Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie

Every morning is filled with good intentions.  I always start the day out making relatively healthy choices.  Most days the choice is either oatmeal, grain cereal with almond or rice milk, or a one egg (sometimes just egg whites) spinach scramble topped with a bit of goat cheese.  Lately though, I've been trying to incorporate more protein and fiber as I start the day.  Enter ..... the smoothie.

It's always good to have a bag or two of frozen berries, cherries or bananas on hand.  In this case I went with frozen cherries and unsweetened cocoa for a tasty protein shake.  Now if only I could continue with those good intentions throughout the day!

Chocolate Cherry Protein Smoothie

In a blender combine the following:

1 cup coconut milk (almond or rice milk can also be used)

1 scoop (1 heaping Tbsp) protein powder

1/2 cup of frozen pitted cherries

1 tsp unsweetened chocolate powder

1 tsp flax seeds or flax meal

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Blend together and serve!   You can also make it thicker and frostier by crushing several (4-5) ice cubes in the blender before adding main ingredients.  Enjoy!

Italian Mango Mimosa

Yesterday we achieved a personal goal which I can't discuss, that's why it's PERSONAL!  But, I will say it was reason to celebrate.  We chose to celebrate with a newly concocted drink, called an Italian Mango Mimosa.  In my mind anything having to do with Italy or somewhere tropical like Hawaii, is the place to be.  And, if you can't be there, at least you can bring those flavors into your kitchen.

I made some homemade lemon liqueur a while back and I figured it would go perfect in this.  It did!  If you need to celebrate or just whisk your brain into tropical vacation mode, try this.  It's an adult smoothie with a twist!

Italian Mango Mimosa

1 cup orange juice

1/2 large or 1 small mango, peeled and cut from pit

Place in a blender and puree.  Add about 1 cup of ice and chop/blend.  Add 3/4 - 1 cup of limoncello.  Blend and serve.  Simple, simple, simple!  Garnish with fresh mint sprig or umbrella and be prepared to dream!

Italy?

Who's that gorgeous pool boy?

Or Hawaii?

Peach Pie Smoothie

Yes, I admit it.  I am a foodie.  I have files of recipes that I have tried and others "waiting in the wings".   As part of the kitchen remodel, I decided to purge most of the ones I knew I'd never try and really made a dent in them.  But,  my "to do" cooking file is getting bigger by the minute as I wait and wait to be able to bake or cook.  It's kind of a bucket list in the cooking arena, if you will.  I don't have a bunch of cookbooks, surprisingly enough.  I create most of my own recipes.  On the short list is ginger ice cream, cocoa seared scallops,  homemade limoncello, sweet polenta pizza and pumpkin anything!

Until I can have these goodies, I made hubby and I a peach pie smoothie.  With one sip of it, last night,  the cravings were gone.  It's tasted every bit as decadent as a real live peach pie.  Well, maybe that's going a bit far, but it was delicious!

Peach Pie Smoothie

In a blender crush 7-8 ice cubes.  Peel and core 2 ripe peaches (makes 2,  1-cup servings)).  Put them in the blender with the following:

A couple drops of liquid stevia sweetener

a dash of cinnamon

a drizzle of fat free half & half

a drizzle of vanilla

Puree it all for about 10 seconds and voila - peach pie, or something like it.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.  Very nice...

Thick & creamy peach pie smoothie

Quilt-free Orange Smoothie

As with any diet slim down plan, you  will hit a plateau, sooner or later.   I haven't actually hit that point, yet, but I felt as though I had hit a wall, emotionally.  I was feeling a bit deprived as people around me were eating cookies, candy, pizza and ice cream.  Realizing that their eating had virtually nothing to do with my body composition, I forged ahead and made this frosty treat.

Orange Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 cup ice

1 large orange

1 drizzle fat free half and half

1/2 packet Truvia sweetener

1 -2 drops of vanilla flavoring

First crush the ice in a blender then add the rest of the ingredients, and puree.  This is a no-brainer, not considered a recipe but a tip for when you're feeling deprived and need that extra luxury as you drop those pounds!  Just wanted to share that with you...

