Have You Ever Wanted to Eat a Whole Pint of Ice Cream?

I'm going to let you in on a little secret...

A delicious, satisfying dessert for only... 

109 calories

3 grams of fat 

11 grams of sugar 

3.7 grams of protein 

+

(I'm out of Arctic Zero, so I can't take a real picture for you. So sorry!) 

To make the 109 calorie dessert, I put a serving of chocolate peanut butter Arctic Zero in a bowl and crunched 2 cookies over the top.  A true "guilt free" dessert!  One time I ate an entire pint of vanilla maple.  I didn't feel bad. At all.  I only ate 150 calories! 

Vanilla maple is my favorite.  HEB has been out of it, so I had to get chocolate peanut butter during my last grocery store trip.  It's best when mixed with a topping.  The vanilla maple is so good I can eat it by itself.  The ingredients are impressive... simple and natural. 

"INGREDIENTS: PURIFIED WATER, WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, ORGANIC CANE SUGAR, DUTCH PROCESSED COCOA POWDER WITH ALKALI, GUAR GUM, XANTHAM GUM, NATURAL FLAVORS, SEA SALT, ORGANIC MONK FRUIT"

This is the first time I have purchased the cookies.  They were low in calories, so I thought I would give them a try.  Will definitely be getting them again.   

Myarcticzero.com shows some flavors I haven't seen at the grocery store.  I have only been able to find vanilla maple and chocolate peanut butter.  

Have you tried any of the other Arctic Zero pints or bars?  What did you think?  Did you eat the whole pint? 

Allergy Friendly Treat!

Chocolate Cranberry Bars

Here is a recipe I created for Chocolate Cranberry Bars.  They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, and nut free.  I made the bars food allergy friendly so my sister could enjoy them.  But, don't let that turn you away, they are still delicious!  People with no food allergies gave great feedback too.  Let me know what you think :)

Chocolate Cranberry Scones

1/4 cup coconut flour
1 cup gluten free oat flour (I ground whole oats in a food processor to make oat flour)
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa
Pinch of salt
6 Tbsp. coconut milk
1 banana
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. Spectrum Naturals Organic Shortening (the only soy free vegetable shortening I could find)
1/4 cup Enjoy Life Mini Chips (dairy, nut, egg, gluten, and soy free chocolate chips)
1/4 cup craisins
Extra oat flour for kneading

1. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  Be sure to mix well so you don't get any "baking soda bites".

2. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.  I used a KitchenAid.

3. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.  This is where the KitchenAid comes in handy.  After it's mixed, add the craisins and chocolate chips.

4. Poor dough onto a floured surface.  I used a silicone mat with oat flour on top.  The dough will be slightly wet, so you have to knead the dough with the extra oat four.

5. Shape the dough into a circle and cut it like a pie.

6. Place the bars on a baking sheet and bake on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes.

Raw Almond Milk

A few days ago I made the mistake of reading the back of my almond milk carton. I was surprised at how many chemicals were added to give the milk a shelf life. I didn't see the point in paying extra for a healthy milk alternative to just drink a bunch of chemicals. So, I started comparing recipes and prices of almonds. I figured I could make half a gallon for under $3. Most almond milk is priced at $3-$4 per half gallon. I'm a fan of anything thats better for you and less expensive!

Raw Almond Milk
Makes about 4 cups

1 cup of raw almonds (I got them from HEB in the bulk section)
4 cups of water
3-6 dates
1tsp Vanilla extract
Cheese cloth or nut milk bag
Jar or pitcher
Blender

1. Soak almonds and dates in water for 8-10 hours (I put mine in the fridge overnight)
2. Drain and rinse almonds
3. Blend almonds and 4 cups of water in a powerful blender for about a minute

4. Poor into cheese cloth to separate the pulp from the milk (I put the pulp in the freezer and made cookies with it a few days later)

5. Place milk back into the blender and blend with dates and vanilla

6. Poor into a jar and store in the fridge for 2-3 days

Makes a great almond milk latte :)