I is for Icy Treats

Welcome back to another letter in our Blogging through the Alphabet.  Each week we join up many others for the next letter- this week being I!  Click on the pretty blue button at the bottom of this post to see what others are blogging about this week!

So the letter I it is!

We LOVE ice cream and anything icy in this house.  Both have long been staples in our house.  Ice creams, shakes, floats, popsicles- you name it, if involves ice cream, we love it.

Here is the problem with that.  Dyes and preservatives. And then more dyes and preservatives.  When our family decided to try to avoid both to the best of our ability, we knew this was one area that was going to get us.  Through a lot of trial and error, and some occasional cheating, we are finally happy with most of the the alternatives.
             
First, we have learned to make many homemade popsicles.  I bought several different molds and in the summer try to keep them on hand.  With just a few ingredients for most recipes, these are quick to mix up and much healthier.

See all that red???

  Just strawberries!  Yay me!

Here is the recipe we have adapted and like the most-

Fresh Strawberry Popsicles

4 TBSP honey
3 cups fresh strawberries
1/2 cup liquid (apple juice or lemonade)

Remove stems from strawberries and half.
Blend ingredients until desired consistency.
Pour into molds and freeze.

Makes 6-8 popsicles.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As for ice cream, our friends sold us on this little beauty. (this is NOT an affiliate link...just making your life easier!)

I waited for it to go on sale, it often does on amazon, and then I bought it for our family gift for Christmas.  Again, with just a few ingredients and only 15-20 minutes we can have ice cream that is safer for us and hopefully a few less calories.  Well, maybe I am just fooling myself on that one, but let me camp there for a while please.

The reason I like this is because it is so fast and easy.  If someone says "let's have ice cream" it is as easy as saying YES.  Gotta love being the hero, right?  Here are two hints- you can thank me later. Buy two freezer bowls.   That way you can make two different flavors back to back.  Once the freezer bowl defrosts you will have to wait for it to refreeze to start over.  Hint two- we have found that we can use half and half in place of cream without altering the taste much.  It may not be quite as creamy, but it does cut calories AND is usually less expensive.  We go back and forth, depending on what's on sale.

There you have it- Icy Treats the quick and healthy way!

Blessings,

Each week we join Marcy over at Ben and Me for Blogging Through the Alphabet!

Fun Fridays- Muffin Madness!

When I first started blogging last year, I mentioned here about my family eating muffins for Friday morning breakfasts with a dear friend and her family.  We still do muffins almost every Friday at our house, without that friend to share with sadly (boo hiss, military!), but each time we mix them up it makes me smile at the memories we have sharing muffins with someone each week.  Warm muffins in the morning are yummy.  Warm muffins in the morning made by or for a friend are delightful!

So this month, Fun Fridays are all about MUFFINS!

First one up is a recipe I have been using for over 18 years!  No kidding!  When I was first substitute teaching, before our first was born, a preschool director introduced these to me.  She made them as bread in coffee cans.  We loved them and they are a staple in our house.  You can use whatever fruit you choose, I seem to remember her using strawberries, but we either use pumpkin or applesauce. 

I love this simple recipe.  It is one of those just pour it all in a bowl, mix and put in the muffin cups.  One bowl to clean, no fancy steps to remember.

Quick note- this is NOT a "healthy" recipe.  If you are looking for low cal or just good for you ingredients, better close your eyes real quick and change blogs for this one.  I do try to make up for it by using our own milled flour and usually substitute honey granules for the sugar.  I say usually, because I am currently out and have not reordered them.  So, white sugar it is....shhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell.  Hey, I gave up diet cokes this month, I deserve a little white sugar, right? ;)


Fruit Bread

3 cups flour (we use whole wheat)
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
3 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. sugar (or 1 1/2 honey granules)
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup oil
2 1/2 c. fruit (applesauce, pumpkin, strawberries)

Mix all ingredients together and fill muffin pans 2/3 full.  Bale at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
Makes 2 dozen, so there are plenty to share with a friend or freeze half for the following week's breakfast.  Or snacks!

 

Enjoy and Happy Friday, friends!

 

Fun Friday- Holiday Edition

Happy Fun Friday friends!  So here's the second holiday treat for you.  If you missed the first one, just click here to catch up.  There's just something about trifles that just speak holiday to me, maybe it is the red berries.  Plus, they seem to feed a larger crowd.  Another warning- this is not the dessert to make of you are on a diet!  Just saying!

Enjoy!



Holiday Brownie Berry Bowl
1 cup boiling water
1 pkg (4-serving size) Raspberry JELL-O  (we used strawberry)
2 cups ice cubes
1 baked 9-inch square brownie layer, cooled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg (4-serving size each) Vanilla Jello pudding
2 cups raspberries (we used strawberries)
1 cup thawed Cool Whip topping

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add ice; stir until ice is completely melted and gelatin starts to thicken.
Place brownie pieces into 2-1/2-qt. serving bowl; cover with gelatin. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Pour milk into separate medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with whisk 2 min or until well blended. Spoon over ingredients in serving bowl; top with layers of raspberries (or strawberries) and whipped topping. Refrigerate 2 hours or until ready to serve.
Makes 15 serving, about 2/3 cup each.