Banana Ice Cream

So I found this recipe through a friend for banana ice cream and it turned out really well. I don't let my boys have a ton of sweets so this satisfies the "ice cream" craving with none of the sugar or added ingredients that are normally found in "Ice cream". That is because it is not really ice cream... it just turns into an ice cream consistency. It has been kid tested in my house and the toddler did a happy dance while he ate it and the big preschooler told me that he "loved banana ice cream".

Banana Ice Cream (2 servings) (this is what my recipe is based on... credit where credit is due and all)
2 Frozen Bananas (110 cals/pc)
Coconut milk (100 cals)
and various other fillers (peanut butter, avocado (calories... nom nom), honey

Total Cals: 160+ added fillers/per serving

I froze the bananas in their peel so they wouldn't turn brown. If you do this, you will need to let them defrost for about 10 minutes before they can be peeled.

Freeze your bananas, put chunks of frozen bananas into the blender, add coconut milk (or whatever thinner you'd like, or no thinner), and blend blend blend.
Like magic your frozen bananas will turn into a treat that is ice cream consistency. Once you get it a good consistency add whatever else you would like to it. And that is it! So easy and it really does meet the ice cream standards of my children (not guaranteeing this result, just reporting my results!). 

I do not like bananas and did not try this myself but I felt good giving my kids this treat. Let me know if you try it and how your children like it!

Bran muffins... yum

Mr. Wonderful recently recalled something we ate often in Mexico (not its not traditionally eaten in Mexico but American Missionaries apparently eat it in Mexico)... Bran Muffins. I haven't made them in about 5 yrs and I totally did not recall how to make them. So we bought a box of bran cereal and I sorta used the recipe from Banana Bran Muffins to make something a bit different. I don't like bananas and had no desire to make muffins I would not eat. SO... here is my different bran muffin recipe that kind of followed the box but not really.

Carrot Apple Walnut Bran Muffins (see how that works... all stuff I like!)

I cook and bake like a spaz so some of my measurements aren't exactly measurements... be forewarned.
Ingredients:
2 Carrots
1 med-large apple (I used golden delicious because it is what my husband prefers)
Some walnuts (maybe a cup??)
1.5 cups of bran cereal
1/2 cups of milk (I ended up adding a bit at the end to make it a better consistency)
1 egg
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup of sugar (I didn't use that much though... but sometimes I don't measure)
2 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp baking soda
some nutmeg
some cinnamon

Peel and grate carrot, peel and dice apple, make whole walnuts a reasonable size to use in muffins.Combine deliciousness in a bowl with cereal, milk, egg, and veg. oil. Then beat or mix vigorously or something until it looks like this.In another bowl... mix together your remaining dry ingredients. Maybe you are lucky enough to have a cute chefs assistant like I have?

Then poor the dry ingredients in with the wet ingredients and mix it all up until its wet. Don't beat the snot out of it or anything. This is where I had to add just a bit more milk to give it a better consistency.Then, put the batter into greased (or lined) muffin tin.
Put them into a 400 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes. They may need up to 25 depending on your oven.
Super Muscles and Mr. Wonderful both approved. Best news is that there is very little sugar used (if you use a sweeter apple you could probably get by with no sugar or if you used other sweeter fruits or you could sweeten with a bit of apple sauce instead) and you can put all kinds of yummy stuff your children won't normally eat inside! SM is not a very big fan of carrots or walnuts by themselves.

I will be periodically sharing some recipes of things I make for SM for snacks and dinners and stuff because we love cooking together and I am a little obsessed with what my children eat. I am also probably going to post some easy recipes for babyfood as I figure that all out soon.