Category: Dessert

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One of my friends inspired me to try my hand at a great, healthy ice cream.  My favorite ice cream when I was young was mint chocolate chip.  I would never consider ordering anything else.  However, since sugar doesn’t work for me anymore- mint chocolate chip ice cream is just not an option anymore- or is it.

A couple of years ago, I purchased an inexpensive 2-Quart ice cream maker.  I never really got brave enough to try making ice cream without the traditional sugar, milk, and cream until recently.  I mastered vanilla and chocolate using coconut milk, xylitol, stevia, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  I was pretty amazed that the coconut milk turned into a nice creamy ice cream.  The best part is that it is dairy free and sugar free!

Last night, I thought I would get a little more daring and attempt a mint chocolate chip ice cream.  The result was just what I needed to bring back those childhood memories of the ice cream shop.

Here’s the recipe:

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream- Sans Sugar and Dairy

4 cups full fat coconut milk

1 cup xylitol

1 teaspoon peppermint flavored liquid stevia

1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2 handfuls cocoa nibs

Mix the first 4 ingredients with a hand mixer until xylitol is dissolved.  Add cocoa nibs and put into the ice cream maker (follow your machines instructions).  Mine took about 25 minutes and came out with a soft-serve type texture.  Transfer to a glass container, cover, and freeze for a firmer ice cream.

Kimberly Roberto1 Comment

Weekly Meals

As part of our Lighten Up Weight Loss challenge, my husband and I promised to post what we eat daily.   Most of the people in the challenge are going with the Advanced Plan so that is what we are following so everything listed is approved fare.  Hopefully this will help people get additional meal ideas and to see how easy it is to apply to a busy life.    (F=Fred and K=Kim)

Wednesday Day 1 of the Weight Loss Challenge

Breakfast

F- 3 egg whites

K- Onions/spinach w/ fried eggs (I sauté the veggies and crack the eggs right in the pan with them.  I usually break the yolk but you can leave them sunny side up.

Lunch

F- Chicken over spinach salad with olives

K- Salmon with pesto cauliflower (I put it right in my vitamix and it comes out the consistency of risotto then add pesto sauce and salt)

Dinner

F&K- Grilled chicken with asparagus

Snacks

F-AM -Coconut Flakes, PM- Almonds

K-PM- Celery w/ Almond Butter

Thursday

Breakfast

F & K- Chocolate & Blueberry smoothie made with frozen blueberries, cocoa powder, chocolate NaturePro (available at the office soon or order from http://www.maximizedlivingdrroberto.com/), and coconut milk

Lunch

F & K – bowl of coconut soup and plate of stir fried vegetables w/ tamari

Dinner

F&K Grass fed steak with sautéed zucchini and green salad w/ olive & vinegar

Snacks

F- 2 hard boiled eggs

K- handful of almonds & walnuts

Friday

Breakfast

F&K- Blueberry chocolate smoothie

Lunch

F&K – grass fed steak fajitas w/ avocado – grassfed flank steak (purchased from http://www.whiteoakpastures.com/).  Marinated in apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, spike seasoning overnight.  Cooked on cast iron grill pan.  Sauteed sliced red bell pepper, onion, and celery in butter in a cast iron pan, added spinach at the last minute.

Dinner

F&K- Grilled Chicken Salad – organic chicken put between parchment and pounded to about ½” thickness.  Seasoned with organic seasoning mix, salt, and black pepper.  Grilled on cast iron grill pan.  Salad- red leaf lettuce, black olives, ½ tomato (tomatoes in moderation), cucumber, celery, onion, hearts of palm, slivered almonds with oil & vinegar.

Snacks

F – Almond Power Bar (recipe in boos), Coconut Flakes

K- green tea

Saturday

Breakfast

F&K – Berry smoothie

Lunch

F&K – at a wrestling tournament all day- packed leftover grilled chicken salad and almond power bars

Dinner

You CAN still eat out during your 30 day challenge,  you just have to be very careful what you order- here is what we did…

F- La Parrilla Mexican Restaurant – Monterrey Chicken Salad with no bacon, no cheese, no tortillas, salsa for dressing.  Chicken soup with no rice.  Unsweetened iced tea with stevia

K- Monterrey Chicken Salad, no bacon, no cheese, no tortillas, added extra avocado, salsa for dressing.  Unsweet tea

Snacks

F- handful almonds & cashews

K- almond power bar

Sunday

Breakfast

F- 3 scrambled eggs

K- Scrambled eggs with onions and mushrooms

Lunch

F- spinach/romaine salad w/ cucumbers, zucchini, black olives, oil&vinegar and 2 cups of chicken soup

K- romaine with cucumbers, zucchini, red onion, black olives, broccoli, celery, oil&vinegar and bowl of vegetable soup.

Dinner

F & K- taco salad- grass fed ground beef (from Publix) + taco seasoning recipe from the book with shredded raw cheddar cheese (from Nature’s Corner Market), whole avocado, black olives, cucumbers, salsa for  dressing.

Snacks

F&K- chocolate bark (recipe in the book), almonds

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment

Healthy Strawberry Parfait

I wanted to share one of my favorite treats/desserts.  It’s great because it is 1)healthy 2)quick & easy and 3)I always have the ingredients on hand. 1-2 tablespoons of organic almond, or cashew butter a handful of sliced strawberries (or any berries really) add coconut milk to cover sprinkle with stevia That’s it! Make coconut milk a staple in your pantry- it is so versatile, yummy, and healthy.

Kimberly RobertoLeave a comment