Mojitos in the Flowered Mist

In my book, you should always take the time to smell the flowers and relax with a mojito!  First you have to have flowers to smell.  Our backyard has not always been a colorful or a  welcome sanctuary for birds, rabbits, butterflies, hummingbirds. (It's declared a no squirrel zone!)  When we built our house we were more focused on furnishings for the inside and  landscaping the massive front yard.  The backyard consisted of a wooden deck, a strip of grass, an atrocious looking propane tank,  alot of mud, dirt and a scattering of daffodils, tulips and iris.  And two very large dogs, at the time! 

The dogs dug holes in the dirt and grass, did their "deed" on the irises.  When the dogs were napping, the resident squirrel family would dig up all the tulips and have a hearty feast.  Shame on me for even buying the tulips in the first place.

Through trial and error and some luck along the way I can finally meander around my backyard and love what I see.  From the first sign of life, crocus in late March to now, the parade of perennials,  I've planted over the years, show me they have grown and know exactly what to do and when. They are extremely loyal in showing up year after year.  Some, like my purple salvia and poppies are very rebellious in nature....my teenagers, if you will.  They scatter themselves where ever they feel fit.  My shy demure roses always need a little prodding and nurturing.  The irises just need cooperation from the fickle May/June snow and the mint shows up and flourishes from "sticks in the ground". 

Cool green mint from sticks in the ground.

I was warned that if you don't contain the mint, it will spread and you'll have it everywhere. I don't think I'll need a machete to work in my garden, in my lifetime.  After all, this is the high desert and growing is not easy!  I welcome that mint problem!  Some day when I'm older and grayer,  I'd like to walk my yard and step on mint beneath my feet and brush up against the lavender bushes that are beginning to spread, also.  I'll be careful not to crush too much of the mint because I'll need a few sprigs now and then for mint juleps and mojitos!

Mojitos for 2

2 - 3 oz dark rum

2 limes, cut into small wedges

24 mint leaves

6 Tbsp sugar

crushed ice

1 can ginger ale or club soda

Take 2 tall glasses and add the cut up lime and mint leaves.  Muddle (or crush alot).  Add the sugar and continue to muddle, then add the rum, ice and ginger ale to the brim.  Garnish with mint.  Super refreshing, but you'll want more than one!  Enjoy and don't forget to smell the flowers!

Sooth a Sore Throat Smoothie

Okay, so this came rushing at me like a freight train and settled in with an elephant sitting on my chest.  Not to mention the scorching sore throat and an endless need for tissue.  You get the picture.  I don't get ill very often, but when I do....I'm no good to the world or myself!

After lying around yesterday (On my 4th nap...my cat is loving me for all the nap time.), I wondered what I could make that would sooth my throat.  Ice cream is always on the top of my list, for any reason or non-occasion.  I don't keep ice cream in my home.  It calls loudly to me from the freezer and I can't resist.  No willpower.   I can do "the mind over matter" stuff to ward off the cravings, but it doesn't work for ice cream!  It's easier just not to buy it.

So, I wandered out of the bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen to see what I could find.  I actually had some key ingredients, added lots of ice, no cream, and came up with this sore throat smoothie....

In a blender add the following:

1 cup honey vanilla Greek yogurt

2 cups cleaned and stemmed strawberries

1 cup chunk pineapple

a drizzle of honey

1 cup rice milk (you can use regular or soy)

1 cup ice

Pulse on the ice crushing mode and blend until mixed.  Pour into 2 tall glasses.  Serves 2.  Give one to your hubby.  He will appreciate the fact that you are showing signs of life again and he won't have to eat tuna fish sandwiches for dinner.  (I don't think that's so bad.)

The Oscars and a Hazeltini

And the Oscar goes to.....none of the above!  Growing up we always anticipated the Oscar presentation.  Being from Southern California, it was a big deal.  Not so for me, anymore...  While I do like to watch a good movie with a great story, it seems the movies of today lack originality or at least an inspirational story.   Is it me, or is there too much violence, blood and guts?  What ever happened to the kind of picture that had a lasting effect on you as you left the movie theater?

