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RA, from your post I gather you eat dairy, but you might like this anyway.I had a friend who was vegan, and she used to make blended shakes with Mocha Mix (non-dairy milk substitute) and fruit, and they were delicious!
I love kiwis, but I hate peeling them. So messy!
I didn't even bother peeling them, Shel...I just cut them up and threw them in the blender:)
Really? With the hair on them and everything?
I just cut kiwis in half and scoop out the fruit with a spoon. Michelle: do you really peel them?I'm hoping RA didn't put the hairy part in the blender :/
Val, I really do peel them. I am an idiot.: (
I'm sure that professionals probably peel them, too - they probably look much nicer when they're sliced afterwards than when you just go at 'em with a spoon :)
Yes, but I'm not making presentations with my kiwis. I'm just scarfing them up.:)
Oh well. Live and learn.
I just read that some people eat the hairy kiwi skin. Huh. I'm not one of them, but I'm thinking about trying it the next time I have one.
Me too. What kind of yogurt was it, RA? I might try kiwi hair in a smoothie first.Speaking of kiwi...one of my favorite short stories is called "Terrific Mother" by Lorrie Moore. The main character has a conversation with a poet during which he mentions another poet who wrote a line that referenced "the hairy kiwi of his balls." I can't look at a kiwi without thinking of that.
I do put the hairy part in the blender! Is that gross? Isn't peeling them a pain in the ass? Eek. I'm going to try not to think of that story.Um, I think it was one peach and one blueberry yogurt this afternoon.
I made smoothies for my kids after dinner. I put ice, strawberry yogurt, and strawberries in the blender. They liked them. Yay!
My old neighbor used to put spinach in her smoothies because she didn't feed her children meat. With all the fruit mixed in, they didn't complain about the taste.
Yeah, Dharma said I should put in cucumber...I don't know...
My mom used to make us milkshakes, and then throw a RAW EGG in there. We (us kids) were so dumb that we didn't even care, we were just so excited to get our hands on them. That is, until you'd be slurping it up through a straw, and this gooey, boogery thing would slither up there.GACK! To this day I can't even think of it without getting the heebie-jeebies!
I'm gagging now just thinking about it!
I'm sorry, RA. I will eventually post a smoothie recipe here. We were pretty into them for a while, but most of them were off the hip... we used these juices that came in a box, and for the life of me I can't remember the brand right now, but you could get papaya or guava juice, and then we didn't even add yogurt, just fruit - mostly blueberries, strawberries and bananas. One thing we did figure out was that you can get a frozen bag of a more exotic fruit (like mangoes) and use it straight from the freezer instead of ice.I do have a book of smoothies that had some good ones in it, but I never really made them too often, because they were too time-consuming. That's why we ended up making them up.
Yes, Val, I'm doing the "off the hip" thing, too...it's working pretty well. I'm torn on the "ice or no ice" thing, though. The ice allows you to make more...I guess that's a good thing. I'll try the juice/fruit one next. Good tip. They're both healthy in different ways, right?
Absolutely. You're inspiring me to get out my blender tomorrow morning! I have yogurt, too, so maybe I'll try it your way (juice + yogurt + fruit?).*Edit: + ice?
Yes, Valerie, yogurt...fruit...ice. No juice. My five year old wanted me to try it that way and it turned out well. I'll try juice tomorrow, too:) Thanks for the tip.
These smoothie recipes are from a book that I just read (and reviewed in the "Cookbook Review" section) called Eat This Not That! for Kids: Raise a Lean, Health, Happy Child!.I liked them because they were simple, and didn't have any added sugars. The titles and summaries are taken directly from the book, and each smoothie has between 200 and 300 calories.
The Brain Booster
Blueberries and raspberries are both loaded with antioxidants that help protect the brain from free-radical damage, which can improve cognitive processing. The berries here aren't just super food for your brain; they also offer an important cancer-fighting bonus.
1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c fresh or frozen raspberries
3/4 c pineapple orange juice
1/2 c low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 c ice (about six cubes)
The Metabolism Charger
This smoothie employs the help of protein-packed yogurt and green tea, which contains antioxidants called catechins that are known to boos t metabolism.
1/2 c brewed green tea, cooled to room temperature
1/2 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 c mango
1/2 Tbsp honey
1 c ice (about six cubes)
The Immunizer
Beyond the vision-protecting capacity of beta-carotene, found abundantly in fruits and vegetables, researchers also believe the powerful carotenoid is vital for fortifying the immune system, which means this beta blast could be the first line of defense against sickness.
1 apricot, sliced and pitted
1/2 c papaya, frozen in chunks
1/2 c mango, frozen in chunks
1/2 c carrots
1 Tbsp honey
1 c ice (about six cubes)
The Smooth Operator
The yogurt aids digestion, while the mango and juice boost immune response.
1/4 c pitted cherries
1/2 c mango
1/2 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1/2 c pineapple orange juice
1 c ice (about six cubes)
The Sandman
Melatonin is nature's Ambien, bestowing on even the most restless rug rat a set of heavy eyelids. Cherries, bananas, and grapes are all great sources of this sleep-inducer, and they make for a healthy encore to dinner.
1/4 c pitted cherries
1/2 banana
1/2 c grape juice
1/2 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 c ice cubes (about six cubes)
The Mood Maker
This one's an all-fruit smoothie, packed with carbs to boost serotonin levels. Add a handful of flax-seeds for an extra dose of mood-boosting omega-3 fatty acids.
1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 c fresh or frozen mango
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 c nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 c ice (about six cubes)
1 Tbsp ground flax seeds (optional)
I often make fruit smoothies, but almost everyday I make my own Mocha Latte (weening myself off Starbuck's.) I use a mocha powder from Hills Bros., throw in 2-3 frozen black cherries and a good dash of cinnamon, then milk. I know it sounds weird, but the cherries really give it a richer flavor and hopefully some nutrition. Anyway, it's good.
I was just reading somewhere that cinnamon lowers LDL cholesterol... I'm thinking about Michelle's post (#12) and wondering if I could get some spinach in my kid that way. I'm also wondering if it would turn our pretty strawberry smoothies (+ green spinach) brown.
:)
Great about cinnamon, as I've recently started putting it in everything I can. Never cared much about it before but now I really like it.
I like to put frozen banana in my smoothies. I never try making it with yogurt, but with milk it's just so tasty and creamy.I usually peel the bananas and individually wrap them in aluminum foil and freeze them. Whenever I feel like making smoothies, I just take one and throw it in the blender.
Thick chocolate milk + frozen banana
Frozen strawberry + milk + frozen banana
Eh... I guess my recipe is more of a milkshake than a smoothie huh? For some reason I confuse the two.
Any smoothie tips/ideas, people? I'm a convert.