Shamrock Ice Cream — No Sugar Added, but better than the real thing (at least, in my opinion)!

I used to be a die hard Shamrock Shake fan. Now, the thought of buying something from McDonald’s doesn’t appeal to me, and neither does the ingredient list for the shake (I heard McDonald’s milkshakes are dairy free—is that true?).

Today, I thought I’d try making my own version of a Shamrock Shake, even though I know that has been done a bazillion times already. My version is sugar free—well, it’s free of added sugar. The way I figured it, the entire batch I made today had 4g of sugar. Of course it’s high in fat and protein—that’s how I eat, and that’s what makes it so amazing!

Shamrock Ice Cream

I started with a batch of Vanilla Coconut Cream Mousse:

Mix (with hand mixer or stand mixer):

8oz. coconut cream (I used the Wilderness Family Naturals 8.45 oz package)
1 scoop protein powder (I used vanilla Jay Robb)
2 droppers full of liquid vanilla stevia (you should probably do this to taste) or other sweetener to taste

I added:

1/2 tsp mint extract (add a little at a time–depending on the brand, this may be too much)
2 droppers full of liquid stevia (again, this will depend on the brand you use. Start with 2 and add more as needed)
1/2 tsp green food coloring (I used the natural kind, so it’s more of a forest green than an artificial bright green)
1 tsp cocoa powder

Mix until the color is completely blended. Taste, and add more mint and/or stevia if needed.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put small scoops of the green mixture on the parchment. I used the Easy Accent Decorator—it just seemed neater. Place in the freezer for a couple hours.

 

Put the frozen green blobs into a high speed blender or food processor, and add 1/4 cup milk (I used half & half).

Blend until smooth.

 

I’m going to try strawberry this weekend, and possibly use the ice cream maker instead of the freeze-and-blend method. I want to see which way works best!

I’m pretty happy I can fill my Shamrock Shake craving without poisoning myself or consuming a lot of sugar! In fact, I’m so happy with the ingredients that I would have this for breakfast without one single bit of guilt.

Are you a Shamrock Shake fan?

News/Notes:

I mentioned before that I’m not weighing myself until 2013. I’ll admit…I really want to right now. The reasons for that are (1) I am feeling very lean so I’m curious, and (2) I want to check my stats before I start a new fitness program. I think the urge will pass though—after all, it’s not about numbers, really!

I’m heading to two yoga classes in the morning, my infrared sauna after that…and a dinner date with my great friend Carol tomorrow night! Every year, Carol and I try to go to dinner to celebrate our birthdays (in June/July). We never went last year, so tomorrow’s our birthday dinner. I’m so lucky to have Carol–I inherited her from my sister. They were neighbors and great friends, and when Jen died and I moved in with my bro-in-law to help with Matthew, Carol became a best friend of mine almost immediately. There may or may not have been several times when she ran up the street to help me figure out what to do for situations such as a crying baby with an ear infection… She was a more experienced mom (by a whole year)…and I was an auntie who jumped into the job overnight. My solutions for most things were to cuddle and/or dance, and occasionally that didn’t work. Matthew loves to look at pics from when he was a baby—there’s one where I’m giving him his first bath–he’s screaming and there’s barf on my sweatshirt. Ah, the good old days…To my friends with little ones: Time Flies, so have fun!

What’s on tap for you for #WineFriday?!