Spice Up Your Ice Cream with Nuts, Fruit, Yogurt and Grains

Are you an ice cream connoisseur and looking for that something that's just a little different? Try adding some healthy goodness to your favorite dessert with fruit, yogurt, nuts and grains.

Start with a tub of vanilla ice cream, or frozen yogurt. Either will work well for this dessert. Allow it to stand in the fridge or on the counter until it becomes quite soft, do not allow it to become watery or it will not re-freeze to a good consistency.

Using a clean empty orange juice or milk carton, spoon around 10 tbsp of your softened yogurt or ice cream into the bottom.

Sprinkle the following into the carton:

1/4 cup of slithered almonds

1/4 cup of raisins

1/4 cup of chopped or rolled oats

2.tbsp strawberry yogurt

1/3 sliced fresh banana

3 tbsp honey

-Press down gently and repeat this process until your carton is full.

-Return the carton to the freezer and allow to stand in an upright position for at least 6 hours or until it becomes very hard.

*This dessert is great served at your "Girl's Night In" with Champagne or other sparkling wine in long stemmed glasses. Print the recipe you're using onto small, colored cards and slip into pretty envelopes for your guests to take home with them.

For other special occasions....

Christmas Ice Cream Dessert:

-Using the above method, and for each layer until filled;

add 6-8 Maraschino cherries and 3 tsp of the cherry juice

2 tsp of dessicated coconut

1/4 cup of crushed peppermints

1/8 cup of grated dark chocolate

Halloween:

-Try butterscotch ice cream if available, or again using vanilla;

add 6-8 slices of kiwi fruit

3-4 crushed orange liqueur chocolate buttons or squares. These can usually be found in your nearest dollar store in gift box size. A dash of orange juice and some grated chocolate can be used if not available.

Children's Parties:

When preparing dessert for your next children's birthday party, this can also be used in place of the traditional birthday cake. When layering, try adding some soft jellied fruit or soft candy. It will become hard, but will thaw readily once served.

After removing the ice cream from it's carton, and right before serving, sprinkle the entire brick of ice cream with coconut and/or colored candy sprinkles such as those used for traditional cake decorating. Whipped cream lightly colored with food dye can be piped onto the cake for your child's name. Serve in small bowls or spoon into colorful plastic, stemmed glassed which can be bough at a very low price from your dollar store or large supermarket.

When preparing to serve all of the above desserts:

Lay the carton on its side and cut along it's length with a sharp knife. Peel the carton away from the brick of dessert and serve right to the table garnished with more grated chocolate, fresh fruit or drizzled with honey - depending on the theme or occasion.