All Natural, Homemade "Ice Cream" - Heat Wave Killers by Holly Hickman

(CBS) Is life without ice cream worth living? I think not.

Alas, it's hard to find a delicious scoop these days that's not loaded with sugar or pretend sugars.

PICTURES: All Natural "Ice Cream"

And some of us can't handle the milk either.  Part of that might be genes or allergies. Some people think it might be due to modern farming practices (note to bovines: don't do drugs.)

Personally, I like milks made from nuts, especially almond and coconut, and when I do drink milk from cows I make sure it's grass-fed.

Dairy aside, you may have noticed that alternative ice creams often contain fillers, taste like chemicals and cost enough to cause a darn coronary anyway.

Happily, making your own is more than simple and you don't even need an ice-cream maker.

You will need a blender or food processor to start. Then take a frozen, super-ripe, creamy fruit and whip it up in the blender with any kind of "milk" you want : soy, almond, coconut or old fashioned moo juice.

Okay, you're done! Whirl. Swirl. Swoon.

The results taste as good as they feel. One serving of my Mamey Mamma has only 76 calories and almost no saturated fat. My banana-carob delight has only 121 calories and no saturated fats. For those with more calories to spare, my coconut-orange-banana "Dreamsicle" does have 241 calories and 11g of saturated fat, but not a chemical or artificial sweetener in sight.

Now, that's sweet.

Check out this mini slideshowfeaturing four of my favorite fruity "ice cream" recipes.

Holly Hickman is a Columbia-trained, food-obsessed science journalist. Her far-flung career and keen interest in health led her to create "Healthy Eats Here!" -- a comprehensive guide to restaurants across the country which serve organic, grass-fed and local foods.