Homemade Cherry Ice Cream Bon Bons {Dairy-Free Option}

CHOCOLATE + CHERRIES go so perfectly together!  

With this heat wave going on in Northern California, I knew I had to make some homemade ice cream ... I mean why not?  Ice cream is mandatory when summer heat hits!  At least it is in my book.  

One of my family's favorite fruits is cherries.  We all love them + I love ice cream, so I decided to make homemade cherry ice cream for us.  But I didn't stop there, I decided to make something extra special ... 


CHERRY ICE CREAM BON BONS 

I am super excited to be sharing this delicious + sweet recipe over at one of my favorite blogs today ... Live Simply!  

These dainty little bites of cherry ice cream covered in chocolate are out of this world!  

Head over to LIVE SIMPLY to get the full recipe for these Homemade Cherry Ice Cream Bon Bons!

If you haven't visited Kristin's beautiful blog yet, make sure to check out some of my favorite recipes ... Beet Strawberry Salad with Balsamic Mustard Dressing, chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies + Brownies {these are SO delicious ... trust me, you're going to want to make these often}.  She's got wonderful DIY recipes too like her Homemade Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion {without coconut oil} + Homemade Neosporin.  

HAVE YOU EVER MADE BON BONS BEFORE?  SUMMER IS THE PERFECT TIME TO GIVE IT A TRY! 

{{ Check out my Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream Bon Bons recipe too.}}

This post is shared at Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop + Allergy Free Wednesday @ Tessa the Domestic Diva. 

Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream Bon Bons {Dairy-Free Option}

Summer is on it's way to Northern California.  Sunny and HOT + close to 100 degrees by the end of the week!  Yikes!  I am not ready for summer weather ... but I am ready for lots and lots of Homemade Ice Cream.  

I LOVE ice cream!  I simply can't get enough of it, especially when the warmer weather starts ... who am I kidding, I love it year-round!  I make it often + my sweet husband always makes sure I have some organic, grass-fed ice cream in the freezer {I love this man!}.    

HAVE YOU EVER HAD BON BONS?

If you haven't, you're in for a big treat.  These sweet little mounds of ice cream covered with chocolate are perfect in every way.  My family loves them + they're always a crowd pleaser at parties and gatherings. 

Have you been to any local farmers markets recently?  We just went over the Mother's Day weekend and we saw tons of fresh berries.  Warmer weather means summer fruit will be coming to most farmers markets.  If you see some blackberries, make sure to grab a bunch because these gorgeous, dark beauties make some seriously delicious + beautiful ice cream.  If your blackberries are really ripe, they'll make the most stunning purple ice cream ... but if they're early in the season, the ice cream will be a rich pink.    

I'm so excited to be sharing this sweet + refreshing recipe on Beth's blog Red and Honey, today!

Head over to RED AND HONEY to get the full recipe for these Homemade Blackberry Ice Cream Bon Bons.

HAVE YOU EVER MADE HOMEMADE BON BONS BEFORE? WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE KIND?

{{Check out my Homemade Cherry Ice Cream Bon Bons recipe too.}}

This post is shared at Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Allergy-Free Wednesday @ The Tasty Alternative, + Fight Back Friday @ Food Renegade. 

Creamy Turmeric + Ginger Tea {Dairy-Free Option}

A while back one of my Facebook readers shared that her favorite warming drink in the morning is this Creamy Turmeric Tea {that she found on Mark's Daily Apple}.  I had been drinking lots of my Honey-Sweetened Hot Chocolate in the mornings with a bunch of cinnamon and ginger + adding butter {or ghee} and copious amounts of coconut oil to it.  Now, I LOVE LOVE LOVE my hot chocolate + it's extra delicious with cinnamon, ginger, butter and coconut oil ... but I figured I would check out the recipe my FB reader shared to change up my usual morning warming drink ... especially since everyone is talking about the health benefits of TURMERIC these days.

