Saturday, December 22, 2018

Peppermint Mocha Nice Cream!




Three sleeps until Christmas!!



Who's excited!? I know I sure am! Unprepared as all get out, but at least I have my Christmas wardrobe all ready to go. #priorities ;)

Tonight, I'm coming at'cha with a delicious recipe that will make 10 lords a'leap and nine ladies dance!
It's my Peppermint Mocha Nice Cream!

What is Nice Cream, you ask? It's ice cream made from frozen bananas! And its clever name comes from: Banana (or 'Nana) + Ice Cream = Nice Cream!
But the best part about this recipe, is that I used Generous Coffee!
Photo: Generous Coffee, used with permission 
Generous Coffee, founded by former Bachelor, Ben Higgins, is offering "Life Changing Coffee." It's a for-purpose company, with a significant portion of the sales of the coffee and apparel going to help our brothers and sisters in Honduras. They're providing life changing jobs and partnerships, and I couldn't be more thrilled to use Generous Coffee in this recipe.


But I'm super pumped because it's the star of this secretly healthy treat!

Creamy and rich vegan ice cream with a holiday twist!
OH! -- and I won't tell if you want to add a shot of Bailey's or peppermint schnapps either. ;)

And it's also gluten free and paleo too! (And Specific Carb Diet friendly, if you omit the peppermint candy!)
Here's what you need: (Serves 1...because I'm single haha)

2 large, extra ripe bananas (read: with lots of brown spots) --  peeled, sliced, and frozen
1/4 cup of cooled Generous Coffee (I used their Dark Colombia roast!)
1 Tbsp agave or honey (or French Vanilla liquid stevia) --> SCD use stevia
1 candy cane, or peppermint hard candy (SCD omit)

Tools
:

Food processor (here's the one I use and love)
zip top bags
Directions:
Peel and slice two very ripe bananas into coins and place in a ziptop bag. Freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. Preferably overnight. (PRO TIP: I buy bananas in bulk, let them get extra ripe and covered in brown spots, and then slice & freeze a bunch of them in individual baggies. That way, they're ready to go when I want to make smoothies or nice cream!)
Place the candy cane in a ziptop bag and crush with a rolling pin or with the base of a mug, in order to form sprinkles. Set aside.

Add the frozen banana coins to the food processor, and blitz until they form little pebbles. (Warning -- this makes a LOUD noise, and shakes the food processor, so be ready!)
Once the bananas reach that pebbly consistency, drizzle in the cooled coffee and sweetener. Keep processing until it comes together into soft-serve consistency
You'll need to stop and scrape the sides of the food processor once. (This would also be the time to add some peppermint schnapps or Baileys!)

Dish up the beautiful soft-serve, mocha ice cream, sprinkle with the crushed peppermint candy, turn on some Christmas music and ENJOY!!
My oh my, friend. This was outrageously delicious! The coffee flavor was out of this world, and that kiss of peppermint at the end -- sheer perfection.

It was luxuriously creamy and melty - it's hard to believe you can achieve this consistency from bananas! It's bananas!
And that's the thing - this recipe is SO healthy! I've got to tell you - I have turned several gentlemen in my life on to this "(N)ice Cream" treat.

I will randomly get texts from them with a photo of their homemade banana ice cream, gushing about how much they love it.

One of those gentlemen may have been a former romantic love interest, but I'll never tell. ;)

But all that to say -- this is some seriously good eats. It's so decadent, you won't believe it's actually good for you!



So make this delicious Peppermint Mocha Ice Cream. Order yourself some Generous Coffee, and have yourself a Merry little Christmas!

To learn more about Generous Coffee, visit generousmovement.com, or follow them on Instagram, @generous_coffee_.
Photo: Generous Coffee, used with permission

Be sure to check out my affiliate, Audible. Listening to audiobooks while I cook is literally my new favorite thing. And just for you, they're offering a Free 30-Day Trial Membership. And with this free membership, you're going to get 2 free audiobooks!

Friday, October 12, 2018

COTTON CANDY NICE CREAM!


Oh my goodness...HELLO!

Here we are. 2018. It has been a hot. minute! Scratch that. It has been a hot TWO YEARS!

Can you believe it?! I've missed you!

So much has happened. SO. MUCH.

Just to recap the time we've been apart in 100 words or less:

I am still acting in New York City! But I am now splitting my time between NY and Cincinnati. Christmas of 2016 (so not last Christmas, but the year before) - my mom had a stroke. She's doing amazing now - she's my hero - but I ended up moving home to Ohio for that entire year to help her recover.




