Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drinks. Show all posts

June 4, 2014

PB&J (with Bananas) Smoothie


Hey guys! So, the floor guy is coming to refinish the floors tomorrow, and that'll take 3 or 4 days, so after that, I can finally move in. I still got painting to do, but that can wait until I'm actually in the house. In the meantime, I'm in a kind of limbo. Half my stuff is packed away, half of it still needs to be packed. I have a maze of boxes. I want to buy things but I can't really buy things until I can put them in the house and I can't do that until the floors are done.

I did buy a rug and some pyrex at an estate sale, so there's that. (Except the rug cleaning place hasn't called me back. Seriously. Do you not want my business?)

Anyway, the long and short of it is, I kind of unpacked my blender just to make this smoothie.
To be fair, it wasn't premeditated. I already had some frozen banana in the freezer. We already had a big tub of strawberry yogurt in the refrigerator that didn't really look like it was getting eaten. So I was like, oh, I'll make a strawberry banana smoothie. And then I added peanut butter to it because peanut butter. So it became a peanut butter and jelly (with banana, because bananas are cool) smoothie.

And I liked it, because really, what's not to like? So I made it again, this time taking measurements instead of dumping things willy-nilly into the blender so I could blog it, and here we are

The peanut butter and strawberry flavors are definitely the most prominent; though you can taste the banana, it's there mainly for texture. And between the banana, the peanut butter, and the yogurt, this sucker is filling, which makes it a great option for breakfast. It's probably the healthiest thing I've ever put on this blog, and I-- butter and sugar and cream loving I-- made it for dessert. O.o
This smoothie, make it. Dessert, breakfast, snack, anytime. It's thick and creamy and sweet and cold and has peanut butter. It's exactly what every smoothie should be.

PB&J Smoothie
Yield: 1 smoothie

Ingredients
1 small banana, chopped and frozen
1/2 cup strawberry yogurt (I used Stonyfield Farm Smooth & Creamy)
1/4 cup lowfat (skim) milk
1-2 heaping tbsp. peanut butter (I used White Chocolate Wonderful)*
Splash of vanilla extract (optional)**

Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

*I didn't really measure the peanut butter. I just took a big spoonful and plopped it in there. You can never have too much peanut butter
**Or replace the skim milk with vanilla soy or almond milk

Recipe by Kim

May 28, 2014

Frozen Treats Round Up

Hey all! So if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I've kind of been busy painting the entire house. (Seriously, the sellers chose such dark and ugly colors that when I finished priming, I was kind of like, "Whoa, I can actually see in here now!") And now I need to get the floors refinished since they were in worse shape than I originally thought. Sooooo, I'm not actually moved in yet. C'est la vie. I'd rather get all this stuff done now while it's empty than have to move furniture. If I'm a bit more absent than normal, that's why.

But since this weekend was Memorial Day weekend, you know what that means? It's summertime! Okay, not really, but it's when the pools open, and that's what always said summer to me (and guess what? I totally have a pool now! Yay for condo amenities!). And you know what summer means? Ice cream.

So while I'm sweating my booty off doing home repair, you can enjoy these 14 Frozen Treats recipes. Just not all at once, unless you're going for epic brain freeze.

May 14, 2014

Frozen Mango Lemonade #MixItUp2014


Hey guys! I close on the house tomorrow, so my mind is probably totally elsewhere at the moment. But, I still happen to have something pretty awesome for you because I love you.

In honor of the Vegas Uncork'd festival at the Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Vegas.com has asked food bloggers to participate in a "digital mix off."

Me, I'm a simple girl when it comes to drinks. Now that the weather's finally warming up, I started thinking about some of my favorite warm weather treats. Slushies from the convenience store, a frozen lemonade from the boardwalk, a mango lemonade at a local restaurant...

... Hold up. Frozen lemonade. Mango lemonade. Frozen mango lemonade.
You guys. That was the best idea everrrr. The tart lemon juice, the sweet mango, the slush.

I do love me some slush.

It's so good. I may have drank the entire first test batch all by myself. And it's so simple to make. Just dice and freeze a mango, juice two lemons, add sugar, water, and ice, hit the frozen drink button on your blender, et voila.

Plus you could totally make this a little more adult and sub in some white rum for the water. Possibly all of the water. That would make it about an ounce per serving which isn't too much, right? Booze is not a thing that I know.
I made this for the family on Mother's Day and it got thumbs up all around. And then we went to see Captain America because my mom is cooler than your mom.

