30 Days of Nicecream – Days 25-30

Hey #strongbabes near and far, this is Days 25-30 AKA the grande finale of the Nicecream posts!

I started this series to challenge myself to not only commit to perfecting all that is banana ice cream, but I also set out to challenge myself. I’ll admit that at times, I struggle to think “outside the box”. I used to think that was a gift some people had, but now I believe that it is something to be trained.

Aside from coming up with unique ideas, I wanted to show commitment to something; I wanted to dive in and see it through. And even though I missed a day here and there, and there were days where I missed lighting, felt ill, or wasn’t sure what the heck I was blending together, I did it.

Thank you for being on the journey with me.

Day 25 – ‘Pure Gold’

For the past year I have been dealing with inflammation that seems to rear its ugly head when I eat certain foods, operate on little sleep, or even smell a hint of stress in my life (which is uh, like, everyday). I didn’t even realize it was a thing, but now I have taught myself how best to deal with it. Anti-inflammatory foods are key – are all of the major players are in here. So if your body is going through some rough stuff, try this nicecream on for size.

Ingredients

• 1 large frozen banana
• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• ~1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
• Figs for topping

Directions: Blend all ingredients, put in a bowl and enjoy. Top with figs if you like figs, or leave them out if like me you have discovered that you do not, in fact, like figs.

Day 26 – Chocolate PB

I almost made it through this entire series WITHOUT doing a chocolate peanut butter combo. I mean, can you say tragic? Thank goodness I don’t have to live with that. This is one extraordinary combo that really can do no wrong in my eyes.

Ingredients

• 2 large frozen bananas
• 2 generous TBSP all natural peanut butter
• ~1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 TBSP raw cacao powder
• Walnuts for topping

Directions: Blend bananas, almond milk, cacao powder, and 1 TBSP of all natural peanut butter. Blend in a bowl and top this smooth beauty with remaining TBSP of peanut butter and walnuts. Enjoy this classic combo!
Day 27 – Strawberries and Cream 

You guys know about how I feel when it comes to eating with our eyes first, and this one fits the bill. It’s bright, it’s beautiful, and it’s uncomplicated.

Ingredients

• 2 large frozen bananas
• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries
• ~1/2 cup coconut milk
• Extra sliced strawberries, coconut chips, and hemp seeds for topping

Directions: Blend bananas, 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, and coconut milk. I chose coconut milk for this recipe because I love the extra-creamy texture of it with the light sweetness of the strawberries, but of course you can substitute another milk of your choosing. Top with fresh strawberries, coconut chips, and hemp seeds.

Day 28 – Lemon Chia 

One thing I have realized in the last few months: Gut health is related to everything. It controls our blood sugar, our mood, our brain function. If you want to focus on your health, it’s a great place to start! Lemon and chia are both great players in the digestion game, so if you need a little help along this is the nicecream for you!

Ingredients

• 2 large frozen bananas
• 1/2 small lemon
• ~1/2 cup cold filtered water
• 1 TBSP chia seeds
• Extra chia seeds for topping

Directions: Blend bananas, half lemon (I keep the rind on), tbsp of chia seeds, and cold filtered water. Top with extra chia seeds and enjoy!

Day 29 – Waffles and Syrup 

Do you ever have that morning dilemma where you just cant decide between warm and cold for breakfast? Never again folks! You have have both.

Healthiest recipe of the series? Nope. Yummiest? It’s up there for sure!

Ingredients

• 2 large frozen bananas
• ~1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 TBSP Maple Syrup
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Gluten Free Waffle, toasted
• Drizzle of maple syrup for topping

Directions: Pop your waffle in the toaster, I use gluten free because it sits with me better. While that’s doing it’s thing, blend bananas, almond milk, tbsp of maple syrup, and vanilla. Put in a bowl and top with waffles and an extra drizzle of maple syrup.

Day 30 – Cacao Coffee Bean 

The Nicecream to end all. Actually interestingly enough, it is ending all. All the Nicecream posts, that is.

I am willing to compromise on a lot of things, but coffee is not one of them. It’s the one thing I’ll spring for – I need quality coffee. So for this banana icecream I used Salt Spring Island’s “Blue Heron”. I also used their coffee a while back to make my Mocha Marshmallow Cream Pops . I’ll never use another coffee again! So good.

Oh yeah, back to the nicecream.

Ingredients

• 2 large frozen bananas
• ~1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 TBSP fresh coffee grounds
• 1/2 TBSP raw cacao powder
• Toasted almonds for topping

Directions: Blend bananas, almond milk, tbsp of fresh coffee grounds, and half tbsp of raw cacao powder. Top with toasted almond and enjoy!

I hope you guys enjoyed this series as much as I did! I don’t know how I’ll top this, but I’m sure to come up with something. For now, over the next few weeks, I’m going to shift my focus to keeping my grades up over at CSNN.

Later alligators!