Smoothies

There's nothing like a smoothie to taste delicious while filling up on fruits and other goodness.  Following some recent discoveries, like my Cuisinart immersion blender and some delicious powders to add to my smoothies, I've been on what you could call a smoothie kick. Okay, an obsession. And it doesn't hurt that the immersion blender is equally good at making milkshakes...but that's another story. (Pumpkin pie milkshake? Heck yes! It's healthy and at the bottom of this post.)

My typical smoothie follows a fairly easy recipe:

• Put a banana in the bottom. 
• Add whatever frozen fruit I have in the refrigerator, or, even better, in the freezer. Frozen fruit means I don't have to add ice, which is great, because I don't have any ice in my apartment (remember my red plastic shoes?). 
• Pour on milk or coconut water (fewer calories and tons of potassium). 
• Maybe add some powder (whey protein powder or nutritional supplement powder), maybe add some chia seeds or raw oats, maybe add some yogurt or kefir for extra protein...but not always.  
• And blend until smooth.  Easy, right?

Smoothies are also my favorite way to sneak in fruits I may have let ripen a bit too much.  Smushy kiwis, slightly bruised peaches, leftover papaya...  I just chop it up and store it in a plastic bag in the freezer.

So give smoothies a whirl (har de har har). They're cheap and easy and delicious. And they have that awesome feature of making you feel like you're doing something good for yourself.

Behold! A typical smoothie -- banana, berries, kiwi, coconut water,
and Amazing Grass Green SuperFood

Tropical Flat Belly Smoothie

Papaya contains an enzyme--papain--that helps digestion

1 banana

Frozen papaya

Frozen cherries, strawberries, or raspberries

Milk or coconut water

Texture bonus: shredded coconut

This, my friends, is a smoothie-making machine!
I make smoothies way more often using this bad boy
than I ever did with my blender. Why? Because it's easy, it makes the smoothie in a cup,
and it is super easy to clean...which my blender is decidedly not.
Plus it's orange. What's not to love?

Chocolate-Berry Smoothie

1 banana

Frozen raspberries and strawberries

Cocoa powder

Yogurt or kefir

Milk or coconut water

For crunch: almonds, walnuts, or cocoa nibs

Trial packets of Amazing Grass' Green SuperFood drink powder.
Packed full of good-for-you things.
Awesomely tasty, especially in a smoothie.

Hold You Over Until Lunch Smoothie
A double dose of protein and some belly-filling fiber helps keep hunger at bay for longer than the average smoothie
1 banana
2 tbsp. peanut butter
Yogurt
Frozen berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, anything goes!)
Milk or coconut water
Oats (uncooked rolled ones, that is)
For crunch: add some nuts

Go big or go home.
The berry flavor (with goji and acai) as well as the
not-pictured chocolate flavor are my favorites.
Chocolate is hanging out in the refrigerator,
where he's supposed to be after opening.
We visit 2-3 times a week. Don't worry, he's not lonely.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Shake

1/4 to 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not the pre-mixed pie filling)

Vanilla or pumpkin or cinnamon ice cream or frozen yogurt

Milk

A few shakes each of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg

Graham crackers (either whole crackers loosely crumbled or crumbs)

Whipped cream

Blend everything except the graham crackers and whipped cream until smooth.  Add the graham crackers and whipped cream, blend very, very briefly (about 3-4 quick pulses).  Enjoy!

Friday Cheer! German Beer Tasting

A local party supply store, which has the largest selection of wines, spirits, and beers I've ever seen, began their annual Thursday night series called Burgers and Beers. You sample several beers and enjoy a gourmet burger centered around a theme.  Last night's theme was German Invasion, so we sampled 7 different German-style beers and devoured burgers with saurkraut, a potato pancake, thousand island dressing, and Swiss cheese.  It was sheer genius to put a crispy potato pancake on a burger - crunchy, starchy, meaty - perfect with some beers!

