I could barely choke this down.
3/4 of an orange
4-5 Tbsp. non-fat Greek yogurt
Small handful oats
4-5 chunks of frozen mango
This was really not appealing at all. The yogurt flavor was pretty strong, which as we've already covered, I'm not a fan of. I'm only including yogurt for the health benefits, not the flavor. I'm not sure where I went wrong here, which is what this blog is all about - documenting my efforts so I can tweak things next time.
Questions:
Was I just too heavy-handed with the yogurt on this one?
Are these fruits not bold enough to mask the taste of the yogurt?
Is this combination of fruits just plain not good, even if the yogurt is removed from the equation?
Only more experimentation (science!) will tell the answer....
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Bananananananananananana coffee
The last smoothie I made was a Disgusting Abomination (I'll post about it later), so I wanted to make something I knew I'd like today. My banananananas are about to go bad, so I definitely needed to use them, but that's OK since I like banananananas. And, while adding coffee to the mix doesn't help in my quest of reducing my caffeine intake, gosh darn it, I was craving coffee (which I love the taste and smell of, outside of the caffeine boost). By drinking smoothies instead, I've had at least 3 less cups of coffee this week than I normally would, so I figure a small indulgence in it here doesn't hurt.
2 bananananananas
Small handful coffee beans
Medium handful oats
5-8 ice cubes
Quite tasty. Very thick. As bananas already add alot to texture and thickness, may be better to leave oats out of any smoothie using more than one banana. I think maybe next time I make this I'll try almonds instead of oats.
2 bananananananas
Small handful coffee beans
Medium handful oats
5-8 ice cubes
Quite tasty. Very thick. As bananas already add alot to texture and thickness, may be better to leave oats out of any smoothie using more than one banana. I think maybe next time I make this I'll try almonds instead of oats.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Banananananananananana Apple Smoothie
So, for anyone following along, my smoothie recipes are NOT going to be earth shattering. This blog is not meant to be a repository of smoothie recipes. There are plenty of other places on the internet for that. Again, primarily I just want to document for myself, but for anyone else who ever wanted to try making smoothies too, it could be fun to reference some recipes and tips from someone you know.....
Smoothie #1 was primarily Bananananananana (no, I will never type that correctly, stretching it out is too much fun) and apple.
Ingredients were as follows (amounts are just rough estimates, it's not an exact science):
1 Banananananananana
1 Apple (including skin, but cored)
3-4 Tbsp. non-fat Greek yogurt
Handful of oats
3-4 ice cubes
This smoothie was really quite nice. It had a very pleasant, sweet flavor, and I could not taste the yogurt at all. I do not like the sour taste of yogurt, which is why I went with Greek yogurt - I'd never had it before, but had read that it is less sour than its American counterpart. Not sure at this stage if not tasting the yogurt was a result of using Greek yogurt vs. this specific blend of fruits.
The oats blended quite nicely and didn't really affect the consistency.... I mean I'm sure it added to the thickness, but it's not like there were chunks of oats all through, which I was worried about. Of course, that could be because this Ninja processor is quite good at pulverizing things....... except apples. I did discover that it can't handle a chunk of apple too large because the apple is soft enough (vs., say, ice cubes) that instead of being pulverized, the blades just kept digging into the apple. Much easier to mix once I cut the apple up into smaller pieces.
For those new to smoothies (like me) - yogurt is a good ingredient because - among other things - it is high in protein. The oats are good to add fiber. Packing a smoothie full or protein and fiber is what I am hoping will allow me to kick the caffeine habit.
Smoothie #1 was primarily Bananananananana (no, I will never type that correctly, stretching it out is too much fun) and apple.
Ingredients were as follows (amounts are just rough estimates, it's not an exact science):
1 Banananananananana
1 Apple (including skin, but cored)
3-4 Tbsp. non-fat Greek yogurt
Handful of oats
3-4 ice cubes
This smoothie was really quite nice. It had a very pleasant, sweet flavor, and I could not taste the yogurt at all. I do not like the sour taste of yogurt, which is why I went with Greek yogurt - I'd never had it before, but had read that it is less sour than its American counterpart. Not sure at this stage if not tasting the yogurt was a result of using Greek yogurt vs. this specific blend of fruits.
