I used to love ice cream.

Well, that's not true.

I still love ice cream.

I used to be able to eat ice cream. And then, about a year ago, I received the horrible news that I should no longer consume any dairy products. Goodbye cheese, goodbye yogurt, goodbye milk and most tragically, goodbye ICE CREAM AND MILKSHAKES.

Or so I thought. And then I came across Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy ice cream, and it got me thinking. Milkshakes really aren't that difficult to make, and with a little creativity, I might be able to make a really great-tasting substitute.

(Side Note: I highly recommend Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert. It currently comes in four flavors: Chunky Monkey, Fudge Brownie, P.B. & Cookies and Coffee Caramel fudge--all of which are fabulous. You can't even tell that you're not eating real ice cream.)

Anyway, a few nights ago, I decided to give my recipe a shot. Now, everyone--my boyfriend especially--will tell you that I do not belong in the kitchen, so I knew that I had to keep this recipe simple. In fact, I kept it so simple, that it involves only two store-bought ingredients: Ben and Jerry's Non-Dairy Fudge Brownie Ice Cream and Almond Milk (I prefer Almond Breeze Vanilla Reduced Sugar, but you can substitute any other brand.) I chose Almond Milk (over Soy or Cashew) because the Ben and Jerry's Dairy Free is almond-milk based.

To start, you're going to need 2-4 ice cubes. To fill a 10oz glass with a normal consistency shake (not too thick, not too thin), I used three ice cubes. Next, about two scoops of ice cream. You can add however much you would like for almond milk, but the idea is that there should be equal parts almond milk as ice cream.

Therefore, your shake should be:

2-4 ice cubes

2 parts ice cream

2 parts almond milk

*For a thicker shake, add more ice cream and less milk. For a thinner shake, add less ice cream and more milk.

*If you're feeling adventurous, try adding a banana, a spoonful of peanut butter or even both!

Place in your favorite blender (my preference is a NutriBullet) and blend until smooth. If you're using ice cubes (not crushed ice), this will likely take a minute and a half to two minutes. You'll know the shake is fully-blended when no chunks of ice remain.

Pour into a glass, finish it off with a straw, and get ready to taste the best Dairy-Free milkshake you've ever had. It's so good, you'll forget it's Dairy-Free!