I went with my roommate and we relaxed in the sunshine on the patio, listening to live music and sipping our brews.  A tray of raw milk cheddar continued to stop by our table, so I had to have a cube. Or three. Don't judge!

Here are the brews we tasted, along with our opinions:

1. Steigel Raddler -  light, detectable but not overpowering grapefruit flavor, refreshing.  Best beer of the night! 

2. Warsteiner Lager - Kayleigh put it best; it's a classy Keystone Light. Very light lager and an odd malty aftertaste. 

3. Weihenstephaner Heffe - hefewizen from the oldest brewery in Germany. Deliciously balanced, but I am partial to heffe's.

4. Great Lakes Doppelrock - malty, caramely, balanced, but not heavy. I've loved this before and loved it again.

5. Rivertown Bock - mildly malty and not heavy. Not my favorite bock, but not too shabby. I'd choose other brews from 

Rivertown over this one, though.

6. Avery Schwarzbier -  dark, rich, very malty and noteably hoppy. 

Tasty enough that I'd go back for seconds.

7. Ayinger Celebrator -   also dark and rich, full of malt and chocolate

flavors, but less noticeable hop. Balanced. Loved the goat charm on 

the bottle. We named him Steve. 

There was also a raffle with the chance to win free beer. Obviously we entered it, a ticket for each of us. Before Kayleigh even finished saying "I never win anything", her ticket number was called. She chose a 64oz growler of the Steigl Raddler, our favorite beer of the night. Awesome!  

So the growler of Stiegl Raddler had a friend in the fridge, I also purchased a growler of Bloody Show, a pilsner with blood orange produced by Against the Grain and Mikkeller.  I bought it because the words "blood orange" lured me in. My first taste of the brew proved to be good but not as great as I'd hoped.  It had an indistinct citrus flavor and a very bitter note, which was surprising considering it is a pilsner and not a pale ale.  Maybe my expectations were high because of how awesome the Stiegl Raddler was.  I'll still drink it, no worries!

Against the Grain/Mikkeller's
Bloody Show
A pilsner with blood orange
5.5% ABV

Stiegel's
Grapefruit Raddler
A light beer with grapefruit
2.5% ABV
That's Steve the Goat from the Celebrator bottle
He wanted to come with us

We'll get to work on those growlers.  I hope you have some refreshing Friday cheer in your near future!

Happy Friday!!!

Good Things: A Mini Garden and A Cake

We've finally planted our "garden" at our apartment.  For three years, we've attempted to grow a variety of herbs and veggies.  While my mint comes back like crazy (it took over the pot it currently calls home, surviving the winter and crowding out cilantro and thyme), I always seem to kill any poor basil plant I bring home.  So no basil (yet).  

Last year, my tomato plant only produced 5 tomatoes, all of which were partially rotted before picking.  We're optimistic that this year's tomato plant, started from seed by my roommate's boss, will fare better.  

We switched to bell peppers this year because last year's jalapenos were insanely hot.  Since I'm a spicy food fanatic, that's saying something.  The bacon-apple jalapeno poppers were just too hot to eat...so sad.

Our tiny garden at our tiny apartment.
We're growing thyme, oregano, bell peppers, mint, and tomatoes.

I discovered an amazing powder to add to my smoothies a few months ago, thanks to a few other blogs who were on a smoothie kick.  The company Amazing Grass uses a special process to harvest nutrients from grasses, veggies, and fruits that retains a high amount of nutrients and good-for-you things.  I'll admit I've never ordered a smoothie with grasses or veggies, but I wanted to up the nutritional ante of my smoothies.  So I tried packets of Amazing Grass's Green SuperFood line.  They blended easily, they tasted wonderful, and I actually felt like my smoothie made me feel better -- more energized, more healthy.  Who knew a smoothie could do that?  Now I'm addicted, and, thanks to the incredible local health food store, I was able to purchase two containers for the price of one! 

