Give banana cream a try

Elizabeth Templin McCamic

With the weather heating up, I thought I would tell you about my new favorite frozen treat: banana cream.

Now, when I was growing up, I was pretty picky when it came to bananas. In order for me to eat one, it needed to be just barely ripe, maybe even just a little bit green. I wasn't a fan of the way truly ripe bananas smelled, brown spots seemed a little scary and I was not interested in eating a mushy banana.

Today, that's all changed.

You see, really ripe bananas now signal something better. Try peeling, slicing and freezing your really ripe bananas for an hour or two. Then drop them in a blender or food processor. The blended bananas take on a creamy quality that is very similar to ice cream - one of my favorite treats. You don't have to add anything else, so it's a perfect, guilt-free treat.

Sometimes I'll add a little honey or peanut butter to my bowl of banana cream, but for really ripe bananas that's not necessary. They are perfectly sweet all on their own.

If you give this a try, let me know what you think.

100-day burpee challenge update: Today is day 39 of the 100-day challenge and it's still going pretty well. I've reached a point where this project is becoming more of a time commitment. I'm doing burpees in sets now, taking short breaks in between. It has also been harder to make up for a missed day, and I want to come clean and tell that I did miss a couple days while I was out of town - we ended up being busier than I'd planned. Still, the challenge is going well and is fulfilling its purpose: my arms and core are feeling stronger and my burpee form is getting better. It's been a nice boost to my regular workout.