By TMoM Team Member Dennette Bailey
I like a cold sweet treat in the summer, and children definitely love a cold sweet treat all year long. As a mom and preschool teacher, it is important to me to teach the children how to enjoy the sweetness of natural fruit while they are young. This way they do not develop an addiction to sugar. Which in turn could affect them negatively in their youth, and later in their adulthood.
One of my favorite treats is Italian ice. I love how it tastes creamy and fruity and becomes an even better sweet as it melts.
I have experimented with a couple of recipes and a couple of machines that make various cold treats. My favorite is the Ninja Creami. This machine really surprised me as I was sure it would be another machine that sat around a couple years before I got rid of it. However, this machine makes sorbet, ice cream, and Italian ice. It comes with a cookbook, but you can create your own recipes as well. I really appreciate that I can control the sugar content of these recipes and I usually make it without adding sugar, but I will add raw honey if the children or guests will partake.
Also, I appreciate that instead of milk or heavy cream I can add almond milk or add TruWhip nondairy whipped topping. The Tru Whip brand also has a vegan and keto whipped topping option.
The machine is very easy to use. First, you simply freeze your ingredients in the supplied container. Then, put the container in the machine, press a button, and voila your sweet treat – with no sugar – is ready.
I really appreciate that it is not expensive. So many times, I have felt like after buying all the ingredients and putting in the time to make it, I could have bought three gallons of ice cream. In addition, I love eating fruit that I need to eat anyway. Plus, I am getting the feeling of eating a sweet treat just like I did when I bought the sugary stuff in the store freezer.
If you are looking for a healthy and fun way to have a summer sweet treats, this is definitely the way to go. Check out a couple of my personal recipes below and enjoy your summer sweet treat!
Orange Cream Frozen Dessert (for the children)
2 – 8 oz. each cans peeled mandarins (if you use fresh oranges you have to spend the time to peel them and I don’t want to spend my time this way)
2 tablespoons of Tru whip nondairy creamer
1 tablespoon raw honey (optional or to taste)
Juice from the 2 cans of mandarins (after you fill your fruit in the container fill the container to the line with the juice.
Watermelon Sorbet
Fill the cup to the line with watermelon cubes
1 Tablespoon real lemon juice
2 tablespoons Raw honey (Optional)
Optional – replace some watermelon cubes with cut strawberries or peeled cherries
½ cup juice from a can of pears
After putting this in the machine consider adding this to a large pretty cup, adding a bit of pomegranate juice, 1 can of Zevia Cream soda and 2 tablespoons of cream vodka! This one is for adults only!
I hope you enjoy these tasty summer treats, that are easy to make! Do you have a recipe that you can share with us? Share it in the comments below.
Want to see more blogs like this and also get notifications on local events and happenings? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletters here.
