Sunbutter Smoothie

I dislike peanut butter! I like peanuts, but peanut butter isn't something I enjoy. Especially sweetened peanut butter and WHY would anyone ruin chocolate by adding peanut butter into the mix?!  Of course with my smoothie blog, people ask me if I make a PB smoothie. No. Yuck. So today I created my version that uses Sunbutter (made from sunflower seed). I like sunbutter, I will use that in a PBJ over peanut butter.  If you happen to be a person that like PB, you can put that in place of the sunbutter.

Sunbutter smoothie
3 T sunbutter
1 large banana
2 T hemp seed
1 T wheat germ
1 T Flax seed
2 c almond milk
 1/2 c greek yogurt

Dragonfruit Smoothie

I came across something interesting in the grocery store the other day, a Dragon-fruit! Definitely not ND grown! It got my interest though. I have never tried one before and I thought it might be interesting to add to a smoothie. I also picked up 1/2 a papaya.  As usual I am behind on my smoothie posts and have 3 to share with you.

Basic Dragon-fruit

1/2 Dragon-fruit

1 banana

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

blend with a splash of almond milk. 

 I didn't make this the normal 4 cups because my husband had already eaten. This particular smoothie was very creamy.

 Tropical Dreams

1/2 papaya

1 banana

1/2 cup frozen mango chunks

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup almond milk

water to make 4 cups

Suprisingly, both my husband and I didn't care for this as much as we thought we would.

Island Dragon-fruit  

1/2 Dragon-fruit

1 banana

1 c coconut milk (the stuff from a can)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1/2 c Greek Yogurt

1 cup almond milk

water to make 4 cups 

Very yummy. Creamy and tropical and makes me wish I could be on a beach.

I have to say the experience with Dragon-fruit was a good one, however I don't think I will be having too many of these smoothies.  It cost $6.50 / lb for the fruit here. I paid about $5 for the 1 I bought.  Fun trial, not practical!

Stawberry Sunrise

Yum! Today was a great smoothie! 

Strawberry Sunrise

2.5 cups Pineapple Orange Juice

handful frozen strawberries

1 cube ginger 

1 T goji berries

5 dried apricots (heat up in 1/2 cup oj to soften)

1 T bee pollen

1/2 C greek yogurt

2 T hemp seed

2 T raw oatmeal

Almond milk to make 4 cups

Blend and enjoy this smoothie. 

I need to make note of my 1 cube of ginger.  I purchase a ginger root from the grocery store. At home I peel it, blend in with a bit of water and freeze it in an ice cube tray. Pop them out of the tray and store them in a zip bag. The keep for a long time and are handy to have to throw in smoothies, curries, or anything else that calls for fresh ginger.  

Back to Blended

I can have bananas in the house again, the fruit flies are gone. The weather changed (6 inches of snow yesterday!) and the flies are dead.  I have started to blend again.  I missed my daily smoothie. In replacement I found myself back at my old breakfast, tea and some type of bread / pastry/ doughnut etc.  I am behind on a couple smoothies so I have 3 to post today.
The first smoothie I made was basic:

Green Blueberry Smoothie

1 banana

handful of mixed greens

1 T wheat germ

1 T ground flax seed

2 T hemp seed

1 cup frozen blueberries 

almond milk to make 4 cups

The second smoothie is:

 Carrot Mango Ginger Smoothie

1 banana

handful of greens

4 cubes of frozen pureed carrot (I made this for baby food and threw it in on a whim, now I will need to make more!)

1 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup Honey Green yogurt

3 shakes of powdered ginger

3 shakes cinnamon

1 cup water

Almond milk to make 4 cups

This was a really yummy smoothie. I will definitely be making this again! Probably add some of my grains next time.

Today's Smoothie is:

Green Apple Crisp Smoothie

1 banana

handful of greens

3/4 cup applesauce

2 T honey

1 T wheat germ

1 T ground flax seed

2 T hemp seed

2 T raw quick oatmeal 

random shake of powdered ginger, cinnamon, all spice, cloves (heavier on the ginger and cinnamon)

1 cup water

almond milk to make 4 cups

If you noticed I am adding water, I am trying to cut back on calories (and cost) of the almond milk. I keep adding some almond milk to get the calcium.

Food Geek

Some people get excited when a new I phone come out. I don't have an I phone.  I am okay with the "old" technology. It works fine for me. However, I can get really excited when I get new kitchen tools.
I recently hosted a Pampered Chef party.  I really like that stuff. The quality is high and they have a great selection of items.  I don't think every item is something that I would want, or use. But, the items I have I use a lot and I really am please with the performance.  So, because I hosted a party, I earned a bunch of free stuff! It came in the mail today! My new stainless steel bowls are waiting for a cake or whip cream to be mixed up. The batter bowl will be tested on Sunday with pancake batter.  The rubber scrapers (which don't stain and then smell like salsa!) will scrape down the sides of the bowls and my children's little pink tongues will lick the scrapings.  Plus I finally found the Bamboo spoons that I love for making soup. Now that fall is here, we have soup every Friday night. 
Yeah, I am a Food Geek.  I love to cook and bake and eat.  I can get excited when I use a new bowl and spoon.  But this Foodie is okay with that. Tomorrow I am going to get my cooking on. What are you doing?

Flies

Fruit Flies of invaded my kitchen. I could supply a lab with enough Drosophila melanogaster to do several counts on wings and color of the little pests. I have cleaned and scrubbed and moved things looking for what they are feeding off of. For the last week I have had no food sitting on the counter. That means bananas. Therefore, I have not been having my smoothie of the day. I like the creaminess that a banana offers and I don't like them frozen in my smoothie. Yes, I am picky about my bananas. In case you were wondering, I also don't like them under-ripe or over-ripe.  There is a limited optimal window of banana to smoothie use.

I think I have the fruit flies under control now. I have a dish wrapped in plastic wrap, in the dish is a  small piece of tomato sitting in balsamic vinegar. I poked a few holes in the plastic wrap. The flies go in, but don't come out! When the weather turns chillier (it isn't that far away) I will bring the bananas back onto the counter and SOTD will continue.

Canning makes me think of my mom

Life has been VERY busy lately.  Not only is school back in session, the garden is still producing volumes of food that needs to be set aside for winter consumption.  I have been canning peaches, pears, salsa, spaghetti sauce, syrups, pickles and applesauce. Also freezing various foods.  Add in meetings and general household / child related things and I feel like I never sit down! Don't forget the 3 children, one in school, one starting preschool and one ALMOST walking! Don't get me wrong, I get a great feeling of satisfaction seeing all the food I have ready for winter consumption. 

I have been thinking about my mom a lot lately. I know how to can and preserve food because she "made" me do the work with her (to a teenager it was making me do it, not always seeing the benefit).  I miss my mom right now. I want to call her and tell her all that I am doing. I know she would be proud. I wish that she was down here canning and doing child care right a long beside me. Then I think, is she was still alive she wouldn't be down here with me, she would be busy at her own house doing the same thing!   On days when I feel tired and don't really want to can another item, I think, I only have 1 box of peaches to can, my mom canned 6 (!) boxes of peaches. If she could do it, so can I!  I don't feel the need to be my mother, but it gives me strength for the days when I am exhausted to think about her and what she accomplished. 

I often think about the Proverbs 31 woman when I think of my mom. We used that set of verses at her funeral.  So industrious! I miss her, and wish I could tell her thank you for the wisdom and skills she taught me. At the time I NEVER thought I would want to use them. Now I am very grateful for the things she made me do. I look forward to heaven when I will be with her again and we can sit down and visit about all the things I am missing with her now. Come quickly Lord Jesus!