Peanut Allergy Mom

Ice cream, popsicles and other frosty treats are great summer treats to savor as the heat soars into the triple digits. But the stress and frustration associated with finding safe, allergy-free snacks our children actually like makes us more apt to want a drink when it’s all said and done.

Instead of running to your ice cream parlor for the double-fudge, banana split you crave, head to the grocery store instead for a few ingredients (namely salt, milk, sugar and ice).

Make Your Own Ice Cream

Making your own ice cream is fun, safe and gives you peace of mind about cross-contamination issues.

There are a variety ways you can make ice cream. We found a few that looked interesting, including the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker, in which all you need is ice, rock salt, cream, sugar and vanilla. And it’s affordable too, with ranging between $20 and $35.

Toss in the ingredients in a ball (literally) and shake. Sounds fun and the kids will probably love it.

Read Labels

Be cautious as the website the company that makes the Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker has a number of recipes available, many of them with almond, peanuts, nuts and coconuts listed. I included this because I think it looks fun and because it’s user-friendly and lightweight, you can take it with you when you travel (camp, boat, picnic, hotels and more).

If you’re looking for something that is robust, stationary and can make a lot of ice cream in one shot, the Cuisinart Pure Indulgence 2-Quart is a good option. Even though it’s a bit pricey in the $60-range, it’s a versatile tool that can also make frozen yogurt, sorbet and ice cream.

A Cool Idea

Another favorite summer treat is popsicles. While the cold snacks are great choices and don’t pose a serious threat to us, I always get frustrated when I buy a package of 24 popsicles that have six flavors.

It doesn’t take long for my favorite cherry to get snapped up. I’m not a huge fan of exotic flavors, I like cherry, grape and occasionally strawberry. The Orka Ice Pop Molds are a good option and not expensive either. Now I can freeze my favorite juice flavor using the silicon molds.

Here is a special Clean Eating Blueberry Yogurt Pops published on TheGraciousPantry.com blog that looks delicious.