The first "grownup" movie I was privileged to see was Around the World in 80 Days.  That was in 1957, I was five, and I'm sure my parents couldn't find a babysitter back then.  The year I was born, An American in Paris won.  When I was 10, West Side Story was all the rage.  My older sister bought the soundtrack and that is all I heard for the next couple of months.  Yes, I can sing all the words to all those songs!  Then the Sound of Music hit the theaters!  I can sing those tunes, also!

Flash forward to the 70's.  Interesting times!  The blockbusters of that era were, Godfather, Godfather II, French Connection, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, Rocky and my favorite, "The Sting".  The movies of the 80's included Out of Africa, Platoon and Rain Man!  Into the 90's we saw some record breaking movies, such as, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump and of course, Titanic.

After the Y2K farce, the epic Lord of the Rings swept the awards.  As the years blended into the next a political theme permeated most new movies.  In my opinion, the blockbusters are all but gone.  Out of all the nominees this year, I have only seen Inception and Social Network.  (Sorry, I'm not a part of the Academy.) I enjoyed them both.  I believe the founder of Facebook was brilliant and whoever wrote the script for Inception has a "Beautiful Mind".  How does one have such imagination to come up with these stories!

In all fairness,  I do like movies, but would rather dive into and get lost in a gook book.  Tonight,  I won't be reading and I'll probably be the only person on the planet not watching the Oscar's.  For me, it's AMAZING RACE time!  Oh yes, and hazeltini time!  So, I will mix a little hazelnut Kahlua with ice and vanilla vodka.  Sounds good to me!    Enjoy the Oscars and let me know how they turn out...

Some of my "all time favorites" include:

Dancing with Wolves
A River Runs Through It
Shawshank Redemption
Dr Zhivago
Life is Beautiful

Watch those, you won't be disappointed!

Dreamsicle Cocktail

After my creme brulee cocktail post  last year I have plenty of Vanilla flavored vodka on the shelf.  Any suggestions on what to bake with it? 

My husband's favorite ice cream bar as he was growing up was what he called a 50-50 bar.  That's the vanilla ice cream on the inside with an orange Popsicle coating.    We called it a dreamsicle.  When the Good Humor man sounded his tunes as his truck rounded the corner I knew I'd either get the "rocket" which was a tall mixture of raspberry and orange sherbet with a cylinder shape  or a thick dark chocolate coated chocolate ice cream bar.  But, then there was the peanut and chocolate coated drumstick cone!  Decisions, decisions!

My decision to create a cocktail with the taste of a dreamsicle was quite easy.  I would probably change a few ingredients or technique but it was fun experimenting.  In a martini glass,  place crushed ice,  a shot of the vanilla vodka,  fill with orange soda almost to the rim and splash with milk or cream.  There you have it.  You can even impress your Superbowl party friends and mix these up instead of beer!

Note:  Next time I may use a blender and orange juice instead of soda.  You can be the judge! 

Salute! Cheers! Homemade Amaretto

Get out the glasses and throw away the still! This is a recipe worth trying just for the fun of it. I'll begin my annual Christmas baking this week. Included in this year's lineup will be a ricotta quick break, cannoli pie, perhaps a pumpkin ginger bar, toffee, cookies and homemade amaretto! Can someone come over and eat this stuff?!!

While most of these recipes are tried and true, it was my first try making homemade amaretto, that wonderful sweet Italian liqueur. I've always wanted to make it from scratch. (The waiting is the hardest part.) A few years ago I made Kahlua and Irish cream for Christmas gifts and they were much appreciated. Whatever you have left over can go into the all time "most hits" blog about my amaretto cake. It goes well over ice cream and easily into a cup of hot chocolate or coffee, too!

Amaretto

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 T water

1 3/4 c vodka

2 T almond extract

2 T vanilla extract

Mix the sugars and water together and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Cool. ( I need to mention a glitch. I let it cool for too long and it turned to a brick consistency. If that happens, reheat to liquefy again. Learn from my mistake!) Add the vodka, and extracts and mix until smooth. Pour into a decorative bottle, seal and place it in a dark pantry or shelf for at least a week. I almost forgot it was there! ALMOST! Makes about 3-4 cups of amber goodness. Salute!

