.caramel banana nut ice cream, sans cream.

One very hard part about going dairy-free is not getting to eat ice cream. One very hard part about working out like a fiend and trying to get into some sort of shape is not eating non-dairy ice cream (which, in my opinion, is actually tastier than normal ice cream). So, after seeing banana soft serve all over pinterest and on multiple other blogs, I decided I had to give it a try.

The verdict: Winning!

This was incredibly easy to make and very tasty. I made little banana soft serve sundaes with about 2 teaspoons of non-dairy caramel sauce and some chopped pecans, courtesy of our friend Joseph from Texas. Nothing like a Texas pecan, mmmm.

Banana Soft Serve makes 3 sundaes
3 bananas

Chop the bananas into small pieces and put in the freezer for at least 5 hours. I recommend letting them freeze over night.

Process frozen banana chunks in your food processor for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally. It will take a little while for it to all come together but be patient!

Then, eat the hell out of some banana soft serve! Or you could also put it back in the freezer to let it get a little more firm, I will probably do this next time. You can add anything you want to it, and I will be experimenting with things and I'll let y'all know how they go!

XO

.dairy-free chocolatey indulgence.

A few years ago I had the privilege of working for a great couple at their doctor's office. They were always bringing in divine, yet slimmed down, goodies for the staff.

These brownies were office favorites and it's obvious why. These guys are silky, dense and moist. They taste like chocolate pudding, in bar form. They are also oil, butter, egg and dairy-free. Perfect for me right now, as I'm dairy-free for la bebe and trying to work on my fitness. Everyone needs a little chocolate fix here and there though and these do the trick.

I switched them up a little bit, as you are also completely welcome to do. Her original recipe calls for 3/4 cup of sugar but I drop it down to 1/2 cup. I also added the ground flax seed and throw some slivered almonds on top. In the past she brought in some that she put nuts into and some that she put chocolate chips into. You really can't go wrong with the add-ins.

Marsha's Brownies makes 16
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
10.5 ounces silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Combine the silken tofu and vanilla extract in a blender.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix thoroughly, bake for 20-25 minutes.

It is really that easy so have a somewhat healthy, delicious, chocolate treat for the end of the night!

XO