Frozen Mango Lemonade
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup cold water*
1 mango, diced and frozen
Approx. 3 cups ice**

Directions
In a small bowl, mix the sugar, lemon juice, and water until the sugar is well dissolved. Add to a blender along with the frozen mango and the ice. Blend on high speed (or if your blender has an "ice crush" setting) until the ice has been finely crushed and looks slushy. Serve immediately.

Tip: If you prefer your lemonade more tart, reduce the sugar to 1/2 - 2/3 cup.

*Replace with white rum for a more adult version
**The measurement is approximate. I just filled the blender with ice.

Recipe by Kim

January 12, 2014

Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles Banana Berry Smoothies


So, I did something a little bit silly.

I put an entire breakfast into a blender and I made it a smoothie.

I blame John Green. He put the idea in my head by blenderizing a happy meal.

My original idea was just to soak the cereal in milk and strain it out, making Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles chocolate milk. So I put the cereal in a bowl, poured some milk, and put it in the fridge while I caught up on my DVRed shows. (White Collar- totally called that twist. Community- genre spoof episodes are the best. Psych- can Cary Elwes be in all the things?) When I went back to check on it, the cereal had sogged up so much that it kind of looked like rice pudding. And I'm like, yay, I can skip a step and not strain this out. But if soggy cereal skeeves you, feel free to strain it out.
This was originally meant to just be banana and pebbles milk, but I still had some frozen raspberries in the freezer, so I threw them in. Because chocolate plus raspberries is always a good idea.

This smoothie is super thick. It's like a milkshake, but much healthier and more nutritious. Just skim milk, frozen fruit, and breakfast cereal. And chocolate syrup, because chocolate syrup. It's a complete breakfast in portable form. And rather more delicious than a blenderized happy meal. Banana and raspberries plus cocoa pebbles? You can't really go wrong. The super chocolate-y-ness of the Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles worked well for this. It was better than chocolate milk-- they added flavor and sweetness, as well as texture and nutrition.
I tried to be all fancy and swirl chocolate syrup on the inside of the glass, but it didn't work too well. C'est la vie

Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles Banana Berry Smoothies
Yield: 4 smoothies

Ingredients
1½ cups skim milk
1 cup Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles
2 bananas, frozen
1 cup frozen raspberries
1-2 tbsp. chocolate syrup (depending on how chocolatey you want your smoothies)

Directions
Add the milk and Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles to a bowl and stir. Cover and let sit in the refrigerator for minimum 1 hour (stirring once or twice to make sure the cereal is evenly coated).

Add the bananas, raspberries, chocolate syrup, and the milk/cereal mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Recipe by Kim
*Disclaimer: I received free samples of Post Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles cereal for the purposes of review. I received no further compensation. All thoughts and opinions are my own.* 

November 20, 2013

Doctor Who Round Up ~ 50 Recipes & Crafts for the 50th Anniversary


Freezer Paper Stencil Tutorial DIY TARDIS Dress DIY TARDIS Top Hat Crispy Caramel Filled Chocolate TARDIS and Daleks The Accidental Banana Daiquiri Ice Pop Dalek Cupcake Tutorial Bananas Are Good Frozen Nutella-Covered Bananas TARDIS Self-Destruct Buttons AKA Jammie Dodgers K-9's Italian Hot Dog Bad Wolf Cupcakes Captain Jack Harkness Brownies Bowties Are Cool Blueberry Goat Cheese Pasta Salad Fish Fingers and Custard Always Take a Banana to a Party Strawberry Banana Muffins Image Map

Aaaaah, the Day of the Doctor is almost here! Can you believe it? 50 years ago this Saturday, this mad, wonderful show first aired, starring William Hartnell as the titular Doctor. Do you have your viewing party planned? Are you having a viewing party? Can I come?

I would love to be the sort of person to have epic dinner parties with multiple courses and a dessert table, but I'm not. So instead, I've decided to help you throw your own viewing/dinner party, using my Doctor Who inspired recipes and crafts, and some others I've collected on the interwebz. Fantastic! Allons-y! Geronimo!

Starters, Mains, and Sides 
Drinks 
Cookies and Bars 
Cakes and Cupcakes 
Other Sweets 

August 4, 2013

Horchata for a Music-Inspired #SundaySupper


In December, drinking horchata,
I'd look psychotic in a balaclava.
This week's #SundaySupper is hosted by fellow Whovian, Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen, and is all about music. Because seriously, who doesn't like music, and who doesn't like food?

