After having months of dreary grey days, biblical rain fall and gloomy skies, this week gave the west coast of Ireland a tantalising glimpse of summer!
A clear blue sky with sunshine which instantly got me reaching for a few ingredients to whip up a delicious sugar free summer berry ice cream.
Maybe not so much that the mercury threatened to twitch at a new thermal high, but enough to get us giddy with seasonal hope that spring has finally sprung!
Living in the countryside I’ve become so attuned to the seasonal changes.
There’s something magical about watching the Irish landscape burst in to bloom, turning from the wind burnt ashen colour of winter to the vibrant quilt of gorze yellow, purple heather and dusty pink elder flowers.
Suddenly there’s a pop of sunny little daffodils, tulips, roses, cows-eye-daisies, they’re everywhere… and when bathed in sun, it’s God’s country and there’s no where else I would rather be (disclaimer – that’s until the clocks go back and autumn kicks in again!)
The long summer evenings are beckoning and I can't wait for the dinner parties and eating al fresco (Although, I’d do well to remember that one day of sunshine does not make it Costa Del Ireland!)
I’m one of those people who try to eek out every last bit of summer.
But I’ve since learnt that most dinner guests don’t feel as happy eating a 3 course dinner outside in a parker coat, hat and gloves just because there’s a slither of sunshine braking free of clouds.
But the minute I see a sun on my iphone weather app, I decamp the kitchen and the family to the garden… Make hay while the sunshine’s and all that.
The long summer days and bright evenings just make get togethers so much nicer. You have more time spend with each other and everything just seems to be more relaxed.
After months of hibernating through the winter, enjoying cosy nights in front of the fire, I can not wait for the summer!
I’ve already (probably way too prematurely) packed away the winter wardrobe and dusted down the spring staples and since quitting sugar, I no longer worry about my summer clothes fitting me.
My weight stays the same now and doesn’t have the fluctuations I used to struggle with.
As great as that is, there’s still the small issue of me living on the west coast of Ireland and realistically, next week I’ll have to unpack the winter woollies because our 2 week Irish summer has been and gone.
For now though, the sunshine is boosting my optimism and I'm reckoning summer is here to stay, and I’m thinking all things hot weather and of course what food to make.
Yes, yes there’s the mains but when the heat waves hit (yep, eternally optimistic) what about the desserts? No matter how old you are, the perfect hot day’s dessert is a cooling bowl of ice cream.
I get it, especially when you have kids and all they want is an ice cream… the fantastic news is, on our sugar free plan you can have your ‘ice cream and eat it’.
And it gets even better – hot weather & ice cream – I know you’re probably wondering how can things possibly get any better?! By making your own ice cream, that’s how.
So how do you make ice cream? Very simply is the answer.
OK, so how do you make sugar free ice cream? Again, very simply!
This ‘Berry tasty nice-cream’ recipe is made with just 4 x different ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
500g Frozen summer berries.
120 ml Coconut cream
75 ml Whipping/double cream
40g Desiccated Coconut
This really could not be any simpler to make and it’s such a big hit with the family - and the best bit is it takes literary minutes to make.
Luxuriously creamy and utterly delicious this tastes like a premium ice-cream. The double cream combined with the coconut cream gives it the thick ice-cream consistency, while the berries give it the wonderful, natural sweetness.
Children love this ice cream as much as grown ups do! When you make this ice cream, it really makes you realise how much unnecessary sugar is added to our food.
We just don’t need it and this ice-cream is the perfect example of this.
Sometimes the added sugar in our foods mask the beautiful natural flavours that sing out when you cut added sugar out of your diet.
I always say a no or low sugar diet doesn’t mean you have to miss out and ice-cream can definitely remain on the family menu with this beautifully simple recipe.
Serve it up for your family and friends in bowls and proudly watch as its guzzled up!
METHOD
Chill the coconut cream in the fridge over night.
Add the frozen berries to a food processor, pour in the whipping/double cream and the coconut milk and desiccated coconut.
Whizz together until a smooth ice cream consistency.
Either serve and eat straight away for a soft ice-cream texture or place it in the freezer for a couple of hours to firm things up.
Enjoy! xx
If you would like to quit sugar for good and regain control of your food choices, you can transform your life with my 21 Day Sugar Detox Program.