Lemonberry "Ice Cream": Lemon Chobani meets Shenanigans

If ice cream, froyo, and slushies all got together and had a food baby, this would be its story.

Ingredients:
-1 C heavy cream
-1 container Lemon Chobani Yogurt
-1 C milk (I used Vitamin D milk)
-16.9 oz 7UP
-zest of half a lemon
-1 TB lemon extract
-Small container of blackberries, mashed and strained to get the seeds out with a couple tablespoons of sugar mixed in
-optional 1/2 C sugar (I did not bother with that because I like tangy stuff, if you want a super sweet treat, toss some in)

I mixed all the ingredients except the blackberries in my ice cream maker bowl and gave them a good few minutes of whipping. When I had a fantastic light and fluffy mix, I tossed it in my ice cream maker, simple as that.  Follow your ice cream makers directions and get going!

It's not that I couldn't have mixed the blackberries in so if you want to go ahead and do it.  But if you want the blackberry to be swirled in like it is in some of these pictures, hold them out.  You could turn it into a blackberry simple syrup if you wanted to.

I like ice cream, but I do not like all the fat and heavyness that some ice cream has.  I also would argue that Lemon Chobani is one of the best flavors I have tried of any greek yogurt, and is especially good if you like to cook with greek because it packs a ton of flavor in a mere 6 oz.

If you are a lover of froyo textures, this ice cream would work well for you.  It has a light and bright taste and texture.  It may not be as healthy as some varieties of froyo, but it is packing a lot lighter punch than the Ben and Jerry's I would pick up if I was on the ice cream isle...(Americone Dream, rock it!)

Plus, I don't know about you, but I am ready for some spring time flavor.  I like berries and salads and fresh things, and that is definitely a taste profile that this little mix up follows.  I don't like when things taste heavy and loaded with preservatives, either.  From what I can tell from some very rough calculating, the unfrozen base of all this has about 2.6 grams of fat per ounce. I considered cutting the milk out for another lemonCHO, but opted to keep it in for a reason.

I really adore greek yogurt in the fact that it is a champ when it comes to multitasking and upping the protein content without adding fat in most cases.  It also doesn't have a crap ton of sugar in it like some other yogurt does. My system only runs well on protein and similar, and so whenever I can eat something that has a bit in it I like to take the opportunity.

Also, I think that in terms of dieting, few people can ever really succeed when they have to give up things they love.  If you love ice cream, chances are no matter what diet you are on, you are going to give in eventually if you completely cut things out.  I know for myself I could absolutely never give up sweets if I was on a hardcore diet.  I would cheat all the time!

But what I can do is develop a good base of recipes that satisfy what I am looking for while sneaking in a little extra healthy here and there.  I am not currently dieting, but I do value staying at the weight that I am.  It is important to me still to be able to eat things I love without feeling guilty about it.  This ice cream could easily stem into a pink lemonade ice cream with strawberries instead of blackberries.  So yes, the higher fat milk could have been switched out, but I think this little guy strikes a good balance as a healthier version without straying too far from the thought of ice cream. 

That being said, I am a huge froyo fan and probably would have adored having the second yogurt in there in place of the milk or with through a reduction in the amount of heavy cream, so adjust this recipe as you see fit based on what kind of textures you like.  No matter what you do, if your freezer is like mine you will have to let it sit out for a bit before serving regardless of the fat content.  Mine is always frozen solid. That second little container of lemon yumminess is slated for a different and equally fantastic use later this week ;).

Now.  If only I had remembered to bring back that ice cream scoop with me from the last time I came home....sigh.  Baby steps I suppose.

Happy crafting!

**Update, if you were to freeze this into cubes it would make the most fantastic smoothie base known to mankind.  At least in my biased perspective.  It has a perfect slushy consistency when it thaws!