Cherry Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream (dairy-free, paleo)

It's summer! Time to break out the ice cream maker and whip up some dairy-free ice cream. Plus it's cherry season right now. This coconut milk-based ice cream is a perfect way to indulge in both antioxidant-rich cherries and dark chocolate. Serve it as a sweet treat after dinner, or a healthy mid-afternoon snack for your kids. This cherry chocolate chunk ice cream comes from my Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook.

Be sure to use full fat coconut milk in this recipe. The hemp seeds give it some extra creaminess, healthy fats, and amino acids. You can easily omit the chocolate if you are on Phase 2 of the Elimination Diet. You can also replace the cherries with blueberries, strawberries, or diced mango. All variations are delicious!

White Nectarine Ice Cream (Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free)

As promised, here it is, finally, the White Nectarine Ice Cream. Naturally sweetened and of course gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. The photo doesn't do this recipe justice. The consistency and flavors are simply amazing. Even after 24 hours of freezing, it is still soft and easy to scoop just like traditional ice cream made with cream and sugar.

When I make this, my kids practically eat the whole container in one sitting. I have to cut them off and hide the container in the back of the freezer!

So let's celebrate the end of summer with one last hoorah and eat ice cream! This luscious dairy-free ice cream blends a few natural sweeteners for layer upon layer of deep, rich flavors. The maple syrup I use here is not really to add any extra sweetness. Instead it adds an extra dimension of flavor, especially if you use Grade B maple syrup which is less refined, higher in minerals, and richer in flavor.

You should still be able to find white nectarines at most health food stores and food co-ops, at least that's the case here. If not, try yellow nectarines or peaches. I just bought a bunch of white nectarines for freezing so I can make this recipe as a special treat during the year.

This recipe does require a few more ingredients and does take a little extra time compared to my Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream, but the end result is soooo worth it!

Sugar-Free Watermelon Sorbet

The sultry days of summer are upon us and refreshing, cooling foods seem to be the daily mainstay. Watermelon has a high water content and is naturally sweet making it perfect for sorbet. This recipe is very easy to make and does not require an ice cream maker.

Before I give you the recipe I thought I would highlight a few health benefits of watermelon. This pink, juicy fruit is an excellent source for the potent carotenoid antioxidant, lycopene. Watermelon, as well as tomatoes, offers high amounts of lycopene. Lycopene has been found to be protective against various forms of cancers including, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, endometrial cancer, and colorectal cancers.

What exactly is an antioxidant you say? Well, since every cell in our bodies is exposed to oxygen and other potentially harmful substances every day, we need to offer protection. Thankfully nature puts protective chemicals in whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which do a fabulous job at protecting us. These protective chemicals are called antioxidants. Antioxidants offer protection to our cells by donating electrons to counteract any damage that may have been done. This damage occurs every day so this is why it is impotent to eat fresh fruits and vegetables all day, everyday. Disease can manifest when too many cells have been damaged. What better way to enjoy dessert than with fruit!


Watermelon Sorbet

The trick to making this recipe at a moment's notice is to have your freezer already stocked with chopped watermelon. Then all you need to do is toss everything into the food processor and you can have a healthy, refreshing dessert in minutes!

4 to 5 cups frozen (seedless) watermelon chunks
the juice of one lime
1/4 to 1/3 cup honey
1/8 teaspoon guar gum (optional)

Place all ingredients into a food processor fitted with the "s" blade and pulse. Continue to process then pulse until all of the chunks have become a smooth sorbet. The pulsing is really the trick here, so if the watermelon chunks just are not breaking down, turn off your machine, then pulse. Taste and add more sweetener if necessary. Pulse again.

You can serve it right away or scoop it out and freeze for a few hours in a container. Use an ice cream scoop to serve. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Please note: I have not frozen this recipe for more than a few hours because my children eat it all up right away!


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Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream (paleo)

What to do when the weather gets warm? Make ice cream. We've been making "ice cream" quite often lately. Last week the temperature lingered in the low 80's for most of the week. This week has been beautiful too...in the 70's.

Last week my daughter, Lily, concocted her own ice cream using cashews, water, agave nectar, frozen bananas, cherries, and raspberries. She also added a half of an avocado, a few spoonfuls of raw coconut butter, and a splash of vanilla. I wrote the recipe down somewhere. She made it in our Vitamix and it was delicious!


Today I wanted to share with you a dairy-free ice cream made in an ice cream maker. I have a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that works beautifully and won't break the bank. Making ice cream in a Vitamix or food processor certainly works, but the end product lacks that creamy, ice dreamy mouth feel of true ice cream.

Last September, Tom made a white nectarine ice cream using the ice cream maker that was so good I wanted to hide the container and eat it all myself! I have that recipe scribbled down somewhere. Maybe later in the summer I will share it. And now, the strawberry ice cream....