So far, I've enjoyed a smoothie with a scoop of the Green SuperFood in it 2-3 times a week for the past two weeks and I've noticed an improvement in how I feel and even look.  I'm getting my fruits and veggies and then some from this powder.  I'm definitely addicted.

My absolute favorite smoothie addition.
The chocolate flavor is incredible too!

This week, I tried a recipe from Sassy Radish's blog from Rhubarb Buttermilk Pudding Cake.  With a name like that, how could I not?  I used frozen sliced rhubarb, cooked for a few minutes in lemon juice and sugar and cornstarch.  Layered around a tender buttermilk cake, the rhubarb was the star.  

Best of all?  This cake was so simple to put together.  It took only a few minutes and produced the most delicious snacking cake. I've had it for breakfast, for a pre-dinner snack, and for dessert...and there's still half a cake left. 

I may not have been able to wait long enough to
take a picture before tasting...

Rhubarb and a tender buttermilk cake, all mixed up.

Hot damn, where's the Greek yogurt or ice cream?

Friday Cheer! ~ Limoncello Fizz

For the last 2 weeks, every morning begins with gorgeous golden sunlight streaming through my window and into my room.  Well, it's not so much streaming as stampeding in and through my closed eyelids...but I'll forgive sunshine.  After all, I long for it the rest of the year. So I'm grateful and thrilled it has finally arrived for good.  Hello, Summer!

In honor of summer days, I wanted to make a simple cocktail that felt like summer.  That was a breeze to make, so you could just throw it together and relax on the patio.  Or, in my case, the couch...with at least 2 fans turned toward me at all times.  In case you hadn't picked up on it, my tiny apartment gets quite roasty in the summer.  I like to think of it as acclimating me to heat and humidity.

Though the seltzer dilutes the gorgeous electric yellow
color of limoncello, I promise the lemon taste will still shine through.

Anyway, back to this drink.  I call it the Limoncello Fizz and there are only 2 ingredients! Three, if you count ice.  So get on it!

Limoncello Fizz

3 oz. limoncello liquor
Seltzer water to taste (I added about 6 oz. because I wanted the sweet lemon flavor of the liquor to remain)

Combine ingredients with ice in a glass. Stir and enjoy!

Limoncello is an intense and slightly sweet lemon liquor
from Italy, where it is often served in a small glass
after meals as a digestif.

Notes:
If you don't taste the limoncello, either add more (I'd suggest 1 oz. increments) or add some lemon juice.  Or just drink the limoncello straight, which is quite tasty as well.

Happy Friday!

Maple - Bacon Oatmeal

Inspired by a brief article in a magazine read months ago (sheesh, time, what happened?), I decided on a whim this morning to give a new oatmeal concoction a test spin.  And, oh man, was it good.  It was good because not only was it a change from the typical bowl of oatmeal I've been consuming lately, but it was such a delicious combination of flavors.  I'll most definitely be revisiting this combo soon.

Directions:

• Put one packet of instant oatmeal into a microwave safe bowl (I'm partial to Nature's Path brand)
• Add milk (or soy or coconut milk) and or water to the bowl.  Add the amount you want to get your desired consistency. I like my oats thicker, more like porridge, so I add enough to cover and just a bit extra.
• Add a spoonful of nut butter and stir to dissolve as much as possible
• Microwave according to packet's directions
• After your oats are cooked, stir to mix. Then add in the goodness:  a hefty dose of dark amber maple syrup, a small handful of slivered almonds, a solid pinch of chia seeds and cocoa nibs, and - wait for it! - two to three strips of cooked bacon, torn into smaller pieces.
• Stir again and devour

It's almost Friday. Hang in there!

