I’ve got to say, I’m not the biggest fan of summer. Living in NYC in the summer is kind of what I imagine hell to be like, or maybe purgatory because there are glimmers of beauty and hope amidst the sweaty, smelly and swampy hell, I’ll give it that. A hot day will stay hot until 11PM (we’re talking 87 degrees) because of the endless amounts of cement that hold onto the temperature like it needs it to survive. So, cooling down at night isn’t really a thing here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not always like this, and I enjoy picnicking in the park, eating al fresco and all the fresh fruits and vegetables that are in abundance at farmer’s markets… but man, living on the fifth floor of a five story pre-war building isn’t super fun in 90 plus degree weather (plus humidity!), but we make do… with dessert, every. night.
How do I stay cool and sane during the hot summer months and resist the urge to eat all my meals away from my hot kitchen? Planning and lots of cooling and hydrating foods! Your body craves more cooling and hydrating foods in the summer naturally, so give your body what it wants! Raw fruits and veggies are your friend. Salads, galore! Snack on strawberries dipped in almond butter. Smoothie bowls for breakfast, lunch or dinner (who ever said smoothie bowls had to be sweet?! Try my Savory Smoothie recipe just add a handful of ice and less liquid-BAM!). You get the idea.
My summer ritual is eating a bowl of “nice cream” pretty much every night because I work hard to stay cool all day and I deserve it! If I could just drink my morning cup of matcha or coffee, eat breakfast and skip everything else and go straight to my bowl of “nice cream” every day I WOULD. Why is it called nice cream? I actually don’t know… Maybe because it’s nice to your body because it’s free of dairy, added sugars and stuff that causes inflammation and potentially not-nice feelings?
There are many variations on “nice cream” but you can’t go wrong with the classic. I’ll provide you with my classic banana nice-cream recipe plus a couple variations to play with. Enjoy topped with nut butter, granola, fresh fruit, coconut flakes or enjoy plain!
- 2 1/2 frozen bananas
- 1/2 cup nut milk of choice (the creamiest is using full-fat culinary milk.
Blend in a high speed blender or food processor. You’ll have to stop and stir it a few times to get it to blend all the way. This is good because you want the texture to be super creamy and thick; like ice cream!
Some other variations are:
Chocolate Cherry “Nice Cream”
- 2 1/2 frozen bananas
- Handful frozen cherries
- 1 teaspoon cacao powder
- 1/2 cup nut milk
Peanut Butter & Jelly “Nice Cream”
- 2 1/2 frozen bananas
- handful of frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter or almond butter
- 1/2 cup nut milk
Chocolate Banana “Nice Cream”
- 2 1/2 frozen bananas
- 2 teaspoons cacao powder
- 1/2 cup nut milk
Health in Bloom 