Sex on the Beach

Okay, so now that I have your attention! This was one of the Costa Rican libations that caught my eye, also, as I viewed a menu in Playa Flamingo. Who needs a margarita or mojito when you can have sex on the beach! And it's even better when you get 2 for 1! So, of course, I would try them! Delicious!

If you'd like to serve this to friends and family, it's quite simple. There are several ways to make this thirst quenching drink, but the easiest consists of vodka, cranberry juice and pineapple juice over ice! That's it.

All that's missing is the 80 degree weather and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore! Enjoy!

Vanilla Peachy Colada

Peaches and zucchini were plentiful this year in our area of the world. I expect to create a few more surprises in the next couple of weeks with the season's bounty. I'm thinking maybe a zucchini lasagna or more zucchini cookies with apples and spices!

When I woke to rain this morning it was a pleasant surprise. I felt as though a good Umbrian soup or clam chowder would be appropriate but I know those days are ahead. Last week we experienced another blast of summer. I had made a cocktail from some peaches and wanted to share it with you. The only thing missing is the 95 degree weather but just as it's five o'clock somewhere it is surely 100 degrees still somewhere!

2 shots of vanilla vodka

2 ripe small peaches

1 c crushed ice

1 tsp sugar

2 drops vanilla flavoring

1 drop coconut flavoring

Peel and pit peaches and place in blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth and pour into a nice stemmed glass. Garnish with mint or a peach slice. Serves 2.

Creme Brulee Cocktail

Okay, so I succumbed to my weakness. I finally made my creme brulee cocktail. It has been on my featured list for way too long. I know it's not on the slim down plan I'm on but I haven't eaten much today because of our latest weekend project. (And like most of our projects, it took all day.)

We purchased an armoire off craigslist which is absolutely gorgeous. Of course, we don't have a truck so we tried to fit it into the back of our car. (no way) We ended up renting a truck and then the "furniture shuffle " began. Each time we moved a piece all the drawers came out and all was cleaned and vacuumed. When it came time to move the armoire we wished we had David Blaine to levitate this thing. After much lifting, pushing, pulling and positioning we miraculously had it where it will sit for the next 30 years! Needless to say we finished around 4:30. Yes, by this time we were more than ready for this concoction. The "creme brulee cocktail" So, in my weakened state I whipped this up.

I wanted to wait until October which is my hubby's birthday month. After all, it's his favorite desert. I saw this in a recipe book a while back and couldn't wait to try it. I do prefer my wine but it was pretty tasty! It almost tasted like an eggnog without the eggs. It will be a great drink to serve around the Holidays!

1/4 cup vanilla vodka

1/4 cup butterscotch schnapps

1/2 cup half & half (or vanilla flavored creamer)

crushed ice in 2 glasses

sprinkle of nutmeg on top

For this I placed all except nutmeg into blender and mixed until frothy. Pour into glass and top with nutmeg. Yum! If you don't want to blend just serve over ice.

Un-classic Mint Julep

Treat your husband like a king and he will treat you like his queen! This works in our case. After a long week "at the salt mines" I met him at the door with this concoction. Originally I got the idea from my grandmother who claimed she never drank. After much coaxing my dad mixed up a mint julep, bourbon and all! If I remember correctly we told her it was kind of like iced tea. A smile came to her plump face as she sipped the mint julep! "Oh my, this has a stick in it!" We couldn't fool grandma but she did finish her "iced tea" and rather enjoyed it.


I'm not too fond of bourbon so I "played around" with the recipe and decided on Amaretto. I only made one to share not knowing what the outcome would be. Definitely should have made a batch! Salute!


2 tsp sugar or agave syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
5 mint sprigs
1 1/2 c crushed ice
1 shot of amaretto
enough ginger ale to fill glass



Put sugar, juice and mint in a highball glass. Crush with a wooden spoon. Add amaretto, stir and add crushed ice. Fill the rest of the glass with ginger ale. Serves 1 but can easily be multiplied.