But I'm back in NYC now, and I go back to Ohio at least once a month just to check in and also for  some commercial work! (Gotta love the Proctor & Gamble commercial market!)



Other highlights -- I went to Iceland in summer of 2017 with my best friends.



It was an incredible adventure, and I highly suggest traveling there! And if you'd like me to do a specific blog post about it, let me know! (Teaser: We went snorkeling in 34 degree glacial water between 2 active tectonic plates!!)



And this past summer, my mom and I walked the El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage for 80 miles along the coast of Spain and Portugal in gratitude and celebration of her healing! 




It was truly amazing. We made stops in Fatima and Madrid, too. It was the trip of a lifetime!




I was hoping to meet my future husband, casually along the trail, in a "meet cute" worthy of its own chick flick, but alas, no dice. 



So there you have my life in a nutshell! I'm still following the Specific Carb Diet - and my Ulcerative Colitis has STAYED IN REMISSION ever since I started this blog, 8 years ago! So praise God for that!


OK - onto tonight's recipe!

Do I have a treat for you!!


I have recently found a new favorite food. My fondness for it has reached a level of, well -- let's just say I eat this about 4x a week. It is THAT good!

I'm talking, y'all, about NICE CREAM.




But not just any nice cream ... I'm talking COTTON CANDY NICE CREAM.

First of all - what the heck is nice cream?

Well, it stand for Banana (aka Nana) Ice Cream!

In other words, it's non-dairy "ice cream" that is made out of frozen bananas!

And let me tell you - it is slap-yo'-mama good!


And this particular recipe uses cotton candy grapes. And OHMYGOODNESS, if you haven't tried these sweet little poppers yet, do yourself a favor and RUN - don't walk - RUN to the store and get you some!!

They legitimately taste like cotton candy! And I know, you're probably thinking: how the heck do they make a stinkin' grape taste like cotton candy...well they do!

Even my dad thought they were delicious.

So there ya go.

And they're the star of this recipe.

And oh yeah -- this healthy dessert is gluten free, vegan, paleo AND Specific Carb Diet friendly!




Here's What You Need: (Serves 1 gigantic portion)

4 frozen strawberries
1 1/2 frozen bananas
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
1/2 cup (not frozen) cotton candy grapes
2 Tbsp cashew butter

Tools:
Ziptop freezer bags
Spatula

Directions:
Blend in food processor until smooth. Add more grapes if you need more liquid. You will need to scrape down the sides several times.




I do believe that when we get to Heaven, this frozen treat will be available by the bucket-full. I mean, it's mama from Heaven!

It is hard to describe the fabulous consistency of this blissful treat: it is like whipped ice cream. Truly. It is silky and slurpy and melty and exactly what you need when your sweet tooth is barking.

The flavor is out of this world with the cotton candy sweetness and the sweet pineapple and rich banana.


I honestly could eat this for the rest of my life. No joke.

JOY IN A BOWL, people. Joy in a bowl!

And the best part, is that you can pretty much customize this dessert to whatever fruit you have lying around. Just pop it in the freezer for a couple hours, and then blend away! Just make sure you have at least one banana in the mix to give it some body!

Friends, I hope you jump off the computer and make you some of this delightful dessert!

Have an awesome night!




OH YEAH! One more thing!! I'M NOW ON INSTAGRAM!!!!

In addition to my Facebook Page, I just started an Instagram profile! So hop on over there and let's be friends! My handle is @glutenfreehappytummy


Lastly...I have to fill you in on my new favorite thing in the whole world: FabFitFun Boxes! Beauty, wellness, fashion, and fitness products for only 39.99? YES. PLEASE. The Fall box is valued at over $300, and has products from Vince Camuto, Beauty Blender and Glam Glow! You can get $10 off when you use my code FALLINLOVE at check out too :)






Saturday, September 3, 2016

Peach-Banana Swirl (N)Ice Cream! GF, V, Paleo & SCD

Hey Happy Tummies!

I'm ALIVEEEE!!!




Haha. I know, I know. Way. Too. Long.

Labor Day is upon us, people. But honestly, I love it. It's a fresh start. The summer is coming to a close, fall TV is back (Hello, Bachelor!) and it's the tail end of peach season :)

So I wanted to share this little beauty that I whipped up!

