Wednesday, May 25, 2011

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream Because We Can't Eat Ice Cream!

One of the disappointments of discovering food allergies and sensitivities later in life, for me, has been that I've been introduced to many delicious foods that have had a negative impact on my health. Yet, the desire for them, still remains. Of course, the best thing about discovering food allergies later in life is that I rid myself of life-long health problems and, so, comparitively, I feel as though I'm getting younger.

But I digress. Back to ICE CREAM! What an integral part of life it is as Memorial Day approaches. I grew up with a local dairy bar which had a miniture golf course. Opening was always Memorial Day weekend. It was a family ritual, sometimes with grandparents, to play a round of golf and indulge in a dip of flavors like Teaberry or Butterscotch.

These types of rituals keep the impact of foods allergies and sensitivities closely tied to happy occasions in life thereby associating postive emotions with negative physical responses. Breaking these connections will vastly contribute to better health in mind, body, and spirit.

Yes, yes, back to ice cream. Now we are presented with an opportunity to repattern responses by having new happy memories associated with foods that keep the immune system from going haywire.

I know, I'm digressing again. But this weekend, there was a demo for the VitaMix 5200 in the grocery store. Wanting that to be my next kitchen appliance, but not having the cash on hand to invest in it, I decided to try an adapted ice cream recipe in my Waring professional-grade food processor. It made sense to me since it has the same horsepower motor.

I peeled an orange with a knife, reserving 1/3 of the peel while trying to retain much of the inner white pith. The pith is high in bioflavonoids and helps aid the absorbtion of vitamin C, a crucial combination for recovering health.



In to the food processor went the orange, the peel, cocoa, agave syrup, vanilla powder, arrow root starch, salt...



...and ice, just like the VitaMix recipes.



Unfortunately, regardless of having the same horsepower engines, all the ice melted. I think there has to be some different blade configuration.



But not to worry, I have an ice cream maker bowl in the freezer now and will attempt to churn it into something yummy tomorrow. If it works, I'll post the measurements. If not, I'll keep trying for summer is just around the corner!

Addendum: read Screaming for Joy! for the tale of the success click here for the recipe of Orange Chocolate Sorbet.

Be well,

Krista

4 comments:

  1. I just got a vitamix for Christmas last year. Jasper and I have milk intolerances, so I almost always keep bags of frozen fruit in the freezer. A bag of frozen fruit, a few drops of vanilla, agave and almond milk (sometimes I make my own, but usually I cheat and buy it) - and whrrrr. It's more like sorbet, but everyone loves it. We stopped buying ice cream altogether. Oh - and if I'm feeling decadent, I'll use coconut milk instead of almond. So creamy.

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  2. Thanks for sharing your experience and recipe. I’m glad to hear that your food intolerances are limited to only milk! Nuts can give a nice creamy texture to any frozen treat and I’ve seen prepackaged delights in the freezer section that basically consist of nuts, dried fruit, cocoa and agave syrup, my favorite sweetener.

    Making your own almond milk is fantastic! It keeps that unlabeled 2%, acceptable by the FDA, out of your body. Plus, even things that are labeled, like vitamin E/tocopherol can be a hidden source of an allergen. Tocopherol is typically derived from soy. Confirm the source with the manufacturer by calling their customer hotline.

    And, as a last note, coconut is generally well tolerated by people allergic to nuts.

    Thanks, again, for taking time out of your day to read my blog.

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  3. Oh, I've got more than milk intolerances. Lately I have been working more RAW foods into my diet, simply because I've found that the majority of those recipes don't include my problem foods like dairy and legumes. Considering my poor track record in the kitchen, it's a pleasure to prepare food that doesn't set off the fire alarms.

    BTW, I've been referring your blog to any of my friends with food allergies. Keep up with the good recipes : )

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  4. Thanks for encouragement and the referrals! The Vitamix is definitely a great kitchen tool for raw foodists. Glad to hear that you have one. It’s on my list of things to purchase.
    You’ve inspired me to create an allergen-free banana pancake. I made a good first try for last weekend’s brunch but need to do it again to be sure the success wasn’t a fluke. But eating them for a second time should not be a problem!

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