Berry-Cherry Soft Serve

Write this down.

Are you ready for it?

If you don't currently own a food processor, put it down at the top of your list of kitchen items you absolutely need. I promise, it will be the best investment you make for your kitchen, and maybe your health, too.

You see, I love ice cream. And if I didn't have a food processor that enabled me to make healthy, fruit-based soft-serve at home, I would probably eat a lot more of the regular stuff. I'm an absolute sucker for soft, creamy, frozen desserts, and although I'm pretty good at making thick smoothies in the morning, using a food processor and barely any additional liquid makes for a homemade soft serve ice cream that's eerily similar to the real deal.

Berry-Cherry Soft Serve

Ingredients
*1/2 cup frozen raspberries
*1/2 cup frozen dark sweet cherries
*2 to 3 tablespoons almond milk or other type of milk
*1 tablespoon reduced-sugar chocolate milk powder
*2 tablespoons Greek yogurt (optional)

Instructions
*Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add extra milk, if needed.

Happy cooking!

Madison

Homemade Larabars

A couple weeks ago after a trip to Florida, I wrote about healthy eating strategies for traveling. And since J. lives in Illinois, it seems like I spend a whole lot of time traveling, eating on the go, and trying my best to stick to a healthy eating schedule. Not an easy thing to do!

Larabars have fast become one of my favorite nutrition bars, and it takes only a quick look at the ingredient list to know why. Most contain only four or five ingredients and absolutely nothing hard to pronounce. But as much as I love Larabars, I find it hard to justify shelling out $2.50 a bar when I can make them at home.

Cue the Homemade Larabar.

A base of dates and prunes keep these bars chewy and moist, while nuts and peanut butter provide healthy fat to keep you full and satisfied. If you’re adverse to prunes, swap them out for another favorite dried fruit, like apricots, cherries, or cranberries. And if peanut butter isn’t your thing, give another nut butter, like one made with almonds or walnuts, a try - or maybe even Nutella if you’re feeling decadent.

Anyone else have a favorite nutrition bar they go to when on the road?

Happy Labor Day!

Homemade Larabars
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients
*10 oz. pitted dates
*1 cup prunes
*2 cups slivered almonds
*1 tsp. almond extract
*1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
*1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
*5 oz. dried mixed fruits (I used a mix from Target of dried blueberries, cherries, and cranberries)

Instructions
*In a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until nuts and fruit are finely chopped and begin to come together in a paste, about 1 to 2 minutes.
*Remove ingredients from food processor and press into an 8x8-inch foil-lined baking pan or dish.
*Refrigerate overnight or freeze for 30 minutes before cutting into bars of desired size. I cut mine smaller to serve as snacks between meals, but you can cut them into larger bars to serve as a meal replacement, too.

madison

Fruit and Veggie Smoothie

Most nights before dinner I do a mental tally to track how many fruits and veggies I've had throughout the day, and most nights it's not much of an uplifting experience. I'll be honest, sometimes my food 'pyramid' is dismally out of balance. Heavy on the carbohydrates, low on fruits and veggies, you know the drill. And while I've never been much of a fruit juice or V8 drinker, I am a big advocate of the smoothie.

I've had quite a few people ask me what eating at my apartment looks like on a daily basis. Most of the time, dinner is nothing worth writing home about. If I end up short on the mental tally of fruits and vegetables, it's not uncommon for me to sit down to a dinner of steamed broccoli and whole wheat toast, a sweet potato and green beans, or a smoothie like this one. That's being a food editor for ya. Not all that glamorous when no one is watching. :)

So while this smoothie is not exactly dinner party fare, it is great for you. You'll notice there is spinach in the recipe. No, it's not a mistake - spinach is my favorite veggie to blend into smoothies because of its mild flavor. And while I'm not an advocate of 'sneaky cooking,' this is your opportunity to sneak a few extra vegetables into your kid's or spouse's diet. The single serving recipe below delivers 2 servings of fruit, 1 serving of vegetables and only 310 calories. Upping your fruit and veggie count doesn't get any better than that.


Ingredients:
*1/2 cup water (or milk, if desired)
*1 cup light vanilla yogurt (such as Dannon Light and Fit)
*1 cup frozen spinach
*1 medium banana
*3/4 cup frozen mixed berries
*4 ice cubes
*2 tsp. Splenda, Honey, or other sweetener (optional, I used Splenda)

Instructions:
*Blend all the above ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Happy Cooking!

Madison

Pearberry Sorbet

You may have thought that after the extensive talk of the Valley Junction Farmer's Market, I would have exhausted everything there was to say about a three-block stretch of vendors selling produce. That is, in part, correct. But while waiting for the stands to open, we ducked into a little shop on Main Street with the words COFFEE + ICE CREAM boldly emblazoned across the storefront. Coffee and ice cream...how could we not?

Turns out, this little shop sold more than just coffee and ice cream, it was home to the most amazing, refreshing dessert I have ever tasted. Okay, this may not be the only time I have said the phrase "most amazing dessert I have ever tasted," but please do not hold it against me. It's the only way I know how to stress how wondrous it really was. The object of my desire? Pear Italian Ice. Soft and creamy, sweet but not sickeningly so, this was homemade sorbet at it's finest.

While I am sure to return for another taste of this Italian ice when time allows, I knew that finding a version I could make myself was necessary for when cravings strike, or budgets are tight (and when ISN'T that the case?!) My Pearberry Sorbet is not an exact replication; it now bears my own unique take.


I began by slicing, and freezing, three pears which were still a bit crisp. Once the slices were frozen, about 4 hours, I removed them from the freezer and put them in a blender with one cup of frozen mixed berries, 1/2 cup of ice water, and 6-8 ice cubes. To add a touch of extra sweetness without any additional calories, I tossed in 1/4 cup Splenda.

Fair warning, it takes a bit of time to fully blend this mixture; it's super thick! Even a great blender may take a bit of coaxing to process until smooth, but hang in there because it's worth the effort. That is really all there is to it. Frozen fruit, ice, a bit of water and Splenda and you have a dessert that is not only refreshing but healthy as far as desserts go.



I chose to serve it immediately after blending, but if you want your sorbet a bit firmer, the freezer is your friend. You can place it in a plastic container and freeze for as long as desired. Get creative with this dessert. I can imagine how delicious a version using mango, kiwi, or pineapple would be. Maybe that will be next on the list. :)

Madison