Smooth Move

Recently, Becka has inspired me to bring back an old favorite of mine, the smoothie. One of my first (edible) concoctions as a child consisted of Orange Juice Concentrate, Ice, Milk, and a touch of water blended until smooth. It was my attempt at the coveted Orange Julius which was only to be found at the mall; and in retrospect, was far better than the actual product. As my smoothie making skills developed, I began to learn about tropical fruits, berries, and yogurt. I was always skeptical about yogurt because I couldn't stomach the smell, but after I tasted it in a smoothie I was hooked. I also began to omit ice, substituting frozen berries, but occasionally I'll use a bit of ice to stretch a smoothie on a hot day. Becka has also taught me to add a dose of peanut butter for extra protein in breakfast smoothies; it's a nice touch.

Smoothies are generally pretty fool proof, but as I have been consuming them on a daily basis (sometimes twice a day), I have been weighing my ingredients to ensure portion control - it's a chef thing. Also, my real blender has been out of commission for a while, so I've been using an immersion blender which is adequate, but not as nice as the real deal. It is, however, easier to clean which I am a fan of.

For my breakfast "energy" smoothie:

First, the blender jar goes on the scale and gets zeroed out. The following ingredients are added by weight and in order:

1 oz water
2 - 250mg capsules of Guarana, discard the capsules (or 1 - 200mg caffeine tablet, crushed)
1 - 600mg capsule of Panax Ginseng Rush, discard the capsule
- swirl the powder into the water to hydrate

1 ripe banana, about 3.5 - 5 oz
3 oz strawberries, frozen - or substitute fruit
3 oz pineapple, fresh - or substitute fruit
3.5 oz yogurt, plain lowfat. NOT non-fat!
2 oz peanut butter - optional

Blend well, and add water or milk to thin to the desired consistancy. You can add sugar or honey if necessary, but I never need to. This recipe will yield about 20 fluid ounces of smoothie and contains 180 mg of caffeine, unless you opt for the 200mg pure caffeine tablet.

For my afterwork smoothie (as pictured above):

Same methodology as before:

1 ripe banana, about 3.5 - 5 oz
5 oz strawberries, frozen - or substitute fruit
5 oz pineapple, fresh - or substitute fruit
4 oz yogurt, plain lowfat. NOT non-fat!
2 oz peanut butter - optional
A splash of white wine to thin. And by "a splash", I mean at least a glass (5-6oz).

I used Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, but a sweet white wine would be acceptable if you're into that sort of thing. Failing that, tequila works nicely - just make sure it's "100% de agave." And you might not want to use 5-6oz, unless you do - then go for it! This recipe yields about 24 fluid ounces of smoothie.

Cheers!