NICE-cream!

Hello, hello! Guess what I made today? Sugar-free, vegan ice-cream! I had a whole recipe book that I began when I was 13 years old, in preparation for my future family. But then I went plant-based and then only one or two of my carefully handwritten recipes worked. I made a yummy kiwi fruit ice-cream and then I lost the book in a move back in 2011.

Thanks to my Kindle Unlimited Membership, I was able to hatch up a plan for our resident ice-cream eater. Woolies vegan dessert/ice-cream contains sugar and it’s expensive! I’ve never had an ice-cream maker machine so I knew I could use my blender. But would I find the right recipes? Are people still making homemade vegan ice-cream?

I decided to test a recipe from a book titled N’ice-cream by Virpi Wikkonen. I had no idea how it would go. I’ve never used cashews for an ice-cream recipe before so I made just enough for four small servings in case it’s unpalatable.

Mine is the white (vanilla) one and the other is the store bought caramel. You can see which one my non-verbal angel devoured FIRST. I can’t explain why she has two spoons. Vanilla flavoured with coconut milk, cashews and maple syrup or any other sweetener you’d have.

Everyone began with it because they said they liked it. You have no idea how excited I am. A few tablespoons of maple syrup, a can of R34.00 coconut milk, a portion of a bag of cashews, a few drops of vanilla essence do not cost as much as one carton of the full of sugar one does! But the excitement is that because big girl is here to cook, and I didn’t have to teach, the only things that caused more pain than normal were talking laundry in and out the machine, hanging them and bringing them back in. I ironed five items and rested. And I could make dessert!

I haven’t made dessert from scratch in a long, long time! I made my children smile. 🥹All of them. With their varied tastes, that was never going to be a given.

I am lying here and typing in order to prevent pain! Not because I’m suffering.

I am so thankful. 🙏🏾