The oats blended quite nicely and didn't really affect the consistency.... I mean I'm sure it added to the thickness, but it's not like there were chunks of oats all through, which I was worried about. Of course, that could be because this Ninja processor is quite good at pulverizing things....... except apples. I did discover that it can't handle a chunk of apple too large because the apple is soft enough (vs., say, ice cubes) that instead of being pulverized, the blades just kept digging into the apple. Much easier to mix once I cut the apple up into smaller pieces.
For those new to smoothies (like me) - yogurt is a good ingredient because - among other things - it is high in protein. The oats are good to add fiber. Packing a smoothie full or protein and fiber is what I am hoping will allow me to kick the caffeine habit.
Statement of Purpose
We got a Ninja Food Processor for Christmas. The one we got has these cute little individual serving cups. Seeing this, I got all inspired to start making smoothies. It's something I've been wanting to do for awhile now, for 3 reasons.
1.) To be healthier - we all know eating more "real food" and less processed food is good for us. And of course we all know fruits and veggies are healthy for us. I heard a fascinating interview on NPR last fall, wherein some scientist-woman was discussing research that shows 2 smallish servings of fruits and veggies a day can actually TURN OFF a gene that predisposes people to heart disease. I wasn't actually surprised to hear that healthy food could affect gene expression, but I was nonetheless fascinated by it. I couldn't find the original NPR story, but here is another news report which explains it. Importantly, the most benefit was seen from consuming RAW fruits and veggies (which of course, make perfect smoothie fodder!)
2.) To hopefully kick caffeine - I never wanted to be one of "those" people - the ones that HAVE to have their cup of joe to get going in the morning. All through college and vet school I managed to avoid it, but something happened when I turned 30 I guess, and I became one of those people. I am definitely addicted to caffeine, as I get headaches if I go too long without it. I'm not setting out to eliminate caffeine entirely - but I'm a firm believer in moderation.
3.) Smoothies are tasty - anyone been to Robeks? Smoothies are filling and usually quite sweet and tasty - if made right, they can rival any mega-bad-for-you-ice-cream-shake. Instead of being full of empty calories like ice cream concoctions, you can pack them full of protein and fiber and even eat them as a meal......
On this blog I will document my smoothie creations. I'm doing this mostly for myself - an easy and convenient place to lay down my recipes and make notes for myself about what works and what doesn't. I thought I'd make it a blog so that those who care to follow along or share their thoughts can.
1.) To be healthier - we all know eating more "real food" and less processed food is good for us. And of course we all know fruits and veggies are healthy for us. I heard a fascinating interview on NPR last fall, wherein some scientist-woman was discussing research that shows 2 smallish servings of fruits and veggies a day can actually TURN OFF a gene that predisposes people to heart disease. I wasn't actually surprised to hear that healthy food could affect gene expression, but I was nonetheless fascinated by it. I couldn't find the original NPR story, but here is another news report which explains it. Importantly, the most benefit was seen from consuming RAW fruits and veggies (which of course, make perfect smoothie fodder!)
2.) To hopefully kick caffeine - I never wanted to be one of "those" people - the ones that HAVE to have their cup of joe to get going in the morning. All through college and vet school I managed to avoid it, but something happened when I turned 30 I guess, and I became one of those people. I am definitely addicted to caffeine, as I get headaches if I go too long without it. I'm not setting out to eliminate caffeine entirely - but I'm a firm believer in moderation.
3.) Smoothies are tasty - anyone been to Robeks? Smoothies are filling and usually quite sweet and tasty - if made right, they can rival any mega-bad-for-you-ice-cream-shake. Instead of being full of empty calories like ice cream concoctions, you can pack them full of protein and fiber and even eat them as a meal......
On this blog I will document my smoothie creations. I'm doing this mostly for myself - an easy and convenient place to lay down my recipes and make notes for myself about what works and what doesn't. I thought I'd make it a blog so that those who care to follow along or share their thoughts can.
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