It's been awhile since I've posted a smoothie recipe. The last time was august, to be specific. I figured it was time for another, especially since I drink them several times a week. The ingredients generally change depending on what's in my pantry and freezer, but this is what I've been making lately. I recently switched to organic hemp protein powder (the high fiber version) and LOVE IT. I used to use a raw, organic and vegan protein powder that was awesome, but since it was unflavored it made things taste a bit chalky. Yuck. Nobody wants that. This hemp protein powder is so great that I can add a few teaspoons to my morning oatmeal. :) In other words, I highly recommend it. You'll have to look at your local natural foods store, though. I doubt they sell it at normal supermarkets. Oh, and in case you're wondering, here's a quick list of health benefits from each ingredient:
After a brief post hiatus, I'm back with a freshly redesigned site and an uber tasty recipe. I might have ushered the changes into effect sooner, but there was lots of mind-changing, re-redesigns and header tweaking. Not to mention multiple days lost scouring the internet wastelands for a simple explanation of how to set up a variable-header/footer website. <face palm> Even with my less than threadbare knowledge of html/css I had high hopes for finding a tutorial written in layman's terms. Next time I will simply ask a knowledgeable person and save myself the trouble. Anyhow, I'd like to briefly thank my boyfriend for designing the header, even though he is still not satisfied with its current state (such is the way of artists). I'd direct you to his art blog, but he hasn't updated it in ages, even though he's constantly working on new stuff. The dude is a creative machine. I most definitely envy that quality!
It's a wee bit chilly and rainy here in Dallas today (about 43 degrees), but that's nothing compared to the the folks in the midwest. Apparently there's a system dubbed "Snowpocalypse" that's due to hit the central United States (specifically my homestate of Kansas) either tonight or tomorrow. The weather forecasters are predicting a 100% chance of snow and anywhere from 6-20 inches. Having lived through many a snow (and ice) storm, I'm slightly jealous! Don't shake your head at me. I like snow. It transforms bitter, gray and shriveled landscapes into pillowy, glittering wonderlands. And snow days? Who doesn't like those? It's an excuse to cozy up with the people you're stuck with (or your warm bed if you're alone), cook up a batch of comfort food (soup, chili, baked goods) and relax. Don't forget to go outside and play in the snow, especially if there are drifts! Having said that, I'd like to share my recipe for potato soup. It takes surprisingly little effort, especially if you microwave the potatoes or have leftover cooked spuds hanging around.
Last summer and fall I noticed a growing trend geared toward protein pancakes. It dipped slightly during the holiday season, then cropped up again on Pinterest mid January. But in the past two weeks I've seen a SURGE of protein pancake photographs on Instagram. Granted, I follow quite a few healthy-minded accounts, but still. Banana + Egg = A Simple Pancake The ingredients looked really simple. Many only used banana and egg. Then I came across one particular image* of two simple protein pancakes slathered in peanut butter and topped with blueberries. This inspired me. Two minutes later I was in the kitchen mashing a banana. Then I remembered stumbling across The Fountain Avenue Kitchen's cottage pancake recipe several weeks back and this inspired me to add in cottage cheese for the first time. What a great idea for bumping up the protein and moisture content of your pancakes!
But I didn't stop there. I'm a big fan of slathering peanut butter on my pancakes or waffles. However, this particular time I tried a new product that intrigued me—powdered peanut butter. Food Fads: Powdered Peanut Butter It's been all the rage for awhile now, especially on the "skinny" blogs, which I normally do not follow because of the abhorrent ingredients they substitute in the name of dieting. What is it? Well, powdered peanut butter is regular old peanut butter with all the oil pressed out. The resulting product has 85% less fat than the original and some people love that. Me? I wasn't concerned with the fat, but mostly curious with how it tasted. So I mixed two tablespoons of the powder with one tablespoon of water to rehydrate it. After a bit of stirring it was the same texture as creamy peanut butter, just not quite as thick. It tasted peanut buttery, but wasn't as rich tasting without the oil. Plus, if you let it sit out for a bit (taking pictures...ahem), it dries out quickly. My Verdict So what did I think of the powdered peanut butter? It's okay.
Personally, I prefer the real stuff. To me, regular peanut butter is more filling and satisfying. Plus, when you strip out the oils from peanut butter, you're removing most of the healthy vitamins that are stored in the fat!
The last time I drank a vanilla porter was about two months ago. As I polished off my second beer, I thought this would make an amazing beer float. It goes down smooth with a hint of sweetness from the vanilla, which would pair perfectly with a creamy vanilla gelato or ice cream. And it'd be even better with a bit of bourbon splashed on top. Boy, was I right. A thousand million billion times right. I should smack myself for waiting this long to make it, but I did so with good reason. I wanted to save it for a Valentine's Day recipe. No matter whether you're single or taken, it's a fact that February 14th is a commercial holiday flooded with chocolate, strawberries, cherries, cream, sugar, perfumes, lingerie, pink and red. Many people feel it's obligatory to eat surf & turf and drink champagne or wine. Beer Floats: Dessert in a Glass For Beer Lovers But what if you don't like those things? What if you'd much rather munch on pizza while drinking beer? Then do it! Enjoy yourself! Spend time with loved ones or simply indulge in a little self-love. That's what Valentine's Day is all about in my book. That said if you like beer, bourbon and subtly sweet things this beer float recipe will take your day from humdrum to blissful satiation akin to what a hobbit feels after consuming breakfast, second breakfast, elevensies, lunch, afternoon tea, supper and dinner.
And before you jump face first into one of these beer floats, can you tell me what literary source inspired this drink's name?
It makes me a little sick to think that one of the most popular store-brand barbecue sauces is Sweet Baby Ray's. Know why? The number one ingredient in that sauce is HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP (HFCS). Seriously. Check the ingredients list on the back of the bottle next time you're at the store. Or maybe you have a bottle in your cupboard or fridge right now. Ingredients are listed in descending order, beginning with what's used most in the recipe (largest amount). Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce's first ingredient is high fructose corn syrup. For a BBQ sauce, you'd expect it to be tomato sauce or ketchup, right? Or even plain ol' sugar, dark brown sugar or molasses. Not this. I get that it's a super sweet sauce, but that doesn't excuse the fact that they are using a super processed and very inexpensive ingredient to cut costs while sweetening their sauces.
I used to be a die hard savory popcorn fan until I discovered how to make a homemade vegan kettle corn a few months ago that's even better than the stuff they sell at the fair. Since then, I've made batches upon batches of kettle corn, eating most of it myself (eek). Eventually, I got tired of the sweet stuff and decided to switch back to my old favorite: cracked black pepper and parmesan. Except this time, I skipped the parmesan, used nutritional yeast instead and didn't go back to my shitty-quality microwave-a-bag-of-popcorn days. In other words, I made it from scratch again. WOW. Nutritional yeast is 1000x more flavorful than cheese. AND guess what? Each serving (1 1/2 tablespoons) of this powerhouse ingredient has only 45 calories, 8 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, plus loads of vitamins. Sound good to you? Does to me!
.jpg "Blueberry, Banana & Rolled Oats Protein Pancakes | www.therisingspoon.com")