PEACH-NANA SWIRL NICE CREAM!



What is Nice Cream? Well - It stands for Banana (Nana) Ice Cream = NIce Cream! 

It's ice cream that is made entirely out of FROZEN BANANAS!

It's gluten free, vegan, paleo AND Specific Carb Diet friendly! 

And SUPPPER EASY!

Here's what you need: 

1 Banana - sliced into coins and frozen > 3 hours
2 Peaches - sliced or cubed and frozen (I got store bought)

Step 1: Put frozen banana coins into the food processor. Blend until creamy. You'll need to scrape the sides several times. (Warning: This makes a loud noise!)

Step 2: Transfer banana ice cream to a bowl and put in freezer while you make the peach ice cream. 

Step 3: Put frozen peach cubes into the food processor. (No need to rinse). Blend until creamy. You'll need to scrape the sides several times.

Step 4: Take banana ice cream out of the freezer, and put your peach ice cream in the same bowl. Swirl together. 

Step 5: STUFF YOUR FACE!




You guys. I cannot begin to express how freaking incredible this was. 

Now, I know what you may be thinking....it's just bananas?

But. My friends. There is magic that occurs when you blend a frozen banana. It truly becomes like soft serve. It is outrageously creamy and smooth, and it melts just like ice cream! 

I even got one of my guy friends to make it. So there's the proof, people. 



This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite NYC treats: Nice Cream from Chloe's Fruit! I always get their banana nice cream smothered with peanut butter! It is SO GOOD! I mean...come on :) 



Alright, be on the look out for another recipe this week!

SO happy to be back blogging again!

Sending massive hugs and love!




Caralyn xox

Also: stay tuned for some exciting news next week! :D eek!!

*******Find GFHT on Facebook so you don't miss a recipe! 


Sunday, July 19, 2015

Life Update!

Hey Happy Tummies!

It has been waaay too long!

Just wanted to give a quick little life update.

No, I have not fallen off the face of the planet, contrary to popular belief! :D

I've been super busy filming and working and enjoying the summer!

I feel a little silly posting acting updates, but you guys are like family and we've been on this journey back to health together, and you all have been so supportive as I'm out here going after it, so I wanted to share my latest work with you guys: I played the love interest in Derek Crider's new country hit, "Girl Walks a Country Mile." I know I'm biased, but I absolutely LOVE the song!



You can watch it below, and catch a glimpse of Yours Truly in action :)





The song follows a couple that is falling in love during the summer time.



Here's another behind the scenes shot!



Derek was such a cool guy. If you live in Philly, you should try to catch one of his live shows!

Next, I just finished shooting the pilot episode of Heroes of the Street, where's I'll be playing Autry Colbert!



We shot in Philly and it was so incredibly fun! It was a jam packed week with filming at several locations, and dodging a major thunderstorm that produced a tornado! It was crazy!



I loved all my co-stars, and by the end of the week we were a little H.O.T.S. family:)


I'll keep you all updated on it as the project moves forward, but for now, here's a link to our FaceBook page.


And finally, the summer would not be complete without our annual trip to the lake home in Wisconsin over the Fourth of July! Good laughs were had, beers were consumed (vodka for me), family time on the water was enjoyed -- just what I needed.




And the very last thing is that I just booked another film! It's a short horror film, but it films at the end of July. Looks like this is officially the #BestSummerEver. 

I hope you all have been enjoying the summer so far! I can't begin to express how much I've missed blogging, and how much I've missed interacting with all of YOU! I have every intent on getting better at posting. I have a delicious recipe that I'm going to post this week -- probably Wednesday night. So check back for that:)

Love and hugs to all my Happy Tummies!

Caralyn


Thursday, April 9, 2015

Potato Nirvana! GF, V & Paleo

Behold.

The Great.

Potato.




Youuuuu Guyssssssss. This is by far one of the most insanely delicious things ever. Literally, ever.



Have you ever had one of those days where you'd just rather skip dinner and just go straight to dessert? Or rather, have dessert for dinner?

Like everyday? Okay yeah, me too :)



Well, this recipe is the best of both worlds. You get dinner and dessert in one! How? Because it's so friggin tasty, and deceptively healthy!

I'd call that a #win!



Now, potatoes are a little tricky. They're not on the Specific Carb Diet. Period. Sweet Potatoes are on the Paleo diet, and Red potatoes are on the Body Ecology Diet. So, do with this what you will.



