Cool Honey Mint Smoothie

ABOUT FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, I read a book called The Four Agreements. In the book, the author, Don Miguel Ruiz discusses the Toltec concept of mitote (me-toe-tay).  Mitote refers to a cacophony of voices in your head which are all talking but none of them seem to be listening.

My husband has always called it "too many things to think about all at the same time".

I mention it because this is where I have been for a few weeks. Some people thrive on constant busy-ness, others take pride in their ability to multi-task. Not I. It really disturbs my peace and happiness to pay constant partial attention to many undertakings and future duties at once. I prefer to be more mindful, to live in a state of balance, and to enjoy my life.

Would you like to slow down, relax, and savor a fresh, cooling, and healthful smoothie with me?

Cool Honey Mint Smoothie
3 cups chopped honeydew melon
1 cup peeled, seeded, and chopped cucumber
1/2 ripe avocado
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. honey
1 cup plain yogurt
Coconut water

Place melon, cucumber, avocado, fresh mint, lime juice, honey and yogurt in blender. Process, using  as much coconut water as needed to blend to desired consistency.

Garnish with cucumber slices and mint springs.

Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Smoothie

I AM STILL ENJOYING A SMOOTHIE (almost) every day. I say almost because things do come up. Last weekend, we had an out-of-town family get together. Four of us girls shared a hotel suite and had a blast! I was outnumbered on the temperature control; I like to be very warm but the other three said, "no way".

I knew this beforehand so I packed extra warm PJ's for hanging around the room. And I refrained from packing my blender though I did think about it. The hotel had breakfast so we ate there. I'm not used to eating breakfast at all, but I did enjoy slipping on my sweat yoga pants and riding the elevator down to a choice of bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, biscuits and gravy, waffles, pastries, grits, oatmeal, fresh fruit, yogurt, and ice cold orange juice.

Somehow, I became the designated waffle maker.  I thought about Mama telling me of a trip she was on with Daddy. While she was checking out the hotel's breakfast line-up, a man walked up beside her, one she thought was her husband, and she asked, "Do you want me to make you a waffle?" The man replied, "Well, sure." Mama was very embarrassed when she realized the man was a stranger, fortunately a good humored one.

Avocados have become one of my favorite smoothie ingredients. Not only are they full of good nutrition, they blend up so smooth and creamy, taste delicious, and keep me satisfied for hours.  Almost every smoothie I make has a banana because they add just the right amount of sweetness. A juicy pink grapefruit makes this one just perfect.

Pink Grapefruit and Avocado Smoothie
1 ripe avocado
1 pink grapefruit
1  ripe banana
1/2 cup yogurt
Milk, coconut water, or juice as needed or desired for consistency
1 serving protein powder (optional)

Peel and roughly chop avocado and put into blender. Add one peeled banana. Peel grapefruit including the white pith. Holding the peeled grapefruit over the blender to catch juices, cut sections away from the membrane using a sharp paring knife and let them drop into the blender. Squeeze the grapefruit to catch all the juice. Add the yogurt and protein powder if using. Add liquid of choice and blend to desired consistency.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Cream Cheese Glaze, Raspberry Smoothies & Raspberry-Smoothie Pops

 The family princess turned 4 years old. I asked her to help me make a cake and did she want a big cake or cupcakes. The answer was a resounding, "CUPCAKES"! I knew she wanted chocolate (is there any other flavor) but I asked if she wanted chocolate frosting or pink. The answer was pink.

She was very helpful in making the little cakes and also made it so much fun. I measured, she sifted and poured. She cracked the eggs and turned the mixer off and on. She placed the muffin papers in the pans and helped pour the batter.

Later, she decorated them all by herself! Aren't they pretty?

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp. softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Beat well.

Fill the muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake for 15 - 17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

I decided on using the same cream cheese frosting I had recently used for another cake because Princess liked it very much.  However, this time I used raspberry puree in the place of milk in the recipe to flavor it and also to tint it pink. (I don't use commercial food colorings).

To remove the seeds from the raspberries, place them in the blender with a very small amount of water. Process into a puree and then press through a fine mesh strainer.

With the extra raspberry puree, we made delicious Raspberry Smoothies.

 

 

And with some intentionally leftover smoothie, we made Smoothie-Pops!

 



 

 

 

Cherry Mango Smoothie

Cherries and mango are a dynamic duo in this delicious smoothie.

Cherry Mango Smoothie
1 cup fresh cherries, washed and pitted
1 mango, sliced
1 banana
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup apricot nectar

Process in blender and enjoy.

Ginger Peach Smoothie

I am still drinking a smoothie every day. If you have not started on your smoothie regimen, now is the perfect time to begin, with all the luscious, juicy, colorful, healthful, ripe summer fruits flooding the markets at amazing prices. Also, if you get carried away, like I often do, and buy too much fruit at once, smoothies are a fantastic way to use overly ripe fruit.

Your smoothie can be a light and refreshing summer meal as long as you add a source of protein, such as yogurt, cottage cheese, any kind of milk, and/or protein powder.

I have used a generous amount of  fresh ginger in this smoothie because I love ginger, especially with peaches. I love its health-giving qualities, its taste, and I love the heat, especially combined with cooling ingredients. After drinking this smoothie, my tummy felt warm and my lips felt tingly. Yet, it didn't make me feel hot or sweaty like some hot spices can. It was a lovely feeling.

Ginger Peach Smoothie
1 peach, washed and cut into chunks
1 banana
1 heaping teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 cup yogurt
1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 serving protein powder (optional)
A few ice cubes (if desired)

Add all ingredients to an ordinary blender and whirl away, stirring once or twice if necessary.

