Banana-Coffee "Ice Cream"

I found this recipe on 'my crazy good life' and since I have a surplus of bananas right now I thought I'd give it a try - I'm not a banana lover so wasn't sure I'd like banana ice cream, Dave does love them tho so it's safe to say that if I didn't like the "ice cream" I'm sure he'd eat it. Plus I'm only out a couple bananas if it's gross...

Nope, not gross! It's actually really good, banana flavor and all. This took literally a minute to make, plus freezing time, and for a sweet treat that is really healthy* you can't beat it. Well you do beat it to make it creamy, but you get my drift. I'll stop talking now - make yourself this non-dairy ice cream and see for yourself. 

                          

Original recipe:

3-4 sliced frozen bananas

1/4 cup strong espresso coffee, cold

honey/sugar

1/2 t. vanilla or coffee extract

Add a bit of sweetener to the coffee, to your liking.

In a food processor, add frozen bananas, coffee, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy. Freeze for 1 hour. 

My changes ~ I made this in my Ninja blender,  used 2 1/2 whole frozen bananas and enough coffee to make it the correct texture. I used caramel flavored coffee, didn't add vanilla extract because I had flavored coffee, and drizzled honey in to make it just a tiny bit sweet.

*unless you don't like the sugar in the bananas, but I feel like hey, it's a fruit - and really, am I gaining weight from eating too many bananas or might the culprit be the wine I drink? Yep, not blaming the bananas.


9.28.18: chicken parmesan stuffed portobello mushrooms
9.28.17: my baking center
9.28.16: pumpkin nutella cookie bars
9.28.15: pumpkin tower

Berry Trifle

Here's a quick, easy, yummy, low calorie dessert that's perfect for any patriotic holidays or summer party - it's a weight watchers recipe that I found here and it's SO good. I make this quite often and everyone loves it. I'm taking this trifle to my sisters for her Memorial Day party along with mini cherry and blueberry pies (I haven't made them yet, will post when I do!). Here is the original recipe, followed by a couple of my notes.



RED, WHITE, AND BLUEBERRY TRIFLE
14 (1cup) servings, 169 calories per serving

ingredients:
- 10 oz angel food cake, cut into 1-inch cubes
-2 pints strawberries, sliced
- 2 pints blueberries

for the cream filling:
-6 tablespoons fat-free sweetened condensed milk
-1 1/2 cups cold water
1 package sugar-free white chocolate instant pudding mix
-12 oz fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

directions:
Whisk the condensed milk and water in a bowl. Whisk in the pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft set; fold in the whipped topping.

Arrange half of the cake in the bottom of a 14 cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Spread half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then add more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries and blueberries, arranging them in a pretty pattern. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

*notes: I sometimes use low-fat milk instead of the condensed milk/water mixture; and you can change the pudding flavor to whatever you like. Sometimes I get in too big of a hurry and don't cut the angel food cake into small enough bites, you do want them fairly small. I save out a little whipped topping and spread it on the top before adding the top layer of berries in a pattern. One more thing - I put down a little of the pudding first then layer with cake and berries (and sometimes I add raspberries).  Enjoy!