CREAMY HOME-MADE MANGO ICE-CREAM...ON A CALCIUM HIGH!

"Condensed milk is wonderful. I don't see how they can get a cow to sit down on those little cans."

Fred Allen

On a calcium high...Goodness that's fruity & cool!

This creamy, delicious mango ice-cream's en route for something I support whole-heartedly & have always believed in...Beautiful Bones: An Osteoporosis Food Event, hosted by one of my favourite bloggers Susan @ Food Blogga. Susan is funny, her posts are evocative, beautifully presented, & come with a fair share of humour, meaning... & much more. Thanks to her, 'Dermadoc' is gaining notoriety as an avid foodie critic too!! Ha Ha...sorry Susan, was hilarious when he dropped by my place a while ago, & then I saw him at Nicismes' recently too!

I have made this ice-cream twice already to celebrate mango mania in the merry month of May.

Once here...

...&, on popular demand, here again!

It has been my endeavour to ensure both my kids have always been 'high on calcium'. Thankfully, it's become a habit after all these years; the 2 glasses of milk & 2 bowls of home-made yogurt daily are inbuilt into their everyday routine ! I sometimes have to refuse the 3rd bowl of yogurt...such is the love of yogurt! These are simple life-style changes that can be incorporated in everyday meals as an investment in the future! They have now come to love grilled cottage-cheese, the panna cotta (yogurt one too), cottage-cheese cheese cake, fresh broccoli, oranges...all wonderful sources of calcium. I too have 3 glasses (yes 3!!) of milk a day (not a tea person), in addition to yogurt etc. Personally, for me, a glass of chilled milk is a great way to fix hunger pangs...glug it down!!

According to the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) osteoporosis is "a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break." May is National Osteoporosis Awareness Month. It is never too early or too late to start your prevention program. Osteoporosis is largely preventable for most people. Prevention of this disease is very important because, while there are treatments for osteoporosis, there is currently no cure.

Four Steps to Prevent Osteoporosis

By about age 20, the average woman has acquired 98 percent of her skeletal mass. Building strong bones during childhood and adolescence can be the best defense against developing osteoporosis later. A healthy lifestyle can be critically important for keeping bones strong. No one step alone is enough to prevent osteoporosis but all four may.

1. A balanced diet rich in calcium and vitamin D;
2. Weight-bearing exercise;
3. A healthy lifestyle with no smoking or excessive alcohol intake;
4. Bone density testing and medication when appropriate.

An easy and economical way to boost the calcium content of many meals is to add nonfat powdered dry milk to puddings, homemade cookies, breads or muffins, soups, gravy, casseroles and even a glass of milk. A single tablespoon of nonfat powdered dry milk adds 52 mg of calcium, and 2 to 4 tablespoons can be added to most recipes.
You may add:
3 tablespoons to each cup of milk in puddings, cocoa or custard
4 tablespoons to each cup of hot cereal before cooking
2 tablespoons sifted into each cup of flour in cakes, cookies or breads

Enough said... so now onto the ice-cream...the inspiration for which came first from Arundati's @ Escapades where she had posted an eggless Star Anise Ice-cream using condensed milk. That stuck in my mind! I was also inspired by the Floral Mango Ice-cream that Mike @ Mike's Table had posted...the colours & combination were explosive, but for the eggs. I am quite a non-eggy person, so I put my own ideas & measures together & made this. Lovely & creamy ice-cream...& maybe would do even better in an ice-cream machine (whinge, whinge)...I used my arm!!

Ingredients:

Fresh cream - 500ml
Condensed milk - 1 can (14oz)
Mangoes - 2-3 / pureed
Pistachio nuts - a handful / optional

Method:

• Beat the cream & condensed milk well. Add the mango puree & roughly chopped nuts & whisk again.
• Put into a plastic bowl with a tight fitting lid & put into the freezer.
• Whisk the ice-cream every hour to break the crystals that form from the edge inwards, at least 5-6 times (whinge-whinge), & then leave to set for 6-8 hours or overnight.
• Top with slivered pistachios & sprigs of mint! It's absolutely delicious.

DH commented..."Better than Ben & Jerry's"!! YAY!