Banana, Tahini & Kefir Smoothie with Cocoa Nibs

This is not a sweet smoothie. The banana is sweet but nothing else. The taste is very pleasantly nutty and tangy with a texture I can only describe as gritty from the cocoa nibs. The grittiness is not like biting into a grain of sand in salad greens which haven't been properly cleaned. Horrors! No, this crunchiness is more like biting into coarse sugar sprinkled on top of a muffin.

There is plenty of good nutrition here; protein, B vitamins, minerals, as well as more antioxidants than green tea, plus probiotics.

Banana, Tahini & Kefir Smoothie with Cocoa Nibs
1 banana
1 - 2 Tbsp. tahini
1 cup unflavored kefir (or yogurt)
2 T. cocoa nibs
1 serving protein powder (optional)
Milk (soy, almond, coconut, cow)

Place banana, tahini, kefir, cocoa nibs and protein powder into blender. Process, using enough milk to achieve desired consistency.

Drink and chew at the same time. Fun!

Strawberry Smoothie

 

 

I had a lovely Mother's Day yesterday. Did you? I had brunch at The Cantina, a restaurant in Biltmore Village in Asheville, North Carolina, with Alice, Nina Linda, and Pritchard Parker, of course. Alice gave me cards and flowers.  Afterwards, "the girls" came over to visit for the afternoon while Pritchard Parker went to visit his Mother. Later, I called and talked to my Mother, who lives in Alabama.  Here is a post I wrote about her last year in case you missed it.

 

I started the day with a strawberry smoothie. Shown is my Grandmother's table cloth, so naturally I thought of her too.

 

Strawberry Smoothie

1 cup fresh strawberries, rinsed and halved

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 cup milk (soy, almond, cow, or other)

1 serving protein powder, optional

 

Place all ingredients in blender. You can freeze the strawberries if you want your smoothie thick and icy, or you can add a little ice. I don't. Process until smooth and creamy.



 

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

This smoothie seemed a little decadent, but no worries. It is plenty healthful.

I have used silken tofu here, not the firm, curdy type you are probably thinking of. Silken tofu usually comes in an aseptic package on a grocery aisle rather than in the produce department. Silken tofu has a smooth, creamy, custard-like texture and a very mild flavor. I promise that with the other stronger flavors, you would never, ever guess there was tofu present. But you would enjoy the health benefits of the soy bean along with a truly smooth creaminess.  And it actually does taste like a liquid peanut butter cup. Yum.

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie
(A Deborah Madison Recipe)
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1 banana
2 Tbsp. dark chocolate syrup
1-2 tsp. instant espresso powder

Puree all ingredients in blender until smooth, scraping down the sides once or twice.

~I just noticed that the recipe says  to serve in small glasses--4 servings. Oops. I already drank the whole thing.~

Pink Smoothie

One of the ingredients I add to a lot of my smoothies is freshly grated ginger. I include it for its health giving qualities, great taste, and because it is very warming. 

Pink Smoothie
1 ripe mango
1/2 cup strawberries
Juice from 1 red grapefruit
1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 serving protein powder, optional

Place all ingredients in blender and buzz until smooth and creamy. Use a little milk (cow, soy, rice, almond, coconut) to thin out a little if needed.

Avocado Smoothie

So far, this has been my favorite smoothie. It was so creamy and delicious and I never imagined it would taste so good, based on the ingredients.

Avocado Smoothie
1 ripe avocado
1 banana
Fresh orange juice, squeezed from 3 oranges
1 cup almond milk, or other milk, or yogurt
2 Tbsp. honey, optional
1 serving protein powder, optional

Blend together until smooth and creamy.

Blueberry Strawberry Smoothie

I loved the pretty orchid color of this smoothie. Nothing really innovative here, but the taste is terrific.

Blueberry Strawberry Smoothie
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1 banana
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup yogurt
1 serving protein powder, optional

Blend all in electric blender until smooth and creamy.

Sweet Potato Smoothie

I have been drinking a smoothie everyday. The more of them I make, the more ideas I get about what will work and taste great while providing much needed healing power for my body.

One thing I add to almost every smoothie is protein powder, which has become very popular and is sold in almost every store. The popularity and variety of protein powders is due largely to body builders. My nutritional needs are obviously different than those of a 27 year old male body builder so I did my homework.

You may not want or need a protein powder supplement. I know, from blood tests, that my protein is low and that is why I am using it. But there are other reasons to add protein to your diet. Protein provides energy, promotes muscle function, optimizes healthy skin, boosts the immune system providing defense against infections, and helps regulate metabolism. 

There are also other things to add to smoothies which provide protein--peanut butter and other nut butters, cottage cheese, yogurt, milk, tofu to name a few.

I also want to mention the differing quality and pricing of protein powders. Some contain fillers and ingredients I don't want to consume. Some are very expensive. Some taste bad. It has been my experience that you don't have to commit to one of those big jars without trying it first. Every powder I have wanted to use, provided a free or low cost sample to try out first. 

Oh yeah, and I don't have any fancy smoothie-making equipment with a catchy name. I use my 30 year old blender and it works just fine.

Sweet Potato Smoothie
1 small baked sweet potato
1 peach (frozen is fine)
1 tsp. (to taste) freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup carrot juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 serving protein powder, optional

Buzz in blender, adding more carrot juice, milk (cow, soy, almond, coconut) to desired consistency. Tastes like sweet potato pie.