Before I dive in, I promised yesterday to give you a quick update on our trip to Florida.



It was amazing -- we stayed right on the water and we spent the week on the beach,



taking walks,



watching the sunset,



and enjoying delicious Tiki Bar drinks:)






Ok...back to the spuds.



For this recipe I used a Japanese Sweet Potato. There are all different types of tubers -- sweet potatoes, yams, japanese sweet potatoes, etc. But I choose the Japanese variety because I like the texture of it. The flesh is actually white, not orange, like we're used to at Thanksgiving. But the texture is almost gummy, and creates this beautifully thick, paste-like consistency that I found really enjoyable. ((It doesn't sound that appetizing from that description, but believe me, it was splendid...Think cookie dough))




Also - to "up" the nutrition factor, and intensify the color, I added steamed carrots to the flesh. Aren't I tricky ;)



Here's what you need. (Serves one -- although, I guesssss you could split it)

1 massive Japanese sweet potato, baked
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped and steamed
pinch of salt

Drizzle:
3 Tbsp peanut butter or almond butter
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt

Garnish
pecans, roasted and chopped

Optional: (to be blended in)
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 375. Prick your sweet potato all over with a fork. Rub the skin with a little bit of oil - I used grapeseed. Bake for about 1 hour, turning every 15 minutes with an oven mitt. (I placed a cookie sheet underneath the potato to catch any sugary drippings that might ooze out of the spud.)

While the potato is baking, I made my almond butter drizzle. In my food processor, I mixed the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon until it was nice and smooth and drizzly. If the consistency is too thick, you can add either a splash of water, or a little bit of oil. I used a touch of almond oil, but another flavorless oil would be fine too.

Transfer your sauce to another bowl, and try to refrain from eating all of it. ((I made 4x the amount listed in the recipe to keep on hand for yogurts, cereal, smoothie additions, fruit dip, etc.))

*You don't have to clean your food processor just yet. Any remaining sauce left of the sides/blade will just mix nicely in with the flesh.

Also while your potato is baking, steam your carrots either on the stove or in the microwave. I just used the microwave and a Pyrex measuring cup.

Lastly, toast some pecans in a skillet over low heat until fragrant. This doesn't take very long - about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. But watch them, because they can burn quickly!

Once the potato is finished baking, cut a slit in it lengthwise, but not all the way through. Then, carefully (with oven mitts because it's hot) push the two ends together.

Then, spoon out the flesh of the potato and place into your food processor along with the carrots and a pinch of salt. Don't scrape all of the flesh out of the potato -- you still need the potato to be sturdy and able to stand on its own.

While the flesh of the potato and the carrots are still hot, process them until combined and smooth. (The steam given off helps facilitate this.) I also added about a Tbsp of almond butter, 1 Tbsp honey, 1 pinch of salt and 1/8 tsp cinnamon to the food processor to be mixed in. That is optional -- but highly encouraged :)



To assemble, generously spoon the potato/carrot mixture back into the skin and pile it high! Then, liberally smother that baby with your almond/peanut butter and honey mixture. Garnish with pecans if desired.

DIG. IN.



Was this bigger than my face? Yes. Did it weigh roughly the same as a large cat? Yes. Was it one of the most delicious things in the entire world? Abso-friggin-lutely!



Ladies and gentlemen, this potato. This potato. This potato. THIS POTATO! I kid you not....it was nirvana. And I got that word, because Webster told me that it meant utter bliss. Ecstasy. Pure joy. Yep - that about sums it up.



It was like eating pumpkin pie flavored cookie dough. It was sweet and nutty and had a kiss of cinnamon.



And the texture was marvelous. Like I mentioned, Japanese Sweet Potatoes have a tacky and thick texture that makes it so you almost have to chew it. It was so good.

But the drizzle. OH THE DRIZZLE! In the words of Uncle Jesse,


Seriously, though...it should be illegal. It is so rich and nutty and sweet, and combined with the sweet potato and carrot mash, it is just out of this world. 

Lastly, the color is just outrageous. That orange color is not enhanced, nor from a can, my friends. No filter here! It's all from some good old beta carotene found in Bugs Bunny's favorite veggie. Not only do carrots intensify the color, but they also up the nutrition factor too!



This was a ten. Nay -- an eleven. If you feel like giving yourself a hug through your stomach, make this dish.

It's "Din-sert." "Desse-ner." It's healthy dessert for dinner. It's Potato Nirvana.


PS: You can thank me later ;)