A few weeks back I was lucky to be able to attend the DOLE Bananas Summit hosted by my friends at DOLE. Like any trip I take out of this tiny airport, I left super early and headed to Anaheim to the Grand California Hotel at Disneyland to learn all about bananas.
And honestly, this was my first time – ever – at Disney Land. And I was so excited about everything that I didn’t take any pictures – I’m so upset with myself! This happens a lot, though. If I’m overwhelmed or just busy thinking about something else, my camera is the first thing I leave behind. Not the best habit for a blogger, huh?
After a day of all things bananas we ventured out into the park! After years of hearing about the legendary DOLE Whip, I was so excited to finally try it in the Tiki Room. It was all I had hoped for – cool, creamy, and tart from the pineapple.
But back to the bananas. I know you guys are smart – I don’t need to tell you how healthy and delicious bananas are. Even I knew that going into this trip.
But I learned so many fun tips on this trip that I had to share! Who knows – you may need these answers one day for Jeopardy:
- You can rub a banana peel on your poison ivy or bug bites and to stop the itching
- You can polish your teeth OR shoes with a banana peel! Crazy, right?
- If you grill a banana until it the entire peel is black, remove the peel, you can smash the melty, grilled banana on a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate for a twist on a classic s’more.
- If you separate your bananas once you’re home from the store, they will last longer
- It’s easier to peel a banana from the bottom than from the top – even monkeys do it this way!
- When you put a frozen banana through a YONANAS machine you get a frozen treat that tastes just like soft serve ice cream, without the fat!
After lunch one day, we got to try out the Yonanas machine for ourselves and make a sweet treat.
My choice? Frozen banana with blueberries and some chocolate syrup. It tasted just as good as soft serve and is so much healthier! Now that you can make your own Yonanas at home, there’s no reason not to have “ice cream” every night after dinner.
And lucky for you, I’ve got one Yonanas Machine to giveaway, thanks to my friends at Dole.
To Enter: Leave a comment telling me what topping you would try on your Yonanas first!
Good Luck! I think you guys will love your Yonanas machine just as much as we do.
My trip was compliments of Dole. Opinions are my own. Always have been. Always will be. Dole provided me with a yonanas machine and is providing one reader a machine as well.
{ 92 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Brandi! I would try peanut butter first with my yonanas first! And add chocolate syrup or cocoa powder. Mmm!
almond butter for sure!
Hot fudge!
dark cocoa powder or peanut butter!!
I would try granola and honey!
Hello Brandi – I’d like to try maple syrup with my yonanas! YUM.
I’d love to make a chocolate yonanas dessert and top it with some PB2 and granola for crunch!
I would top it with chocolate syrup!
Toasted almonds and dried tart cherries! Yum now I want some.
Nothing fills a niche like sliced bananas in a bowl of Frosted Flakes. So, I would flip it and top my yonanas with some crumbled Frosted Flakes!
I would definitely put Fresh berries and granola with dark chocolate chips on my yonanas!
Saw this recipe: berry chocolate coconut. Sounds phenomenal, and would be near the top of my list. Would be sure to have all ingredients ready to go if I knew a yonanas machine was coming!
Most definitely peanut butter, banana, dark chocolate syrup!!!
I would put granola on it! Maybe a little tiny bit of brown sugar
I have been wanting to try the Yonanas very much, I have strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, in the freezer from my garden. I think they might
be just the answer when people are watching their cholesterol etc. I have
been wanting to get one also for my son who lives in Pheonix, and works at the airport. It is so extremely hot at times, and it would be wonderful for him to
come home to a nice healthy cold treat now and then.
It is exciting that you are able to give one away, and it will make someone’s
Christmas for sure!!!!
It would be fun to see how creative one can get with the Yonanas, and can’t
help but hope to be a winner!!!
Merry Christmas!!!!
i’d try it with granola!
Ohhh I really hope I win this! I asked my husband for one and he said no because we have an ice cream maker – what kind of answer is that? Anyway, I’d put mochi on it because the froyo store we (used to) frequent stopped carrying dairy free and now there’s nada for me!
Brandi,
My dessert choice would be bits from your Frozen Whole Wheat Monster Cookie Dough Bites and my healthy choice would be PB&J – oats, strawberries and powdered peanut butter (and chia seeds if desired!). Sounds like the perfect breakfast!
Peanut butter sauce and chopped up pecans!’
i would top my soft serve with sprinkles and chocolate toffee bits (:
I think I would try peanut butter and bananas. Growing up my dad would make us peanut butter banana shakes in the blender.
It would have to be some dark chocolate chips, possible with a dollop of almond butter for an extra treat.
I would put fresh strawberries and maybe a few walnuts. Sounds like fun. Tired of my bananas going bad before I can eat them all.
We had a restaurant near us that used to make a frozen banana treat like this machine makes, but I’d love to be able to make it at home. I would top it with a little PB2, some cinnamon and a sprinkling of craisins. Yummy!
I want one of these so bad! They are so fun!
I would try peanut butter. Love bananas with it
I would add marshmallow, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. yummy goodness.
