The Best Light Ice Cream

Which is your favorite?

Last week we discussed how ice cream really isn't as bad as it's made out to be, but that doesn't mean plenty of people with specific dietary needs don't need to be mindful of the kinds they ingest. My own needs mean that I need to avoid sugar-laden ice cream as much as possible, but I don't like too much artificial sweetness. So what does that leave me with?

I really have a lot of choices, and the Halo Top brand is probably my favorite. Brands like Halo, Enlightened and Rebel all have a lot of great flavors that are continuing to expand, and they range in being very low sugar to having simply less sugar than most brands. I just heard about Nick's, a Swedish-style light ice cream, that I'm also interested in trying.

There are also gluten-free ice creams, sorbets and fruit-based ice creams people make at home, such as blending frozen fruits for healthier options. Any of these could satisfy a sweet tooth while still delivering  an icy cold treat, especially in the hot months. 

What kinds of ice cream do you like to satisfy your cravings while staying as close to your nutritional needs as possible? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Desserts/Sweets

Ice Cream Isn't All Bad

What do you think of these reasons why?

Ice cream sure gets a bad reputation for being a fatty no-no food that isn't good to eat on the regular. I happen to disagree with that but not because of the nutrition, since I do avoid a lot of ice cream if it's sugar-based. No, I disagree because everyone reacts to different foods differently, everyone knows their own bodies best and the last thing we need to be doing is shaming each other for things we don't know anything about.

That said, this list has some reasons why it can actually be healthy to include ice cream in your diet, and it makes plenty of sense. If you're like me and you make ice cream to fit in with the nutrients you need, that works, too. I'm pretty tired of the crap that fat gets, too; most of us do need it in our lives, especially fatty acids for brain development.

So what do you think of the benefits of ice cream? Would you add others? Share your thoughts in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage

All the Gooey Butter Cakes!

Which is your favorite?

As someone born in St. Louis, of course I'm a fan of gooey butter cake. If you've never had it, it's a must if you visit St. Louis! Keep in mind it's super rich and a little goes a long way. I've always been a fan of McArthur's gooey butter cake but plenty of small bakeries make it well, too. I'm not as big a fan of the coffee cake variety.

Recently I've been seeing lots of places make variations on the recipe that look so tempting. I saw a bakery that makes a gooey butter cake birthday cake! I can't wait to try it. Then I've seen other types, from cake with Oreos or chocolate or blueberries, and I'm just like... where have you been all my life?

So I really think the original will remain my favorite, but I'd love to hear which variations you've tried. Are there any you'd say are better than the original? Share them in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage

All The Puddings

Share your favorite recipes!

Do you ever made homemade pudding to enjoy, either as a dessert or a breakfast treat? Depending on what you put in it, it can certainly be both. Lots of people are riding the chia pudding train, which can be great for your health as long as you don't overdo it on the sugar. If you load it with goodies like chia, flaxseed, fresh fruit, protein powder and other nutrients, you could start your day with a real powerhouse of a treat!

Then again, you might be more like me and enjoy it as a little simple treat. I often just blend up some heavy whipping cream with a flavoring agent (usually from Skinny Syrups but you use what works best for you!) and have a quick mousse/pudding-like dessert. It's rich and can upset your stomach if you have too much so I suggest just using one serving!

What kinds of puddings do you like to make? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Desserts/Sweets

DIY Summer Popsicles

What's your go-to recipe?

As someone who loves to play chemist in the kitchen, I have a love/hate relationship with popsicles. I love all the different flavors and cool concoctions but have yet to find a holder that I love. Plastic stick? Wooden one? Ew. I'm better off making granita because I want to use a spoon! One year I made lightsaber holders for those little plastic popsicles you can buy which work great but I don't love the plastic... or the store-bought popsicles all that much, either!

I'd love to know what you use for the "stick" as well as what you're making! This list of 40+ ideas was shared with me today and wow, they look good. Strawberry flavors are my favorite but honestly I don't see one I wouldn't try. Is there a bad fruit in the world, really?

