Eat Shrink And Be Merry

If you’ve been a faithful follower of our blogs, you’ll recall that I recently wrote about how much I love my new Omega juice extractor. (If you haven’t been a follower, first of all, shame on you! Second, see blog entitled “All the Juicy Details.”) This sturdy contraption (my new favourite appliance!) not only makes the best-tasting, healthiest juices going, but this week, I discovered that my juicer has another hidden talent. Actually, my best friend, Leanne is responsible for the discovery. (I convinced her to get one, too. She’s a talented, creative cook like my sister, so I figured she’d end up making me exotic, gourmet juices that I’d never be able to dream up in a million years with my teeny, domestically-impaired pea brain. And I was right!)

Having a sweet tooth, Leanne quickly discovered that our juicer has an attachment that allows you to put frozen fruit into it. What comes out the other end after all the whirring and buzzing is THE BEST “faux ice cream” a gal (or guy) could ever want! Honest! I was really skeptical when Leanne called me to rave about her Banana/Pineapple/Strawberry Freeze, as she called it. She went on and on about how delicious it was and how it totally satisfied her craving for ice cream or for a sweet treat after dinner.

“Yeah, right,” I thought. “How good can it possibly be? It’s just icy fruit. A dumb frozen banana. Big Dole deal.” Plus, I wasn’t sure if I should trust Leanne as a gauge. You see, she’s one of the weirdest, most idiosyncratic eaters on the planet. (Her idiosyncrasies are what I love about her!) For instance, on a recent trip to the Calgary Stampede, she brought her own prunes so she could soak them overnight in a glass in the hotel room along with some almonds. She put heaping tablespoons of flaxseed in a glass of water and nursed her “drink” while getting ready to go out. She constantly crunched the dry, organic granola which she brought in a baggie in her suitcase. And at 2am, after a fun girl’s night out in Cowtown, she called up room service to order a…salad! Yes, a salad! Who orders a salad from room service at that hour? Honestly. Not exactly “midnight craving” kind of stuff, and definitely not the kind of food you’d expect to succumb to after a night at the Stampede. (Think corn dogs, fries, pizza, and chicken wings.) Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that Leanne is the type of person who thinks sauerkraut is a treat, so when she told me her fruity-icy creation was to die for, I thought I still had some livin’ to do.

Well, I have to tell you that when Leanne recently handed me a bowlful of her “Bananza Freeze,” my taste buds stood up and took notice! It was yummy! Creamy texture. Smooth. Rich-tasting. And it was JUST a banana. This was a revelation for me. It would definitely fill the bill when a sweet treat is calling my name, and I’m sure you’d agree. I was quite surprised at how good it was. Low cal, low fat, tastes great? What more could you want? How about the fact that you’re getting some vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in your dessert! Bonus!

Now the reason I’m making a big deal about this is because I get numerous calls and emails from women asking if I can suggest a natural, healthy, yet tasty substitute for ice cream. A lot of mothers, especially, are looking for an ice cream substitute for their kids. Something without artificial sweeteners and loads of chemicals. Something without dairy for all those lactose-intolerant folks. Something not loaded with sugar.

As I said in my previous blog, I know not everyone is in a position to rush out and buy a $350 juice extractor. But if you do have the means, or if you can save your loonies and toonies (or other foreign currency if you’re not from my country!), you’ll not only get a ton of health benefits from the live enzymes and intact vitamins and minerals in the juices, but you’ll also save a ton of fat and calories snacking on your new friend…faux ice cream. And that’s nothing to freeze at!