I would put chocolate and peanut butter chips on top! I’ve been wanting to get a Yonanas machine!
Cool facts! I’ll have to start separating my bananas now.
I’d love this machine! I’d put toasted pecans and hot fudge on my “soft serve.”
I would definitely make banana soft-serve with various mix-ins!
I think I’d top it with some toasted coconut!
I would top mine with granola and toasted coconut. I love banana ice cream!
I’d mix peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs.
Wow, what a cool experience and awesome little machine. We go though loads of banana soft serve at our house. Our favorite is maple walnut. Just a touch of maple extract with some coconut cream and walnut pieces. I bet this machine would make it possible for us to remove the coconut cream (we just use it so that it can be processed into the smooth consistency). That’d definitely be the first bowl we’d make!
Chocolate!
A tad of organic strawberry preserves and a handful of dark chocolate chips! Yum!
chocolate or peanut butter chips!
The chocolate covered banana concoction you mention in your blog sounds pretty yummy right about now!
I always peel my banana from the bottom. It peels so much easier, no stringy things on the banana, and I have the stem to hold it! Genius!
Um..this might be a dumb question…but, what side of the peel do you shine your teeth with? Inside I hope…
What would I top my Yonanas with? So many choices! Okay, I’m going with …
A Cherry!
the outside of the peel, i’m pretty sure!
Outside, really – didn’t see that coming!
:-O
blueberries and granola….YUMMO.
Peanut Butter and Cinnamon Toast Crunch obviously
Oh I’ve been wanting to try this Yonanas machine out!! First thing I’d make would be my standard green smoothie: frozen bananas, spinach, peanut butter and almond milk!!
I love strawberries, so I’d have to start with that! How wonderful this would be for my family!!!
I would try mini chocolate chips on top. This is an interesting machine! Sounds fun.
strawberry jam i made in June…made with apples as the pectin so it didn’t set up hard but is kind of runny-yum!
Peanut Butter!
I would put nutella and peanut butter on my first!
I would put dark chocolate granola on mine first.
Boy, does this sound good. There are so many I would try, but I think I’d love to try it for breakfast first, with some homemade granola, a little whipped topping and some chocolate sprinkles.
Mmmmm! I would try Nutella or PB or some sort of chocolate with it! So many options!
I love anything chocolate, banana, and coconut. I’d definitely throw some chocolate syrup and coconut flakes on top… yum!
I have wanted one of these ever since I discovered them! It’s not very original, but I would definitely top mine with some peanut butter!
I have been begging for my boyfriend to buy me a Yonanas for months! I would top mine with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and graham cracker crumbs. Maybe a little whipped cream for some flair!
I would leave it alone as is. Delicious without a topping.
Oh wow!!! I would LOVE to make yonanas…topped with chocolate chips!
I would do salted caramel over it!
Good ol’ pb and chocolate!
Oh goodness! chocolate, pb and bananas would be my first experiment with that thing for sure! I have seen others blogging about it! such a cool device!
Coconut flakes!
Without hesitation.
All of the ones above me sound delicious! I would make it a banana split by adding strawberries, pineapple, chocolate syrup, and pecans!
I think banana’s and walnuts go very well together so I’d try walnuts! I’m trying to lose weight so for me I’d have to skip all the sweet stuff like chocolate syrup but I think this machine will help my sweet tooth though! I can have my fix but still be healthy! Thanks for sharing all those good facts about bananas.
Chunky peanut butter would make a delicious pairing.
Melted peanut butter and chocolate fudge!
chocolate chips
Dark chocolate chips!
definitely dark chocolate chips with fresh strawberries and pineapple
I would top my yonanas with fried peanut butter! Yum!
I would add peanut butter (Maybe PB2) and some chocolate syrup!
Pistachios with a drizzle of honey and chocolate.
mix in pumpkin + spice!
I love granola on just about everything! I think that would be my first one to try.
Chocolate covered pretzels crumbles!!!
Agave nectar and hemp seed! Yummy and good for you!
fresh fruit and granola.
eek! this looks so awesome! i would try everything on top. but first bowl would be with shredded coconut. i love the combo of bananas with coconut
I think it would be really good with some strawberries on top
I think my first toppings would be pecans andcaramel sauce
Enjoying that my little grandson is able to eat *ice cream* again thanks to yonanas
great ideal…Thankyou. Grandma CeeCee
sorry the all time favorite topping is blueberries and bananas
I’m thinking I’d love fresh chopped berries on mine!
I’m thinking chocolate chips!!
Coconut, almonds, chocolate chips = almond joy!
I would love to puree some strawberries and drizzle it on top of the bananas.
strawberries and chocolate
A little granola and some mixed berries!
I think I would sprinkle pecans or walnuts on top for a banana bread soft serve! I’ve tried making this with my stick blender and it’s just not happening!
I would love to try it with Oreo cookies. Thanks for the awesome giveaway
Renee
fattybumpkins at yahoo dot com
I would put PEANUT BUTTER on top!!!
Strawberries and whipped cream! Such a great combo!
nuts or peanut butter or maybe splurge and have both