Candy-Bar-Crusher: Cherry-Choco-Mint "Ice Cream"

Over the last 8 months, The E.P. and I got into a rather bad habit. The pattern starts with dinnertime, then after-dinner family-chill time, then the baby gets put to bed and my Mom goes downstairs. The E.P. and I finally get a few minutes to spend together, by which time we're so exhausted that all we really do is sit there and veg. He gives me a backrub (Best Husband Ever!) and we chat or listen to music or play on my laptop -- it's a time to just be together until we realize that if we don't go to bed now, we'll fall asleep where we are, and the bed is oh so much more comfortable.

"What's so bad about that?" I imagine you ask. Well, the sleeping-baby trip to 7-Eleven for chocolate of course! (Only one of us goes just in case she wakes up, which she almost never does.) So the pattern has changed to: Backrub, discuss eminent need for chocolate on both our parts, trip to 7-Eleven, gorge on chocolate, veg out and force selves to bed.

...Now at two weeks sugar-free, we find ourselves on some nights with a wide hole in that routine. Overpowering-need-for-sugar must be met by... something! Something that's as "special", as treat-worthy as previously "forbidden" candy. When these moments arise, I've taken to throwing some frozen fruit in the blender with whatever seems good at the time, to great sucess. Yesterday's late-night treat was particularly yummy, and one we will definitely have again!

Cherry-Choco-Mint "Ice Cream"

I have a Magic Bullet Blender, which is like a small personal-size blender. Filling it makes 2 perfect servings of frozen delight. I threw in there:

• Frozen cherries - about 4/5ths full


• 1-2 TBL fresh mint leaves ripped right off the stems


• 2 packets stevia (I'm not quite completely sweetener-free yet. Next time I won't add this, it didn't need it.)


• Several shakes of cinnamon


• 2 heaping spoonfuls of Dark Cocoa Powder


• Goat's Milk Yogurt to fill.

I added a little water part-way through the blending to help get all ingredients incorporated. The result was a thick, ice cream/sorbet that was extremely rich (I LOVE rich) with a complex flavor. We dragged ourselves up to bed last night feeling we'd just indulged in a gourmet treat, and it was far from forbidden.