Since I wanted to make this drink extra nourishing, I changed it up a bit by adding pasture butter + coconut oil*.  I love pasture butter for it's omega 3 fatty acids + CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) ... who am I kidding, I love it because it tastes so good and makes me feel good!  But, I also love it because it's a nourishing fat and helps the body absorb minerals + it's a good source of vitamin D, E and K.  Coconut oil is wonderful for so many reasons too ... I love it because it's high in lauric acid {which is also found in amazing liquid gold a.k.a breastmilk} + it has immune-boosting properties, it's naturally anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal + helps fight of yeast.  And for all of my nursing mommy readers - coconut oil is SO good for you and your baby, it helps increase your lauric acid and can boost milk supply!  


And of course, I couldn't make this drink without cinnamon!  I LOVE cinnamon and it's warming properties, so I decided to add some.  Why not?  If you don't like cinnamon, just leave it out.  

CREAMY TURMERIC + GINGER TEA

This warming drink is full of nourishing, immune-boosting ingredients.  Enjoy a cup with someone you love. {Recipe adapted from Mark's Daily Apple}.

Equipment: Medium-Size Sauce Pan, Blender or Whisk

{Affiliate Links included help support this blog}

• 1 cup raw milk {See Resources}, coconut milk or almond milk
• 1 cup coconut water {I like this + this} or filtered water
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger {I buy mine here}
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric {I buy mine here}
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon {I buy mine here}
• 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper {I buy mine here}
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon local raw honey or Manuka honey 
• 1-2 tablespoons pasture butter or ghee {optional, See Resources}
• 1-2 tablespoons coconut oil {optional}

1. Place all ingredients into a medium-size sauce pan.  Slowly warm over medium-low heat for about 5-7 minutes {heat to your desired temperature}.  If you are using coconut milk, make sure you do not boil it, it tends to become thick and unpalatable when boiled.  If you're using raw milk, you'll want to heat over a lower heat so you do not destroy the beneficial properties.     

2. If you are adding butter or coconut oil: Place tea into blender and blend for about 10-12 seconds, until the fats are fully incorporated and emulsified.  [Note: Use CAUTION when using the blender, the tea/liquid is very hot and increases in volume when blending.  Make sure to hold the lid on tight while blending or the hot air and liquid can escape making the lid pop off the blender.]

3. Serve hot.  Enjoy immediately. 

Yield: Makes 2 servings

Where Do I Find Bulk Spices + Herbs? My favorite source for bulk spices and herbs is Mountain Rose Herbs. They have a wonderful selection of organic spices and herbs at great prices.  

OTHER WARMING DRINKS TO ENJOY:

• Sweet Butter Tea by Food Your Body Will Thank You For
• Golden Milk by Nourished Kitchen 
• Turmeric Milk by Fresh Bites Daily
• Cinnamon-Thyme Tea by Recipes to Nourish
• Hot Garlic-Ginger Lemonade by Recipes to Nourish
• Chai Tea {Caffeine Free + Immune Boosting} by Recipes to Nourish
• Mexican Hot Chocolate by Recipes to Nourish

*For more info on why Pasture Butter is nourishing and good for us, click here.

*For more info on why Coconut Oil is nourishing and good for us, click here.   

Disclaimer: ALL information you read on Recipes to Nourish is purely for informational and educational purposes only.  I love to share and share with love, but I am not a health care practitioner.  This information is not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.  If you have questions about food, diet, nutrition, natural remedies or holistic health, please do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner. 

Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

This post is shared at: Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet.

Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

I’ve been trying to find lots of extra ways to get probiotics into my diet during this pregnancy.  I want to make sure I build a healthy gut for our baby.  I’ve been drinking lots of water kefir, eating sauerkraut, and taking my probiotics daily.  But, I wanted some other options too.  I don’t care for the taste of plain yogurt, but it’s loaded with probiotics and it’s good for your gut, so I wanted to find a way to consume it daily.  I’ve been adding it to smoothies – fruit smoothies, green smoothies, pumpkin pie smoothies … you get the picture. 

