ounces)

1 Small Can Corn

1 Jalapeno Diced

Fresh Cilantro – for serving

Avocado – for serving  

Spices:

2 Tablespoons Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

Dash of Cayenne to Taste

1 Teaspoon of Cumin

Salt & Pepper

In a large stock pot, sauté onions, garlic in olive oil until fragrant and browned, add chicken bouillon and allow to dissolve.  Next, add bell pepper, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin, crushed tomatoes, beans, jalapeno and spices with 1 cup water. Simmer of low for appx 45 minutes to an hour (until sweet potatoes are tender).  Stir in chopped cilantro and garnish with fresh avocado.

Pumpkins & More Pumpkins

Hello,

Fall is here & in full swing (well not really, we are still experiencing 80 degree days)!  We had a pumpkin decorating contest at work and I figured since I am not good at carving, I would try my skills with painting and decorating (thank you Pinterest for the idea).  I went to Michael's, bought all the supplies and spent the weekend creating this guy!  I did not win the contest because it ended up not being a contest after all….three ladies entered and we all showed up with pretty good ideas and agreed it was a tie!  What a fun way to get the festivities started!  

Versatile Almond Flour Muffins - Vegan

Hello,

These muffins were truly made up in my kitchen through trial and error.  I was looking for a healthy breakfast alternative that would provide some serious morning power and keep me satisfied until lunch. They are also great as a snack!

This recipe is very versatile because you can add whatever fruit/vegetable or nuts of your choice.  The picture below is zucchini/pecans.  My second favorite is banana/walnut. 

Enjoy! 

Very Versatile Almond Flour Muffins

1 lb bag of Almond Flour (Trader Joe’s)

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Melted Earth Butter or you can use regular butter - Coconut butter works well too but you lose the butter baked taste!

1 Cup Coconut Sugar

1 Cup non-sweetened Almond Milk

Add – In Options:

2 Smashed Bananas

1 ½ Medium Shredded Zucchinis

½ cup Pecans/Walnuts

Chocolate Chips

Shredded Carrots or Apples  

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries

Preheat oven to 375

In a mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the following ingredients:

Almond flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, melted earth butter, coconut sugar and almond milk.  Mix until fully combined on medium speed.  

Next gently fold in your fruit, veggie or nuts of choice.  Spoon into muffin pan using cupcake liners.  Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 25-30 minutes.  They are done when a knife is inserted in center and comes out clean.  Allow to cool and store in refrigerator.