Hi everyone,
Long time, no see! I am FINALLY on the downslope of my busy time. It feels like I’ve been nose to the grindstone for way too long. This afternoon I’ll be giving my final presentation for one of my summer classes in Human Nutrition. The topic I selected is “Is Stevia Safe?” which was pretty interesting, although a little too heavy in biochemistry for my taste.
In case you’re interested, after reviewing the research, I still feel comfortable using stevia in moderation (I use it to sweeten my tea), but I believe more research is warranted, especially human studies. The European Commission has yet to approve stevia and I believe it is still only approved as a dietary supplement in Canada.
Did everyone have a nice, long weekend? I took some pretty pictures at the beach including some with sea lions. They’re cute but stinky.
I also want to talk about an awesome new dessert making soft-serve from frozen bananas. If you read a lot of food blogs like I do, then this recipe probably doesn’t come as a surprise. I’m not sure where I first read about it, but I’m obviously not going to take credit for coming up with this delicious concoction. Whether you’re vegan or not, this is a really healthy and absolutely delicious dessert. I HIGHLY recommend trying it.
This recipes makes two large servings (click here for a printable recipe). First, cut two ripe bananas into slices. Then, freeze the slices. When you’re ready to make the soft-serve, put the slices into a food processor (not a blender). Add two tablespoons of peanut butter, 2 tablespoons of agave syrup, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract. Run it in the food processor for a good five minutes. You’ll go from this:
to this:
Served in a bowl:
You’ll swear this was made with heavy cream but it’s actually the frozen bananas that give the texture of soft-serve/ice cream. It’s YUMMY!!!
See you soon when I’m relaxing in my post-busy world!
P.S. Thanks for everyone’s comments regarding my possible consulting assignment in the last post. Turns out I did not take the assignment and I was happy with my decision. I believe there will be more opportunities for me in the future that aren’t stress-filled. After all, I’m NOT looking to add unwarranted stress to my life no matter how much I get paid.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
That banana soft serve is good. I just do the bananas and cinnamon and top with nut butter or chocolate syrup. My hubby kept asking if it was only made with bananas LOL!
Glad you're back, Carrie. That soft serve looks so good. I have yet to make it, because we go through bananas too quickly.
I'm quite skeptical of stevia, and stick to traditional sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, and molasses. I'd be curious about the research out there.
ahhhhhh SO YUMMY!!! i usually only see the plain bananas frozen in softserve- but i love how u made it with CHOCOLATE!! <3
thank you for the info on stevia – i'm glad to hear you feel comfortable with moderate use.
i have yet to try the soft serve…..yours looks so good. glad you made a decision that is right for you!
sounds very yummy. thanks! just stumbled upon your blog!
Stevia has just been approved here in Belgium for sale as a food supplement – it was previously illegal and I used to bring it specially from the US for my friend who is diabetic…
I just made banana soft serve this week! I did half frozen bananas, half fresh raspberries from our bushes and a bit of agave syrup – it was delicious!! I should have thought to post a picture of it…next time…
love soft serve!
interesting about stevia. I've thought about it before. t seems ok because its a leaf extract, right? But there's something wrong with almost every sweetener out there so I'm always on the lookout. I've recently limited my use of agave…And am still warming up to the taste of stevia. time shall tell. But as long as all sweets are in moderation, right? Have a great weekend!
Looks delicious. I might leave out the PB but I always keep frozen bananas on hand to add to smoothies, etc..
What a great idea! Looks so delicious.
Yes scientists don't have clear conclusions about stevia. In my opinion, like everything else in nature, should be used in moderation
So you're done with your presentation by now, but I really hope you did well! Everything in nutrition is so…controversial, it seems. There are so many areas where a definite consensus is never reached. But everyone would agree that the frozen banana soft serve looks damn delicious!
I just made this again last night……thanks again!!!!