OK, so here's what started it all. I'm about to return to work (I've got a lovely teaching gig), and every day, no matter what or how much I eat for breakfast, I'm starving by about 9:00 AM. Lunch? Well, it's later than that. So, every year I try to come up with some solution to my hunger issue as there's no way I can teach and be hungry. No way. Last year my bright idea was a snack of hard boiled eggs (this after eating a rather large breakfast at home first). I'd boil them at home, bring them to work, eat them just before the bell rang, and, frankly, I was good to go. Until I realized that I made my classroom smell like a fart festival had occurred...every day. I decided to veto the egg idea much to the happiness of coworkers and students alike.
So, this year I thought, smoothies! Yeah, that'd work. I could eat my normal big breakfast, make a smoothie at home, then sip on it during the first hour or so of school. Problem solved! Except it wasn't. I made one last night as an experiment. Fruit, yogurt, a little juice. It was a snap. Except for the fact that I got such a sugar rush off of it that I was a little shaky one third of the way through the drink. I figured it was time for a little Google action. I searched for homemade smoothie recipes that weren't made from powders and such. I found a site! I was so excited. Course they mentioned using raw egg whites (the pasteurized form) as a great source of protein. Bleck! I simply cannot go there. But another idea sounded just right. In fact it was pretty much what I love to eat every day for breakfast, only in smoothie form.
This morning I went to work. I put the following in the blender:
- cooked steel cut oats (yummy!)
- half of a banana (yummy!)
- plain Greek yogurt (yummy!)
- natural peanut butter (yummy!)
- rice milk...to give it that liquidy edge (yummy!)
Well, you know what happened? I used a bunch of yummy stuff and created a concoction that resembled vomit. I'm talking visually and taste-wise.
I forced myself to drink some thinking, "Surely this will grow on me." After drinking what I was sure was at least half of it, I looked in the glass and I had only made it go down about half an inch. You know what I said then? "I don't have to drink this!"
I poured it down the drain, apologized to the garbage disposal, and swished my mouth out pronto.
So, suggestions are welcome. I'm not much of a fan of sweets, so the traditional smoothie or even powder mix isn't appealing to me. Bring on the ideas, people!
Go ahead, mix it up, and "like" my blog on facebook!!
We have been drinking 4-5 smoothies a week; absolutely wonderful and will probably work to kick your hunger!
ReplyDeleteOK...first you need a really good high end blender: we use a Vitamix. THe only other brand that works is Blendtec. These blenders blend everything like the professionals do at smoothie places. Other blenders leave green pieces swirling about and it not appetizing.
3/4 cup or so favorite fruit juice. Pineapple or mango seem to work best to "hide" the green taste.
1 cup spinach
1 stalk and leaf of kale
1 apple deseeded.
1 slightly thawed banana (I put it in water in the glass I will pour my smoothie into once done) A regular banana works too.
1/2 avocado (trust me it makes the smoothie like velvet!)
1 t chia seeds
1 1/2 T hemp seeds
sometimes I also add 1/2 cup of slightly thawed frozen fruit or other fruit around the house. (This is a great time to use up that veggie or fruit that will go bad soon)
This recipe will make two large smoothies. Good luck!
OH yeah...we add a bit of stevia also. Honey would work also as would agave.
DeletePeanut Butter? Cheese and crackers? Trail mix?
ReplyDeleteEw...you are one creative lady! :-)
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