Pumpkin Spice “Ice Cream” (dairy-free)

Posted on 09/06/2011 by Christy

You won’t need an ice cream maker for this delicious dairy-free recipe!

And it’ll be done in just a few minutes and with very few ingredients…just a couple of the reasons it has quickly become my new favorite dessert!!

Heck, eat it for breakfast if you’d like! It’s much healthier than most cereals or waffles and sausage! 🙂

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

Makes 1-2 servings

INGREDIENTS:

2 frozen bananas
¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice blend* (we use Frontier brand)
Chopped nuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Cut bananas into thick slices and place into food processor
Process on high 15-30 seconds until slices are diced up
Stop processor and scrape sides
Sprinkle in pumpkin pie spice blend
Process on high until mixture fully combines and forms one large mass (ball).
Transfer to bowls and top with chopped nuts. Enjoy!

*If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice blend, just make your own combo of cinnamon and nutmeg with a little powdered ginger and cloves. Or just cinnamon and nutmeg should work fine, too, if you want to keep it simple.

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

Chocolate Pudding Pops Recipe (dairy-free!)

Posted on 08/05/2011 by Christy

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

It’s rare that I “toot my own horn,” but this recipe ROCKS!!!

And, unlike many pudding recipes made from dairy….there’s no need to cook anything. Total score!

(Psst….If you enjoy this recipe, be sure to get yourself a copy of our additive-free cookbook & grocery shopping guide, “Eating Additive-Free“! It’s stuffed with 150+ more tasty recipes!! Your satisfaction is guaranteed…or your money back!)

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup raw honey

3/4 cup + 2 TBSP water

1 large, ripe avocado (about 10 oz.)

2 ripe bananas (Note: These improve the texture of the pops without adding a detectable banana flavor!)

*Check out our Grocery Shopping Guide for our tips on selecting the most additive-free versions of every ingredient used in our recipes.

DIRECTIONS:

Place ingredients in a blender in the order listed above. Blend until smooth, stopping the blender a few times, as needed, to scrape down the sides with a spatula and/or to push the ingredients down into the blade.

Transfer to popsicle molds. Click here to see the ones I use. My molds each hold 1/2 cup, so this makes 5 fudgsicles in these molds.

Freeze for at least 8 hours.

Run mold under hot water until fudgsicle slides right out. Do not force it out or you’ll pull the stick right out of the popsicle…if this happens, the kids will be sad, but it’s not a total loss. Fill the stick hole with water and stick back in the freezer until frozen solid again 😉

Enjoy as a snack or a dessert. Heck, grab one for a quick breakfast – it’s a heck of a lot healthier than the breakfast cereals or PopTarts most kids are eating!!

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

(“Healthier-than-Caramel”) Candy Apple Dip Recipe

Posted on 08/03/2011 by Christy

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

This recipe is dairy-free and, unlike making caramel dip, you won’ t even have to cook (i.e., risk burning) anything!

The texture shown here can only be achieved in a powerful blender like a VitaMix or Blendtec. (If you don’t own one of these machines, see the “Blender Note” at the end of the recipe.) Consider yourself warned, you are going to have a love/hate relationship with this recipe – you’ll love how it tastes, but hate that you can’t stop eating it! Seriously, I don’t advise trying the recipe until you have plenty of other folks around to share it with….or you may give yourself a stomachache 😉

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix the following together in a powerful VitaMix or Blendtec machine:

1/2 cup grapeseed oil (I’ve seen this available even at the most basic grocery stores in my town)

1 1/2 cups unroasted/unsalted cashews (may need to get from a health store or health food section; often found in bulk bins)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 – 2 lemons)

1/3 cup raw honey

6-8 pitted dates

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

You can eat it right away, but we prefer to let it chill completely in the fridge first. Store extra (if there is any) in the fridge, as well.

YIELD: 2 cups

This tastes great eaten straight out of a bowl with a spoon, too!!! Who needs the apples?! LOL!

BLENDER NOTE: While the gooey texture of this dip is best achieved using a high-powered blending machine, it is possible to make this recipe in a food processor. Just substitute three-fourths of a cup of cashew butter for the cashews, and reduce the amount of grapeseed oil from a half of a cup to a fourth of a cup. The dip will taste great, but it won’t be as smooth and gooey as it is when using a high-powered blender. However, because a food processor won’t heat up the dip as much as a high-powered blender, the dip is generally cool enough to enjoy immediately when made in this fashion.

CHECK OUT OUR RECIPES PAGE FOR MORE GREAT RECIPES!!!

Great Trick for Broccoli Haters

Posted on 07/11/2011 by Christy

If you (or your kids, etc.) are not broccoli’s greatest fan, then you’ve got to give this recipe a try! Forget about smothering your veggies with cheese! I just tried this recipe that I found on the back of a store-bought basil package (The Herbal Garden brand) because I thought it sounded tasty. And, as an unexpected result, I learned that fresh basil totally covers the “broccoli taste” of broccoli – it just tastes like BASIL! Trust me, and check out the recipe below! 🙂

For more great recipes and all of the grocery shopping tips you need to ensure that you select the most additive-free versions of all ingredients needed to make this recipe (and all of my recipes), check out my book “Eating Additive-Free“!

Ingredients:

6 cups water plus 2 cups ice (ice bath)

1/3 cup sea salt

1 head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

2 TBSP fresh basil, cut into thin strips

Directions

1. Bring water and salt to rolling boil and cook broccoli in water for 4 minutes.

2. Remove broccoli and place in ice bath for 2 minutes.

3. Remove from water and place on triple layer of paper towels.

4. Cover broccoli with triple layer of paper towels and gently pat dry.

5. Put oil and garlic in large, nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Do not burn garlic.

6. Add broccoli and cook for about 3 minutes.

7. Place on platter and sprinkle with fresh basil.

WANT MORE?!
We write frequently here about natural health and happiness topics!
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to our blog for FREE updates from us, so you don’t miss a thing!!