What kinds of popsicles are you making? Share your favorite recipes and methods in the chat!

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Desserts/Sweets

Frosty Drinks Perfect for Summer

What's your favorite?

When I think of summer, I picture a nice, frosty orange julius to help me cool off. It's too bad that every local place I used to get them at doesn't sell them anymore! It's fine, I'll start making my own! Speaking of that, there are so many other icy, yummy drinks you can make at home, too.

Cutting lemons into wedges, freezing them and blending them yields a nice, frothy lemon treat! Add your favorite sweetener and don't forget to pick out the seeds before freezing. Then there are ice dragons, which can be anything from a Game of Thrones themed sorbet drink to a matcha green tea blended with sweet flavors! And don't even get me started on nitro lemonade, bubble tea and other favorites...

What is your favorite ice old summer drink to make? Share the recipe in the chat! 

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Soft Drinks

Each State's Signature Dessert

The stuff bucket lists are made of

When we travel, we usually plan out a special place or two to eat because that's one of our favorite new experiences. You gotta eat, anyway, and who doesn't love food? Eat This, Not That! just released a list of the best dessert in every state and now I'm ready for a cross-country road trip!

Some of these desserts really surprised me. California's dessert, for example, is a Japanese cheesecake. In Colorado, it's a candy sculpture, and Georgia has a popcorn sundae. Ever heard of Scotcheroos? How about chocolate crabs?

What dessert is your state known for? Would you agree that it's the best in your state? Share some of your favorites in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage

Low-Cal Desserts

What do you like to make?

While I'm more focused on low-sugar than low-calorie, I like to do both as much as possible--especially when it comes to desserts! Yogurt and whipped cream desserts are some of my faves because not only can you make them that way, but they also are super easy to make with ingredients that are easy to find. I can even make a quick one with the heavy cream I keep for my coffee.

Hungry Girl is one of my favorite places to find ideas and her Cookie Monster Mousse shots are a great example. You can even modify this to be simpler--I've been known to just use three ingredients in mine (HWC, sweetener and a flavor of some kind). I like to use Skinny Syrups to make different flavors and then you can even skip the sweetener.

What quick, low-calorie desserts do you like to make? Share them in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Desserts/Sweets

Quick Mug Cakes

Because there's always time for dessert!

When you want a quick cake and don't feel like baking a whole one (or don't have enough people around to consume the rest), a mug cake is perfect. It's also great because you can add only what you want into the cake, making it as personal as you like.

Hungry Girl has a great easy cake that only requires two ingredients! In just a couple of minutes you can mix yogurt and cake mix for a quick, easy cake.  She has a bunch of other mug cake recipes, too.

As someone who like to cut my sugar, I like to make quick cakes with almond or coconut flour. It's not much more work and cooks just as fast! You do have to make sure to let them cool. I often skip a frosting or topping, but you could top with sugar-free frosting, homemade whipped cream (which you can make without sugar, too), fresh fruit or whatever you like.

There are also mug cakes on the market for those days when you might be out of ingredients! It's nice to have them in the pantry waiting, especially after a rough day. You just add water to most of them.

What's your go-to fast cake recipe? Share it in the chat.

Klat Categories: 
Food & Beverage
Desserts/Sweets

Best Dessert Pizzas

Share your recipes in the chat!

Dessert pizza is one of my favorite treats, but I'll admit that I've only tried two types: fruit pizza, which is SO good, and chocolate chip cookie pizza, which my mom used to make when we were kids. Seeing how many dessert pizzas are available today makes my jaw drop!

Take this Oreo dessert pizza, for example. My husband would love it. I've made Oreo balls for family members many times but this looks quite good. I've also seen variations with cinnamon roll dessert pizzas, brownie themed ones and even pizzas topped with all kinds of candy! If you wanted to really take it over the edge you could even top or pair it with some ice cream.

What is your favorite kind of dessert pizza? Share the recipe in the chat! 

Klat Categories: 
Desserts/Sweets

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