As for me, my taste in music is rather more eclectic than my taste in food. I got a little technopunk, a little industrial, a little indie, a little pop, a little dance, some classic rock, and some show tunes.

And, umm, whatever you would call the songs that the Guild released, like "(Do You Want to Date My) Avatar." Geek rock?

Despite my varying musical tastes, I had a more difficult time coming up with a music-inspired recipe than I thought I would. I was completely sure that I would be able to find a Queen song about food. I mean, really, they have a song about everything else. They've even got one about Freddie Mercury's cat (and it took me longer than I care to admit to realize that Delilah was a cat. I thought she was some seriously deranged chick.). But short of going through the lyrics of every single song in Queen's complete discography, I couldn't find one.

But then I remembered a song by one of my very favorite bands in all the land.

Winter's cold is too much to handle,
Pincher crabs that pinch at your sandles.

"Horchata," by Vampire Weekend.

To be completely honest, it was one of the very first things that I thought of when hearing this week's theme, but I resisted it a bit, since I've never had horchata, never mind made it myself.
Okay, they are like down-right scruffy in this video, it's bizarre. Ezra's wearing a t-shirt. I'm not used to him in anything other than a button-down. It's almost obscene. Ezra, put some clothes on. Kids read this.

Did I ever tell you about the time I sort of met the drummer? They were playing at a theater by school, walking distance from where I was living at the time. This was right before the second album released, and that was when they were just starting to get popular, so it was before their tickets became impossible to get. I had vastly overestimated the time it would take me to walk there and ended up getting to the theater super early (I was not first in line though, I was third). I was texting a friend that was meeting me there, and this guy walks by with this huge grin on his face, and he's like, "Hey guys!"

My mind was a total blank. I could not place where I knew him from. Did I have a class with him? Maybe he was one of the guys from my experimental psych class, or maybe he was in the honor society with me. Meanwhile the two girls in front of me got really excited, and my neurons kept misfiring, because now I'm thinking, hey, how come he's walking right past the line... and into the theater... Well, crap. He's the drummer.

That was my one brush with celebrity, guys. I think I handled it swell.

With lips and teeth to ask how my day went,
Boots and fists to pound on the pavement.

Anyway, back to the horchata, what finally decided me on trying it- other than lack of other options, heh- was the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about it. I do love me some research.
So I found that horchata is Mexican drink made primarily with rice. Now I had to try it, because that sounded kind of awesome.

So I soaked 1 cup of uncooked long grain rice and a cinnamon stick over night. Then I blended the rice (minus the cinnamon stick, although I did read one recipe that said to grind the cinnamon straight in with the rice) with 4 cups of water, 1/2 a cup of sugar, and some lime zest (because I read one recipe that did it, and I have a lot of limes in my fridge). But that tasted a little too sweet to me, so I added an extra cup of water. That was much better on the sweetness, but made it really thin and taste just like water with lime and cinnamon. I think, in the back of my mind, I was expecting it to be like rice milk, so I thought it was going to be creamy or something.

I ended up solving that problem by mixing in some evaporated milk. Now it's kind of eggnog-y, and I like it, but the interwebz is pretty divided on whether adding milk is "authentic" or not.

The measurements I used were pretty common across the recipes I was reading, so I was really surprised by how overly sweet the half cup of sugar made it. Again, I've never had real horchata, so maybe it's supposed to be really sweet. Or maybe it's user error- I read some recipes that said to grind the rice first, others that said to soak the rice in hot water, still others that said to boil the rice and cinnamon stick. And there were still other recipes that used almonds or cashews.

This is definitely a recipe I'll be coming back to in order to perfect, but for now, limey eggnog-y horchata is pretty good, too.

Here comes a feeling you thought you'd forgotten,
Chairs to sit and sidewalks to walk on.
Oh, you had it, but oh no you lost it,
Looking back you shouldn't have fought it.

Horchata

Ingredients
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
5 cups drinking water, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. lime zest
1/4 tsp. salt
1 can evaporated milk (optional)

Directions
Soak the rice and cinnamon stick in 2 cups of water about 3 hours or overnight. Remove the cinnamon stick and add the rice and water to a blender. Blend until the rice is finely ground. Add the remaining water, sugar, zest, and salt, and pulse until well blended. Strain through a cheesecloth into a large pitcher. Stir in the evaporated milk, if desired. Serve chilled, over ice.