Friday Cheer! The Baren Pear and The Italian Pear Gimlet

Fridays are always a high point of the week, right?  It means you wrap up work for the week and have two days to yourself.  Maybe you even have something fun scheduled for the weekend!  I've been looking forward to this Friday all week long...but I've been looking forward to Saturday even more.  Because Saturday is Cinco de Mayo AND the Kentucky Derby!  Which poses the question: tequila/margaritas or bourbon/mint juleps?  A dangerous riddle...and I know my limits. I can't handle both those liquors mixing in my stomach.  So I'll have margaritas with my feast of Mexican food and save mint juleps (or perhaps Martha Stewart's blackberry mint julep) for next week.

In honor of the double "holiday", I have two Friday Cheer recipes today.

The Baren Pear
from Barenjager Honey Liqueur
A delicious cocktail with a smooth and sweet taste. A word of warning, though; it didn't have the distinctive liquor taste, meaning it is dangerously drinkable.
 

Finally, the end of my pear vodka!

1 part Barenjager Honey Liquor
1 part pear vodka
3/4 part triple sec
1/2 part lemon juice
10 small mint leaves
1/2 part simple syrup (recipe below)
ice

Their instructions:  Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients to shaker. Shake vigorously for at least 45 seconds; you want to bruise the mint leaves to release their flavor.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with mint leaves and a citrus peel spiral.

I know it's odd, but we don't have real ice cubes in my apartment. Instead we have the plastic water-filled reusable ice cubes that don't seem conducive to shaking.  So I have to get creative sometimes.
My instructions: Put lemon juice and mint leaves in the bottom of a sturdy glass.  Gently bruise the mint leaves to release their oils, using a wooden spoon or a muddler. (Over-crushing the mint releases bitter flavors like chlorophyll into your drink, so stay gentle but firm!)  Add the remaining ingredients and ice (or faux ice cubes), stir, and enjoy!

Muddling mint and lemon in a glass

The Baren Pear, minus some plastic ice cubes

To make simple syrup:
Combine equal parts granulated sugar and water in a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved. Turn off heat. Store your simple syrup in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.  Each time I want to use it, I check to make sure the syrup is still clear (not cloudy or discolored), indicating bacteria or other undesireables aren't growing in it.
If you want to make a flavored simple syrup, simply put an herb (rosemary, mint) or other flavoring (cranberries, fresh ginger slices, pink peppercorns, cardamom, etc) into the saucepan after the sugar dissolves.  Reduce the heat to low and hold there for about 5 minutes.  Turn off the heat and allow the syrup to cool with the flavoring agent in the syrup.  Before storing, remove the flavoring agent with tongs or by pouring through a mesh strainer.



The Italian Pear Gimlet
Inspired by Martini's Modern Italian Restaurant in Columbus, Ohio
This drink was actually an error on my part. I'd seen the descriptions for two different cocktails on Martini's menu...and when I attempted to mix them at home, I mixed up an ingredient. It worked, though I would like to try the original version next time.

Pretend there's some grapefruit juice in there too

1 part pear vodka
1/2 part Aperol liquor
1 part grapefruit juice
1/4 part lime juice
seltzer water or club soda to taste


Combine pear vodka, Aperol, and lime juice in either a shaker or glass and mix well.  Pour into a glass filled with ice and add seltzer water or club soda to taste.
*The original recipe from Martini's used grapefruit-flavored vodka instead of pear vodka, which I haven't tried but imagine it would be very tasty.

Wait for it...

Plastic ice cubes!

Have a wonderful weekend! Enjoy the dual holiday! I know I will!

List Love: New(ish) Things

I may or may not shop a bit too much. Here are some of my more recent purchases that I absolutely love:

1)  Cuisinart Immersion Blender in Tangerine
It was on clearance, and I'd wanted one for awhile.  Since it was still wintry soup making season, I went for it.  It's first task was to make the most luscious gravy (a la Nigella Lawson) from caramelized onions, sherry, and reduced beef broth.  While it has pureed some soups, it's used a few times each week for a smoothie in the morning.  My favorite use, though, was to make a pumpkin milkshake--vanilla ice cream, milk, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, and graham cracker crumbs!  Bonus: it's way easier to clean than my clunky blender.

