Healthy yogurt ice cream

Sailing off Port Townsend, Wash., with  brother and sister-in-law sailors in training.

Visiting the Port Townsend Farmers' Market in search of local vittles for dinner.

New cat buddy, Tommy, trying to stow-away in our trunk.

Cat buddy, Marshal, wearing his new Thunder Shirt.

Ice cream craving after long bike touring trip means get busy and make some healthy yogurt ice cream.

Here's what you need for two servings:

1/2 T. grassfed gelatin softened in 1 T. water
6 ounces milk beverage of your choice
1 vanilla bean
stevia or other sweetener of choice
1 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or other yogurt of choice
optional toppings

Here's what you do:

Soften the gelatin in water for five minutes. Set aside. Warm until steaming the milk, vanilla bean and sweetener. Whisk in the gelatin. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and cool mixture to room temperature.

Whisk in the yogurt. Freeze the mixture for 45 minutes in a shallow pan.

Once frozen to soft-serve consistency, serve with your favorite toppings to satisfy your ice cream craving with a healthy treat.

Coffee cube froyo

Crossing from Whidbey Island to Seattle on the ferry

Home, home on a bike.
 My husband and I have been bike touring in the Olympic Peninsula area in Washington. We carried all of our stuff in the big yellow bag, pictured above. 

Big home vs. small home.
Yes, this shows the difference between our bike touring stuff and the coach that my sister and brother-in-law were traveling in. We met up with them in Port Townsend, Wash.

Finding alternative food on a bike tour. Sometimes, you have to get very creative. We visited a lot of whole foods markets and even the Port Townsend Farmers' Market, pictured above. I dreamed about finding a place with a perfect frosty treat for me on the trip but alas, I had to settle for plain Fage Greek yogurt, which is mostly lactose free.

 Coffee froyo was one of the first things I wanted to make when I got home as I was still hungering for a perfect frosty treat.

Take 12 small coffee ice cubes

1/4 cup premade coffee gelatin + 1/4 cup yogurt of choice (Greek Yogurt is creamiest) + sweetener of choice + 1/8-1/4 cup milk beverage of choice
Optional add-ins: 1 -2 tsp. cocoa powder, 1 T. seed or nut butter

Pulse all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Equals frosty coffee froyo!

Note: Make coffee gelatin ahead of time by mixing 1 cup hot brewed coffee with 1 T. grassfed gelatin.Place in the fridge until firm.

Recipe contributed to:  http://wholenewmom.com/traditional-tuesday/paleo-pizza-roasted-chickpeas-bbq-chicken-pizza-fish-nuggets/

Campers' pb and chocolate cheesecake pudding

Misha and Nika at Loon Lake

Despite new diet and food restrictions, I figured out what to take to go backpacking, one of my favorite summertime activities.

Campers' pb and chocolate cheesecake pudding

 If you have ever been backpacking, you can well imagine that meals for individuals with food issues can be challenging. So, it's quite a statement when I say I had some of the best backpacking food I've ever eaten while on my recent three-day trip. Campers' Pb and Chocolate Cheesecake pudding was one of my favorites. It's a healthy remake of a pre-made backpacking dessert I saw.

It's easy and convenient to make, has minimal ingredients, and you can enjoy it at home too!

These are the ingredients:

1. 2 T. peanut butter, sunbutter or almond butter. Tip: for camping or backpacking, get the individual, squeeze packets. 
2. 1 T. milk powder. Tip: you can purchase soymilk powder as an alternative milk.
3. 1 T. Great Lakes gelatin powder
4. Stevia powder, to taste
5. Pinch of salt
6. Pinch of cinnamon powder
7. 1 T. cocoa powder
8. 1/4 cup cold water; 1/2 cup hot water
9. Optional: Make a crunchy topping with 1/4 cup crushed Rice Chex.
10. To make at home, omit the milk powder and simply use 1/2 cup of milk beverage of your choice, warmed.

"Hey, Bailey, maybe you can go backpacking too."

Directions:

For backpacking or camping, use ziplocs to hold your ingredients. Place gelatin in one ziploc; milk powder in another; Rice Chex in another. Combine cocoa powder, stevia, cinnamon, salt in an additional ziploc baggie.

To make the pudding in camp: in a camp cup, sprinkle the gelatin on 1/4 cup cold water. Allow to set for 1 minute. Add the 1/2 cup hot water and stir to dissolve the gelatin. Next, add in the milk powder, cocoa packet and seed or nut butter of choice, and stir until blended. Set the cup aside for about 20-30 minutes until the pudding thickens. It seems like a long time but in camp there is lots to be done while you wait.

At home, sprinkle the gelatin on water; after one minute, add the hot milk and stir until dissolve. Then, add the gelatin mixture and other ingredients to your food processor and blend until mixed. Pour the blended mixture into a container and refrigerate until chilled and thickened. Top with a dollop of your favorite yogurt.

 http://www.realfoodallergyfree.com/2014/08/avocado-dill-chicken-salad-crockpot-coconut-curry-chicken-lemon-vanilla-cupcakes/