Recipe adapted from Food Network and About.com


Are you ready for an orchestra of goodies?

Prelude (Beverages):
Calimocho (Red Red Wine Cocktail) from La Cocina de Leslie inspired by Red Red Wine by UB40
Dark & Stormy Cocktail Recipe from An Appealing Plan inspired by Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen
Horchata from Treats & Trinkets inspired by Horchata by Vampire Weekend
Orange Crush from Magnolia Days inspired by Orange Crush by REM
Pineapple Lemonade Slushy with Coconut Water from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz inspired by Lemon Tree by Peter, Paul & Mary
Strawberry Tequila from Shockingly Delicious inspired by Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles

Overture (Appetizers):
Mustard Dill Beer Bread from Curious Cuisiniere inspired by In Heaven There Is No Beer a German Polka

Intermezzo (Entrees & Sides):
Chicken and Bacon Cheddar Waffles from I Run For Wine inspired by Glady’s Knight
Classic Fried Chicken from The Food Army Wife inspired by Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band
Margarita Chicken from In The Kitchen With KP inspired by Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet
Meatball Duet from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings inspired by On Top of Spaghetti by Tom Glazer
Pan-Seared Halibut with Corn Hash and Asparagus Puree from Crazy Foodie Stunts inspired by Saturday Night Fish Fry by Louis Jordan
Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork from Neighborfood inspired by Something Like That by Tim McGraw
Spaghetti and Pork Meatballs from Family Foodie inspired by On Top of Spaghetti by Kidsongs
Teriyaki Burger from Juanita’s Cocina inspired by Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffet

Finale (Desserts):
Banana Cream Pie Bars from Peanut Butter and Peppers inspired by Tra La La Song by The Banana Splits
Banana Pancake Ice Cream with Maple Brittle from Foxes Love Lemons inspired by Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson
Cherry Pie from My Cute Bride inspired by Cherry Pie by Warrant
Cherry Marshmallows from Pies and Plots
Chocolate Cappuccino Cream Puffs from Runner’s Tales inspired by Choux Pastry Heart by Corinne Bailey Rae
Chocolate Chip, Walnut and Caramel Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwich from Ruffles & Truffles inspired by Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
Chocolate Covered Caramels from Big Bear’s Wife inspired by At Last by Etta James
Coconut Rum Blondies from Gotta Get Baked inspired by I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts by Danny Kaye
Easy Blueberry Recipe: Fruit Tart from Growing Up Gabel inspired by Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino
Espresso Nib Ice Cream from Vintage Kitchen Notes inspired by Black Coffee by Ella Fitzgerald
Fancy Watermelon Lime Popsicles from Daily Dish Recipes inspired by Watermelon Crawl by Tracy Byrd
Fresh Peach Pie from Killer Bunnies, Inc. inspired by Sweet Sweet Pie by PWEI
Jammin’ Oatmeal Cookies from What Smells So Good? inspired by Jammin’ by Bob Marley
Many Flavors Whipped Cream from Noshing with the Nolands inspired by Whipped Cream and Other Delights by Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass
Peach Basil Pie from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen inspired by Peaches by POTUSA
Pina Colada Poke Cake from Cookin’ Mimi inspired by Two Pina Coladas by Garth Brooks
Peach Donuts with Brown Sugar from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks inspired by Peaches by POTUSA
Peach Strudel with Honey Bourbon Frozen Yogurt from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures inspired by My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music & Wild Honey by U2
Rainbow Pops from The Urban Mrs inspired by Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice
Salted Ripple Chip No-Churn Ice Cream from Cupcakes & Kale Chips inspired by Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan
Salted Peanut Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream from girlichef inspired by Salt Peanuts by The Quintet
Shall We Dance? Fairy Cakes from The Ninja Baker inspired by Shall We Dance from the Japanese Film
Sugar Crusted Zucchini Bread from That Skinny Chick Can Bake inspired by Sugar, Sugar by the Archies
Tangerine Sorbet from Webicurean inspired by Tangerine Speedo by Caviar
Yeasted Banana Bread from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner inspired by I Like Bread and Butter by The New Beats

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here ? Sunday Supper Movement.

July 17, 2013

No Bake Summer Recipe Round Up


You guys know: I like to bake. Do you know what else I apparently like to do? Not bake.

With a heat advisory in New Jersey, cooling centers popping up all over the place, and the job stabbing me repeatedly in the eye, I haven't been much in the mood to write a post. So I thought, in deference to the heat, I'd do a round up of some of my no bake recipes. And hoo boy, did I have plenty.

