Lemon and Blueberry Frozen Yogurt

I received a very special treat from my mom last week... an ICE CREAM MAKER!!!  I don't know how I didn't have one before -- ice cream is my favorite treat and all.   Even though summer is coming to a close, no worries because I eat ice cream year round.  I can guarantee you will see many fall and winter flavors in the coming months.  I already have about 100 different flavor combinations that I can't wait to make.  Any suggestions??

The flavors in this yogurt were inspired by my absolute favorite ice cream shop in Columbus, OH, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  I frequent Jeni's at least once each time I visit my hometown and each flavor is better than the next.  This is a bit of a healthier take on Jeni's version but it was just what I wanted -- tangy and tart lemon yogurt swirled with a sweet blueberry sauce.

Note:  If you really want to treat yourself, Jeni's accepts on-line orders.  Make sure the Salty Caramel makes it into your shopping basket.

One-Ingredient Banana Ice Cream

My current obsession...

This is not the first time this "recipe" has made an appearance here.  I just really feel the need to share it with you again since I have been making this on an almost-nightly basis.  I blame my new food processor.  Or the fact that this legit tastes like soft-serve -- my favorite summertime treat!

You can check out Molly's instructions here.  You can add just about anything to this "ice cream" -- peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, coconut -- but I've been adding a teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder before starting the food processor because everything is better with chocolate.

Cheesecake Ice Cream

This ice cream is not only super creamy and delicious, but one of the main reasons it is so appealing is because of its versatility.  You could use this ice cream as a base and add just about anything to it that you like.  Stir in graham crackers and blueberries and you've made blueberry cheesecake, add chocolate chips and peanut butter and and you have a version of chocolate peanut butter torte.  I decided to serve it with a fresh strawberry on top to keep it simple but the variations are limitless for this creamy ice cream!

One Year Ago:  Our favorite Zucchini Bread - whole wheat with raisins and walnuts

Key Lime Pie Ice Cream

 no pictures could ever do this ice cream justice

This ice cream is the perfect summer treat.  Key lime pie, ice cream - both in one dessert - perfection!  Not only does this ice cream taste amazing, super creamy with a refreshing lime flavor and graham cracker pie crust, but this ice cream is a great recipe because it does not involve any heating up of egg yolks or refrigerating the mixture ahead of time or straining any fruit.  I am not a fan of all of those overly complex ice cream recipes that are out there and this one is surely not one of them.  Although it is a simple recipe, this ice cream rivals any store-bought, it actually might just be the best that I've ever had!!

Frozen Peppermint Dessert

This has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember.  It doesn't matter where we are, it seems to make its way to the dessert table every Christmas.

You may notice in the recipe that raw eggs are used, but our family has been enjoying this dessert for over 30 years and there has never been a problem.  It is delicious and there are never any leftovers.

Although we only make this dessert once a year, it would be great with any variety of ice cream depending on the season!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Ice Cream

As much as I love ice cream, I cannot believe that this is the first time I have made it this summer!  Summer is nearly over, I actually start school today, and this is the first ice cream recipe!  But now that I had my first taste of homemade ice cream in a looong time, you can bet that I will be making more in the near future.  This is a classic combination and it will help beat these last few days of summer heat.

Banana Ice Cream

One ingredient - bananas, that's it!  This ice cream is sooo easy, healthy, and DELICIOUS!!  I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe on buns in my oven but, with all the bananas I had on hand that needed to be used, I figured I would give it a shot.  I'm sure glad I did because this ice cream was awesome!  It had the texture and creaminess of regular ice cream (hard to believe, I know) except it only had bananas!  Just do yourself a favor and make this treat :)

So like I said above, the only thing that you really need for this recipe is bananas.  I used 3 very ripe bananas.  Peel and slice the bananas, place them in a bag and put them in the freezer until completely frozen (I suggest leaving them in the freezer overnight).  Put the chunks of frozen banana in a food processor and process until creamy.  If you are a banana lover then your ice cream will be ready to eat!  However, you can mix in any other ingredients you like.  I added a big spoonful of peanut butter and a little bit of honey while processing the bananas.  Then I served the ice cream with some chocolate chips scattered on top.

This recipe is great, not only because of how amazingly tasty it is but, because you can make as much or as little as you want and change up the flavor of the ice cream to your liking.  The key to this ice cream is that it must be served immediately after processing it.  If you re-freeze it, it just does not have the same creamy texture.  So be sure to only process as many bananas as you are going to eat and keep the rest of those frozen chunks in the freezer until you're ready for some more delicious ice cream!