It's National Frozen Food Day!

I love my freezer. It lets me buy food when it is on sale and store it for when I need it, keeps my extra homemade soup for later, and stores the magical popsicles that heal all boo-boos (well, almost all). We have a lot of favorite frozen foods that we eat on a semi regular basis. Anything from popsicles, ice cream, pizza, and even chicken and burgers. The boys of course love the popsicles and ice cream. Hubby's favorite item from the freezer is the ice cubes. He will not have a drink without ice. However, my favorite is probably my secret stash of Magnum bars that I keep in the back behind the ice. Seriously, the kids don't appreciate them enough.

Of course this time of year, one of the big frozen treats is McDonald's Shamrock Shakes. I love the shakes, but the super bright green coloring is slightly off putting. I've been trying to recreate the shake so that I can make it a little healthier. This isn't a perfect match, but it's close!

St. Patrick's Day Shakes
You will need: (Makes 2)

• 2 cups vanilla ice cream
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 tsp mint extract
• Green Food Coloring (About 8 drops for a light green color.)
• Whipped Cream
• Cherries, optional
• Green Sprinkles, optional

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and mix together.

2. Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream, cherry, and sprinkles. DM Tip: If you like a thicker shake, place in the freezer to firm up.

3. Enjoy!

DM TIP: Mint extract can be hard to find. Here are some alternatives:

• I also tried Créme de Menthe flavor (found in the candy making section of cake and/or candy supply stores). I added 2 drops of the flavor and it was a really close match!
• You can use peppermint extract instead (1/4-1/2 tsp, depending on your taste). I found that a 1/4 tsp of vanilla made the taste round out nicely, especially if the peppermint is too strong. 

What Is Your Favorite Frozen Food?

HISTORY
Food is preserved to keep bacteria and molds from growing and to keep food fresher longer. There are a lot of ways to preserve food: smoking, curing/salting, drying, pickling, canning, refrigeration, and a few others. However, one of the best ways to keep the texture and taste of the food intact is with freezing. Clarence Birdseye is given the credit for inventing a method for quick-freezing food in packaging without changing its taste in 1923.

Links to Some of My Frozen Food Recipes/Posts:
Frozen Chocolate Covered Bananas
Oreo Pudding Pops
Homemade Popsicles
Ice Cream Sandwiches
Summer Time Snacks
Fruity Yogurt Flowers


Additional Information:
Frozen Foods, Wiki
Inventors, Clarence Birdseye
Food Preservation, Wiki
Clarence Birdseye, Wiki