A Slushy in My Kitchen

Okay, I'm probably going to get cocky soon about my new found prowess with the blender... but don't worry, I'll have a catastrophe soon enough that will bring me back to earth.  For now, however, let me share my amazing success with the Watermelon Lime Frosty I just made (although I think it is more like a slushy).

I drank most of the blender before snapping a pic...

Another pretty one!

I found the recipe on Pinterest (of course), but it originally (as far as I know) comes from Daydream Kitchen and here is the link.

The recipe is as follows:

• 3 cups watermelon, should be cubed and frozen
• 1 banana, ripe, peeled and frozen
• 2 tbsps agave or maple syrup
• juice and zest from 2 limes
• 1/2 cup water

I only made 1 minor modification that I think you might want to consider - I used only 1 tablespoon of light agave syrup (60 calories).  That is sweet stuff and there is already sweetness in the watermelon and banana.  Let me just say this is a DELICIOUS summer day treat!  I had just run 8 miles in the most humid morning air, and this slushy was perfection.  I think I will be making this all summer!

Let's talk calories for those of you who keep up. 

Watermelon (I used 1 wedge sliced) - so I'm estimating 90 calories
1 banana - 90 calories
1 tbsp of agave syrup - 60 calories
2 limes - 40 calories

That is a total of 280 calories for the WHOLE blender full - and that is more than an 8 oz glass (and yes, I consumed the whole blender... again...oh dear).

So maybe I need to head back out with Eloise and the stroller later... but it was worth it! Yum! 

My First DELISH Smoothie

This is actually my second smoothie attempt, but this one I REALLY like!  I have to give most of the credit to my friend, Jamie, who sent me her PB&J smoothie recipe.  I modified it a little according to what I had on hand and it turned out delish!  Here is her recipe first followed by mine.

Jamie's PB&J Smoothie
scant cup water
4oz plain 0% greek yogurt
2C frozen strawberries
1 lg banana
2T freshly ground honey roasted peanut butter
five ice cubes
2C fresh spinach leaves

My AB&J Smoothie
 half cup of filtered water
4 oz (ish) of lowfat Chobani vanilla Greek yogurt (I can't abide the plain stuff)
2C frozen raspberries
1 large banana
2T of almond butter (my new love as of today)
five ice cubes
2 handfuls of organic spinach leaves (I went sparingly in case I didn't like it)

Isn't it pretty!

This was/is delicious!  I am still enjoying it at this very moment and even though I thought it made way more than I could/would consume, I am going back to the kitchen to finish the rest right now.  So let's talk calories.  Here is what I estimated and I always err on the side of over estimation so if I'm wrong, I get less calories than what I thought.  

4 oz of yogurt - 90 cals
2 cups of frozen raspberries - 80 cals
1 banana - ~ 90 cals
2 Tbsp of almond butter - 180 cals
2 handfuls of spinach leaves - 10 cals (the whole container was 35 total). 

That is 450 total calories IF you consume the entire blender.  I filled an 8 oz glass FULL and that was not the entire blender.  So that is also something to consider if you are sharing.  I didn't share, but this will be lunch, and I am quite full!  And proud!  My first successful blending experience!  Whoop!

More Pinterest Cooking

Yep, I've been at it again!  Getting recipes off Pinterest and giving them a go with various degrees of success (usually depending on whether I followed directions or not).

I wrote a few days ago about my first smoothie in my new Mother's Day blender.  We are probably going to call that a bust because I wasn't crazy about it and I think I ruined it with grapefruit juice.  It DOES have the potential to be very good if done correctly, I believe.

I also wrote about visiting the strawberry patch and picking strawberries with my baby girl.  Well, we had a HUGE bucket of strawberries so I researched pie recipes and made one.  I was SO excited because I followed ALL the directions and it was HEALTHY (except for the crust).  I got it out of my Better Homes cookbook and it looked so pretty!  Professional, even.  When Jason got home I proudly opened the fridge to show him and he said, "Did you bake the crust?"  ... ... ... No. No I had not baked the crust.  I NEVER make pies and when I do I usually fill my crust with all the good stuff and stick the whole thing in the oven.  This pie never went to the oven so nothing got baked.  We dumped all the filling out, baked the crush and dumped it all back in.  It was delish!

I also tried the cottage cheese and egg scramble. It turned out well (all you do is dump cottage cheese in with your egg and scramble) and at first I wasn't sure but then I decided I really liked it.  The cottage cheese makes it so fluffy and flavorful. Definitely a good breakfast/lunch/post run dish if you like scrambled eggs (which I do).

That's it for now... I think.  I went to our local organic/healthy supermarket today (Earth Fare) and had varying degrees of success with all these strange ingredients for smoothies. I'm going to be honest here. My taste buds are picky, plain Jane, and they are not cultivated for fanciness.  I don't like dark chocolate.  I don't want protein powder or any other powder.  Unless it is chocolate, maybe.  I'm just not your super organic wheat grass, kelp, green smoothie eating type of person, although I really do want to pack some goodness into these things that will help my body heal and withstand the training I want to subject it to.  And I want to learn about all of these super foods for not only me but my running man and my baby girl as well.

I was childless as I browsed the aisles of over-priced strangeness because Mom was home with Eloise.  The prices were insane!  $11.00 for almond butter?!?  $21.00 for flax oil (and who even knows what that is or does or is for)?!?  I skipped those two but I did spend $5.00 on agave syrup and on organic baby puffs (which taste like sawdust, but Eloise likes them) and I bought coconut milk and water... and some apples and limes.  I think that's about it.  Then I went to Kroger and got the rest, seeing all the things I'd bought at Earth Fare for less... Oh well.  Live and learn.  Earth Fare also smells like my grandmother.  I think it is the natural soap.  I will say I love their pizza, PB and J sandwiches and their corn chips. And their large selection of Honest Tea.  Okay, so I like Earth Fare, despite the prices and smelling like my grandmother - who I loved with all my heart despite the fact that she smelled strongly of roses.

In other news, my Mother's Day food processor came in and I've just unpacked it, watched the DVD tutorial, and now it is all in the dishwasher. I'm going to make my own salsa tonight and maybe try a watermelon lime smoothie thing I found... I'll keep you posted.  I never knew I could have so much fun in the kitchen!

My First Smoothie

Well, friends, I used my new blender today for the first time.  I LOVE it!  I used a smoothie recipe I'd pinned on Pinterest and, as usual, made some modifications and did a lot of eyeballing... It turned out okay.  I like it.  I think using grapefruit juice instead of water or pineapple juice might have been a mistake and I can't decide if I like all the pineapple bits... but it isn't bad!  I'm still drinking it, anyway.

The recipe for the Pineapple Ginger Smoothie is:

• 1 and 1/2 cup of diced fresh pineapple (I eyeballed it)
• 1 banana 
• 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt (eyeballed again and I used vanilla Voskos)
• 1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger (I didn't have any)
• 1/2 cup of ice (oops, forgot this one)
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice or water

Here is what I did:

• some diced fresh pineapple
• 1 banana
• 1/2 a single serving container of vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup of grapefruit juice

Not bad, but the grapefruit juice does add a tartness I'm not sure I like in this smoothie.  And if you are not a fan of chunks/pulp this smoothie is not for you.

Tomorrow... another smoothie!  Got any good recipes I should try?