2)  A Lovely Assortment of Bowls from Anthropologie
While I love the boho chic style of Anthropologie, I've never bought any of their clothes (not a style I can pull off and a bit out of my price range).  I have, however, purchased plenty of cookwares. And a macaron cookbook, since I'm determined to master the art of Parisian macaron making!  Using them or even just looking at them on the shelf makes me feel so creative and elegant, which, I realize is an odd juxtaposition. But they do.

3)  Sephora Collection Be You Lip Stain
Orange is one of my favorite colors, so you can guess how excited I was by Sephora's collaboration with Panetone that named tangerine to be the color of the year.  This lip stain goes on like a gloss, but the pH matching pigments in it create the perfect coral color for your individual lips.  Normally, these self-adjusting cosmetics fail miserably...but this one is perfect, at least for me. It's bolder than I would typically wear, but it is such a lovely coral, I can't resist breaking it out this season.

4) Bandha Criss-Cross Sandals from Patagonia
I'm a Patagonia addict...now expanding into their shoe collection.  I took a major risk and wore them for the first time on my trip to Puerto Rico.  They were amazing! I wore them each day and my feet never hurt once. They have support in the sole from a metal shank, so walking around all day was painless (unlike my stylish and comfortable super thin soled sandals that leave my feet and calves screaming).  I already want them in blue...

5)  Annie Chung's Gochujang Sauce 
The new "it" condiment, if foodie sites and magazines are to believed.  After tasting it, I have to agree.  Mixed with ketchup, it's a delightful change from my curry-ketchup combo for sweet potato oven fries.  Added to ground beef (with plenty of other spices), it made delicious burgers. It's savory and slightly spicy, but different from either soy sauce, sambal oelek (Thai chili paste), or sriarcha.

6)  The Sweet Life in Paris by David Leibovitz
I know I'm behind the times, but I read this book for the first time and loved it. Like laugh out loud and make Eric read that sentence loved it.  It's a quick read, but witty and insightful and fun. Plus you get a recipe with each chapter! You know I'll be trying some of those very soon.

7)  Chia Seeds from Nativas Naturals
Another newly popular food item, chia seeds look like a flattened poppy seed.  But they're packed with nutrients, like iron, minerals, and omega 3's.  I add them to smoothies (I like the mild crunch they add in), oatmeal, or muffins and quick breads. I am obsessed with this chia pudding recipe from the blog Running to the Kitchen; the chia seeds swell after absorbing liquid overnight, so that it's like a healthy tapioca pudding. It's made my breakfast rotation at least once a week!  I'm looking forward to trying another recipe for that blog for chia-strawberry power muffins.

8)  Oiselle's Simplicity Tank and Patagonia's Nouli Tank
With my newly discovered passion for spinning classes, I realized I need to wear moisture-wicking clothing if I didn't want to soak through my usual cotton workout t-shirt.  These two tanks are my favorite to wear to spin class--they're incredibly comfortable (and longer than usual sweat-wicking tees!), flattering, sweat-wicking, and make me feel like a rockstar. Since I've been adhering to my cotton tee and soccer or running shorts ensemble for years, wearing a more fitted top made with performance material feels strange...but I admit I'm becoming a fan. I wouldn't be surprised if those white cotton tee's made their way to the back of the dresser drawer.

Patagonia Nouli Tank

Oiselle Simplicity Tank

9)  Saucony Triumph
Sticking with the exercise theme, these are my new shoes.  There's nothing like new shoes to reignite my desire to workout.  The sole is updated from the previous Triumph (incarnation number ?) and feels a bit different, but it's still the shoe for me.

10)  Ben and Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt
Uh, genius! Why didn't we do this before?  It's two things I adore--Greek yogurt and ice cream!  I've only tried the strawberry shortcake flavor (strawberry Greek fro-yo with shortcake pieces and strawberry chunks) so far, but don't worry, I'll be sure to check out all the other flavors in no time.