Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

Can I just say, "I LOVE my new Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker!" It's going to allow me to provide ice cream that is all natural for my family for a fraction of the price. I'm finding that I can have it churning while we eat dinner and ready to serve as dessert as we finish. This recipe was just the perfect balance of the richness of a fine dessert and the freshness of fruit. I can't wait to try it this summer with ripe strawberries!

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Processing Time: 20-25 minutes
Yields: 1 quart
Cost: Approx. $2.00

8 ounces cream cheese ($.99)
1/4-1/2 cup agave nectar ($.25)
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup frozen or fresh strawberries ($.50)
1 1/2-2 cups milk

Blend all ingredients well in a food processor. Pour directly into ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes. Eat soft serve or freeze for at least 2 hours for hard serve ice cream.

Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

We normally have a freezer stocked up with ice cream. It's our go-to dessert and we love it in all flavors! Since the elimination diet began we quickly discovered that all natural, dairy free ice cream does exist, but it is WAY expensive. The kind that we are allowed is actually $6.00 per pint. That's crazy! So you can imagine my delight when Saralyn pointed me to the Nourishing Gourmet and the many recipes there for coconut milk ice cream. Here's my adaptation of one of her recipes:

Roasted Banana Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Churning Time: 20-30 minutes
Cost: approx. $5.00
Yields: 1 quart


4 bananas cut into chunks ($.50)
2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
6 Tbsp pure maple syrup ($.50)
3 cans of coconut milk (full fat) ($4.00)
2 tsp pure vanilla
1/3 cup water
1 package of gelatin ($.25)
cinnamon

Toss cut bananas in oil and syrup. Place in greased glass dish and bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until bananas begin to turn golden in color.

Blend bananas/syrup, coconut milk, vanilla and cinnamon (to taste) in a blender until smooth. Meanwhile boil 1/3 cup of water. Remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Add gelatin mixture to blender and incorporate well.

Place ice cream mixture to cool in fridge. When cooled process in ice cream maker.

Eat immediately for soft serve or freeze and enjoy later.

**Be warned that the coconut flavor is prominent. The bananas are helpful to bring this into balance, but I think that chocolate would do this even better. To accommodate for the taste, we topped our ice cream with just a tiny bit of maple syrup before serving.**

This recipe and many others are featured in The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap!