Banana ice cream November 3, 2011

I wish I remembered where I read about this so I could give them credit, but here’s a cheap, healthy alternative to ice cream: blended frozen bananas! I couldn’t believe it could be so easy, and of course it wasn’t. So I added 1/2 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon to my 2 frozen chopped bananas, and voila! It really does resemble the consistency of ice cream, and my kids and husband ate it right up!

To make it even richer in flavor and antioxidants, substitute 1-2 Tbsps cocoa powder for the cinnamon.

Another fun, healthy treat to add to my “healthy” dessert list.

Easy Black Bean Soup November 2, 2011

Last week I decided to do a little freezer meal session before baby number 3 arrives in December. Black beans are a rich source of protein, fiber, folate, and immune-boosting anthocyanins, besides adding flavor and color to any dish. I am looking forward to heating up some of this soup in those fun but foggy days with a newborn.

Black Bean Soup:
1/2 pound of dried black beans, rinsed, sorted, soaked, and cooked according to directions on bag.
3 cans of diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsps chicken base
2 tsps onion powder or 1 chopped onion
2 tsps diced garlic

Mix and freeze.  I like to use cleaned, sterilized spaghetti sauce jars filled almost to the top.

To serve: add one quart water, heat, and serve with salsa, spinach, cilantro, goat cheese (or shredded cheese of your choice), and tortilla chips. This also works well as a dip (add half the water and blend) or on top of taco salad.