I know raspberries are not in season right now, but they are a low sugar fruit and I’ve been craving their tangy flavor.  Some of you are lucky enough to have harvested them during the summer and have freezers loaded with frozen berries.  If you do, this is a great way to use some of them.  For others like me, check your local natural foods store for frozen organic raspberries, my local co-op has sales on them regularly, so I like to stock up on them then.   

I hope you enjoy this tangy smoothie as much as I do. 

Probiotic Raspberry Smoothie

Equipment: Blender

·      2 ½ cups frozen organic raspberries

·      1 medium organic banana – fresh or frozen

·      1 – 1 ½ cups raw whole milk or full fat coconut milk

·      1 cup organic whole plain yogurt, such as St. Benoit or Straus Family Creamery 

·      1 tablespoon raw honey or sweetener of choice

·      1 probiotic capsule, empty probiotic, discard capsule (optional, See Note)

1.    Add frozen raspberries, banana (broken into pieces), milk, yogurt, honey, and empty probiotic powder into blender. 

2.   Blend until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. 

3.   Serve immediately or freeze for later.  

Note: I used Bio-Kult Probiotic.  It can be emptied from the capsule, which makes it great for kids – you can put it in drinks, smoothies, food etc.   

Yield: Makes about 5 cups.

This post is part of Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop @ Laura's Gluten Free Pantry, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, Simple Lives Thursday @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, and Fresh Bites Friday @ Real Food Whole Health. 

Spiced Carob Cocoa – Warm or Iced

Carob – you either love it or you hate it.  I LOVE it!  It has a delicious malty flavor, yum, yum, yum!  Carob is a great alternative for those who can’t have chocolate or are looking for a caffeine-free version of chocolate.  It's high in fiber, a great source of calcium, and contains many other vitamins and minerals.      

Hot Spiced Carob Cocoa is so comforting and soothing on cold days.  It’s also so yummy poured over ice (my favorite way to drink it).     

Spiced Carob Cocoa – Warm or Iced

Carob clumps easily, so I highly recommend using a blender to make this.  If you don’t have one, you can add carob powder to a small bowl with the honey/maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon, stir with a spoon and work the carob into a paste, then add to the milk. 

Equipment: Blender or Small Bowl w/ Spoon, Medium-Size Saucepan

·      2 cups raw whole milk* or full fat coconut milk  (See Resources)

·      3 tablespoons roasted carob powder

·      1-2 tablespoons honey or organic maple syrup grade B

·      1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract (I use Simply Organic)

·      ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use sweet cinnamon, See Resources)

·      Ice – optional, for cold version only

1.    Place all ingredients in the blender.  COVER with lid, you don’t want everything all over your kitchen. 

2.   Blend on medium speed until combined and smooth, about 15-30 seconds. 

3.   Pour into saucepan and heat over low heat to desired temperature OR pour over ice to have a cold version (it’s DELICIOUS iced!). 

4.   Serve immediately. 

Yield: Makes 2 cups. 

Vegan-Option: Use coconut milk instead of milk and organic maple syrup grade B instead of honey. 

Note: Recipe can easily be doubled.

* For California residents, check out my favorite raw milk from Claravale Farm.  They sell to stores and co-ops all over CA.  


This post is part of Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Monday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist, Homestead Barn Hop @ The Prairie Homestead, Weekend Gourmet Blog Carnival @ Hartke Is Online, Traditional Tuesdays @ Cooking Traditional Foods, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free, Allergy-Free Wednesdays @ Gluten Free Pantry, Hearth and Soul Hop @ Premeditated Leftovers, Make Your Own! Monday link-up @ Nourishing Treasures, Sunday School Blog Carnival @ Butter Believer, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, and These Chicks Cooked Recipe Swap @ This Chick Cooks.