(P.S. The collages are also clickable. I am that good.)(I hope)
(P.P.S. Doctor Who Saturday will not be this weekend. I screwed up the timing, so it will be next week.)
(P.P.P.S. Steam sale. Whaaaaaaaaat. I bought Evoland this morning for less than 8 bucks. w00t)

Peach Tea Ice Cream Raspberry Red Wine Ice Cream Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Toasted Marshmallow Ice Cream Frozen Peach Yogurt Cream Image Map

Cookie Dough Truffles Raspeberry Nutella Marshmallows Homemade Gummies Strawberry Cake Batter Fudge Graham Cracker Marshmallows Pina Colada Marshmallows Image Map
Berries & Cream Pie S'mores Mud Pie Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie Mush Pie (Cookies & Cream Mousse Pie) Black Forest Icebox Cake Cannoli Cream Icebox Cake Chocolate Peppermint Icebox Cake Pumpkin Pie Icebox Cake S'mores Icebox Cake Image Map
Lemon Daiquiri Ice Pops Easy S'mores Pudding Pops Pineapple Banana Mango Pops Cherry Limeade and Lemon Lime Ice Pops Frozen Nutella-Covered Bananas
Fizzy Kiwi Lemonade S'mores Milkshake (A Guest Post From The Messy Baker) Peanut Butter Banana Bread Smoothie Cinnamon Roll Krispie Treats S'mores Cereal Treats Blueberry Goat Cheese Pasta Salad Fiesta Pasta Salad Hot & Cold S'mores Image Map

March 3, 2013

Fizzy Kiwi Lemonade


The job has been seriously trying to drive me crazy. Not just with floods, bounty hunters, and mystery pizzas. No, on Friday, the landlord was mucking about with the water without telling anyone what they were doing and screwed it up. There was no water on the fourth floor. Visitors would come up to me and ask if they could use they bathroom, and I had to tell them I wasn't exactly sure if the bathrooms on the first floor were functional.

Not to mention that, whatever they were doing was setting off the alarms. Not fire alarms. Shrill, annoying, "hey, pay attention to me, there's something wro-ong" alarms. Going off right by my desk.

Now let me set the scene for you. I work in a four story building. I sit in the lobby, which is in this sort of atrium. Every floor is open above me, all the way up to the skylight. So every. Single. Little. Sound. Echoes. Especially shrill little alarms that go off for four hours straight.

But not continuously. Oh no, I might be able to tune it out if that happened. No, it would go off for 20 minutes, and then it would stop, and I would sigh in relief and try to get some work done, but 10 minutes later:

beep... beep... beep...

I would call the landlord at increasing levels of desperation, asking if they could silence the alarms. It didn't do any good.
That's my special straw. It adds extra fizz.

So when I was pureeing kiwis, and my family asked what I was doing, they thought the job had finally shoved me off the deep end, because I responded, "lemonade."

This drink is light and refreshing. And super fizzy. Fizz, fizz. The kiwi flavor is pretty strong which I like, but I think I'd prefer it a little more lemony. And I love the bright alien green color of it. It kind of looks like something out of Doctor Who, right?

Also, this makes an awesome slushy, if you have a Slush Mug from Think Geek, which I totally do, because I'm an adult. *snickers* Or, instead of adding the seltzer, you can blend the kiwi, lemon, and sugar with some ice.

Fizzy Kiwi Lemonade {Printable Version}
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
6 kiwifruit, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup granulated sugar
1 liter seltzer, chilled

Directions
In a blender, puree the kiwis. Press the kiwi puree through a fine mesh sieve, removing the seeds. In a large pitcher, mix together the puree, lemon juice, and sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved. Chill for 2 to 24 hours. Immediately before serving, add the seltzer, and stir until just combined. Serve chilled, over ice.

Recipe adapted slightly from Better Homes and Gardens website

December 19, 2012

Skinny Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa with Sweet'N Low® Brand




I have to tell you guys something that you may find shocking:

I have a massive sweet tooth.

I know, I know, I hide it well. But I know I'm not alone in this, because if you're reading my blog, I'm guessing you have a massive sweet tooth as well. So right now I'm offering you the chance to indulge that sweet tooth totally guilt free.
I recently received some free samples of Sweet'N Low® Brand Sweetener. Like most of us, I've seen those bright pink packets on nearly every restaurant table and in nearly every coffee shop I've ever been in.

