Hooray it's 2017!
Can you feel it?
There's an excitement in the air - like the coming year is a blank slate just waiting to be filled with all sorts of awesomeness. Like this awesome mint-choc-chip ice cream! But more on that in a moment.
While I am not really into setting resolutions, at the beginning of a new year I think a certain amount of reflection is good.
Some people set goals, some choose a guiding word, some cross their fingers and hope for the best.
Me? I've found 3 little questions to be really helpful:
1. What do you want more of?
2. What do you want less of?
3. What do you want to introduce?
If you sit with each of those questions for a few moments the answers do make themselves known.
For me personally, I want more fun activities with my kids, more focus on my relationship with my husband, more meditation (I've committed to a 365 meditation challenge this year), more personal development, more reading of fiction, more gluten and dairy free cooking because this way of eating is serving me well, and more mindfulness and gratitude
I want less fear, stress and worry about things that I can't change, less self-recrimination, less feeling that I have to do it all.
I want to introduce - more movement, more date nights, a dedicated self-care ritual, to incorporate essential oils more into our daily lives, more fermented foods and a real focus on gut health for myself and Mr 6 especially.
I also want to eat more ice cream - if it tastes as good as this one does!
I've used a tin of coconut condensed milk here but if you have a Thermomix you can of course make your own with whatever sweetener you choose. I usually would but being time-poor on New Year's Eve and also wanting a very white base I chose to buy some. Totally up to you!
Dairy-free Mint-Choc-Chip Ice Cream
3 cans Ayam coconut cream (chilled in fridge upside down for 24 hours before you begin!)
1 can coconut condensed milk (also chilled in the fridge for 24 hours)
5 drops peppermint essential oil*
100g Lindt 85% cocoa chocolate, chopped into small chunks
Insert the butterfly into the thermomix bowl.
Take your already chilled cans of coconut cream, open them carefully and place only the thick creamy parts into the thermomix. Depending how you stored your can in the fridge you may be able to scoop off the cream leaving some watery milk in the tin, or you could pour off the milk leaving the cream behind. Just don't use the milk for this ice cream or it won't work!
Beat the cream for 30 secs / SP 4.
Add the (already chilled) condensed coconut milk and peppermint oil and whip for another 30 secs / SP 4.
Add the chopped chocolate and mix on reverse / SP 2 for 10 seconds.
Pour into a freezer safe container and chill until firm. Or serve immediately for a (very) soft-serve style ice cream.
My kids went nuts for this on New Year's Eve and there were arguments over who got to lick the bowl and spatula!
If you don't have a Thermomix then a good food processor or blender will work well too!
*Not all essential oils are safe for ingestion. Click here for more information on the brand I use and love!
Peppermint is one of my all-time favourite essential oils and to help you experiment with it I've done up a handy printable with some of the best uses for this wonder oil. Just click on the image below to grab your copy!
Do you use essential oils at home? What are your favourites? xx
