My husband in an absolute ice cream fanatic. He could eat a bowl every single night if I’d let him. He used to be in the habit of doing that, but it started to show in his waistline, and worse, in his labs during his annual physical. I didn’t want him to have to cut it out completely, especially because it was a way for him to bond with our children, so I put in the work of finding alternatives.
My husband was pretty bummed out about this, but it was becoming clear that his health was more important than five minutes of enjoyment. He’s allowed his precious Ben & Jerry’s once a month (or a trip to an ice cream shop in the warmer months- his choice), and the rest of the time we make homemade non-dairy ice cream.
It’s a big win-win for everyone. My husband can feel the physical difference in his body since cutting back on the super sugary stuff, and we decide on different recipes with our children when it’s time to make a new batch. Plus, it’s taught the kids a lot about what it means to make healthier decisions. They love their dad, and they want him to be in the best health possible.
At first it sounded boring. Everyone assumed that it would be nothing but pureeing ice and fruit, but that’s not what it’s been at all. We add all kinds of great things to our ice cream. We do make a lot of fruity varieties, but that’s because we enjoy them. Other than that we add dark chocolate, nuts, homemade nut butters (including a homemade nutella!) and certain recipes even call for herbs like mint or basil.
We use our Cuisinart food processor from start to finish. We puree the main ingredients, we also grind dried fruit into powders when needed, and we chop any of the nuts with it too. We were using it so much that our blades started to dull. Right then and there I went to the KitchenWorksInc. website and ordered a few replacement parts. They sell authentic Cuisinart dfp-14n parts, not cheap knock off parts.
I purchased some extra blades because at the rate we were going, they were bound to get dull again in no time. I got some extra bowls as well to make larger batches. That’s great for when a particular craving hits. Plus it’s nice to have extra in the freezer so we have a few different flavors at once. This way no one gets bored.
It’s been a truly wonderful experience making homemade ice cream with my family, and it’s made a huge difference in the health of everyone. I’m so thankful that I can make meaningful memories and give my family a sweet treat that they enjoy, without having to worry about the impact it has on them physically over time.