Palm Springs is known for many things, one thing they are known for are their “date shakes” and date ice cream. They use vanilla ice cream and dates as the main ingredients for the shakes. Medjool dates are the sweetest variety (and are the one ones that can be picked and eaten fresh) and as all dates, have been a staple food of the Middle East for thousands of years. They have been cultivated since ancient times possibly as early as 4000 BC! The Ancient Egyptians used them to make wine as well. These wrinkled unfortunate looking fruits are considered a “drupe” because they possess a stone in the center. Dates are high in fiber (for colon health) iron (for blood health) , and contain B vitamins (for a healthy nervous system), potassium (for your heart), Vitamins A (for your eyes) and K (aid in proper clotting of blood) , magnesium (needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body), and manganese (important for skin integrity and blood sugar control) Here is a healthy recipe for a date shake not using vanilla ice cream. This version is healthy AND delicious and can be enjoyed when you want something sweet. TOTALLY DECADENT SUMMER SHAKE • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond or other milk of choice • 4 pitted dates • 1 banana, frozen • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon • 1/ 2 cup ice cubes • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract A sprinkling of fresh nutmeg Blend everything together in high speed blender until smooth and creamy. You can “soak” the dates in the milk for 30 minutes to make them a bit softer.