Ice Cream and Childhood Memories

Around my house we try to eat pretty healthy. As the title of this blog suggests, I like to cook homemade. With two young girls and the busy life that goes along with that, cooking whole, from-scratch foods is a challenge that I have accepted with much love.

But I have a weakness. It’s name is ice cream. I love, love, LOVE ice cream!!! And to be honest, we eat it almost every day–just a little bit though. (Everything in moderation, right?)

I think I acquired my love for ice cream from my grandpa. After dinner, he would–without fail–ask my grandma for a piece of chocolate cake and a dish of chocolate ice cream. We didn’t always have cake, but we always had ice cream!

My siblings and I grew up with my grandparents. It was a lot of fun. They were retired so we traveled quite a bit. On a recent visit with my grandma, she recalled how they would often stop on a road trip to get us some ice cream. She reminded me of the craziness that would ensue in the van shortly after consuming it.

Apparently ice cream made us giggle and laugh non-stop … good entertainment in era when vehicles didn’t have rear entertainment systems!

I haven’t perfected the art of homemade ice cream yet … but that doesn’t mean I won’t try! This maple butter pecan “ice cream” is an attempt at a healthy version of my favorite dessert; it doesn’t contain any dairy but it still satisfies my craving for something sweet and cold! It works well if you don’t have an ice cream freezer, but you could use one if you have it.

Maple Butter Pecan “Ice Cream”
Yields 3 cups

3 large bananas*
½ cup almond butter
¼ to ½ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup tahini
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans

Place all of the ingredients, except the pecans, into a food processor and process until smooth. Add additional maple syrup to taste. Stir in the pecans. Transfer to a freezer container and freeze until firm, about 6 hours. *To expedite the freezing process, use frozen bananas.

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