Sweet'N Low is made up of saccharin (sweetener) and dextrose (a carbohydrate derived from corn). Like the rest of you, I've heard the rumors that saccharin is not safe, so I did my research. Recent studies have shown no clear evidence that saccharin causes health concerns in humans and is no longer listed as a possible carcinogen (Cancer.gov). So yes, saccharin is perfectly safe for human consumption.

Sweet'N Low, like most artificial sweeteners, is much sweeter than sugar, so a little goes a long way. I use it to sweeten my tea, and rarely do I have to use an entire packet. It dissolves quickly and easily which makes it perfect for making drinks.
'Tis the season for sweets and hot, wholesome drinks that warm you from your belly to your toes. This cocoa is no exception. Smooth and chocolatey, flavored with caramel, a hint of coffee, and a touch of sea salt for decadence. It satisfies almost all your sweet tooth cravings, and is almost completely guilt free. That's right, I said it. Guilt free salted caramel hot cocoa. Skim milk, sugar free caramel syrup, and Sweet'N Low. I will now accept your thanks. Preferably in monetary form.
Of course, the marshmallows aren't guilt free, but that just means you can afford to add extra. And some decorating sugar on top. And maybe some whipped cream...

Skinny Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa {Printable Version}

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients
1 cup nonfat (skim) milk
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar-free caramel flavoring syrup
1 tsp. instant coffee granules
1 packet Sweet’N Low® Brand Sweetener
½ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch sea salt

Directions
In a small saucepan over low heat, heat milk to boiling, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and
whisk in all remaining ingredients, except the salt, until smooth. Transfer to a mug and stir in the salt.
Top with marshmallows or whipped topping, if desired, and serve hot.

Recipe by Kim
*Disclaimer: I received free samples of Sweet'N Low® Brand Sweetener as part of the DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker program. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

July 11, 2012

Peanut Butter Banana Bread Smoothies


I'm going to tell you a love story. It will beat any love story you've ever heard before. The Notebook? Forget it. Romeo & Juliet? Please. Pride & Prejudice? C'mon. This is the purest, most wonderful love story in all the land.

This is the story of the love one girl has for peanut butter.

Oh, you're so hooked now, right?

When this girl was little, she didn't like peanut butter. In fact, she hated it. When the teachers would ask if anyone was allergic to peanuts, she would raise her hand. She didn't really know what allergic meant, but she knew if she said she was allergic, she wouldn't have to eat it. She was a pretty smart kid, and I can say that totally and completely objectively.

But peanut butter was patient, for it knew that they were destined for a love like no other. It stayed close and waited until one day the girl tried it again and found that she did like it. But not only did she like it, she came to love it. She loved it more than ponies, more than cheese, maybe even more than rainbows, but that is unconfirmed. She'd rarely even eat chocolate without the addition of peanut butter.

This might seriously be my new favorite song

As the girl grew older, she and peanut butter grew into a comfortable sort of love. She knew that peanut butter would always be there when she needed it. In fact, when she was in college, she would spend many a night alone with it; just her, peanut butter, and a spoon. And she would call it dinner, you perverts.

Then when the girl graduated, she started to bake. And blog. And she discovered something amazing called Peanut Butter & Co. And she fell in love with peanut butter all over again, for this company had varieties like Dark Chocolate Dreams and White Chocolate Wonderful, and her newest discovery, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl.

The girl would have preferred Cinnamon Raisin Swirl without the raisins, since she'd never been much of a fan, and found them a little odd in the peanut butter, but she knew it would make a killer banana bread. Except temperatures had been reaching the hundreds and it was just to darned hot to bake. So the girl turned that killer banana bread into something cool and almost healthy: a smoothie.
Peanut Butter Banana Bread Smoothies {Printable Version}
 Yield: 4 smoothies

Ingredients
3 medium ripe bananas, chopped and frozen*
1½ cups cold vanilla soy milk
¾ cup Cinnamon Raisin Swirl peanut butter (or ¾ cup creamy peanut butter plus 2-3 tsp. cinnamon)
2 tbsp. brown sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
Pinch salt

Directions
Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

*Smoothies are a great way to use bananas that are about to go bad. Peel and chop before freezing and seal in a zip-top bag. Freeze for a minimum of two hours. Keeps in the freezer indefinitely.

Recipe by Kim

Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Peanut Butter & Co. They have not paid me, sent me free samples, or asked me to review their products. They just happen to manufacture a product that I truly enjoy.