I Get on Ingredient Kicks

Day 107.

Speaking of kicks, let's go off on a tangent for a minute. Kiddie soccer is brutal. I thought the ref was being a little too power hungry when she went around making sure all the kids were tucked in, wearing cleats instead of running shoes, and wearing knee pads. And making the goalee wear those silly Mickey Mouse gloves? What for? (the goalee is usually my Picky Eater. She likes that position best.) You think all those things until you've watched a few 5-6 year old league soccer games. Then you understand. Oh my! I'm glad I'm not on the field with those brutes!

(It used to be that the younger leagues were nothing more than a pack of children all running around trying to get a kick in. Then soccer moms were born, and kids started playing soccer in the womb, so they're pretty darn good by the time they reach first grade. For Picky Eater, this is her first season. So it's all new to us.)

Those kids foul each other intentionally. It's a strategy they use to stop forward progress of the ball! They push and shove. They kick and trip. They kick the ball as far out of bounds as they can. One little guy on our team growls every time he gets the ball. He's a little bit scary....if you're on the opposing team. Now, when you push someone, the ref blows the whistle and the kids on the offended team get posession of the ball again. I don't know all the rules of the game but that much is clear. Still, the kids push and kick to keep the ball away from my Picky Eater. By the time they're teenagers playing in high school, those kids are going to be so tough they'll be ready for rugby! Or hockey! Or tackle football!

Don't misunderstand me. I love going to those games. I get all excited and wound up and cheer and encourage and snap a gazillion pictures every single Saturday. I love every minute. The level of intensity just takes me by surprise.

Back to the real topic: I tend to get on ingredient "kicks." Do you? I'll go weeks at a time using green onions in everything. Then it'll be cream. Then I go on an oat bran kick. And a corn kick. Well, right now, I'm entering a coconut kick. Today, I made ice cream with it. Next week, I'm making cream pie with it. We use it to make popcorn (and I'll share that soon, I promise!). Lately, coconut is where it's at...in my kitchen.

If you like coconut, you're likely to love this ice "cream." It was born out of a desire to be able to eat something cool and creamy this summer that doesn't make me feel icky. Dairy makes me congested. I love cream and cheese and butter. I won't stop using them, but I'm really trying to find some alternatives (not to the butter...I'll probably always use butter) that don't make me fell yucky afterward.

Coconut Milk Ice "Cream" with Bananas and Brown Sugar

What You Need:

• 2 cans of coconut milk (roughly 3 cups)
• 3 lage bananas, peeled, cut up and mashed (leave some chunks, though)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• an ice cream maker (and rock salt and ice if required)

How it's Done:

• Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and chill for several hours.
• Add to ice cream maker and process per manufacturer's instructions. This ice cream will be very soft. It's best to freeze it for a few hours after processing, and then serve it.