As usual...
...I've been gaining weight over the winter (or whatever they call the season when it isn't 90 degrees daily in Florida). I don't mind my actual weight, but I do mind the uncomfortable fit of the few jeans that I have. The only jeans that fit me comfortably are the 2 pair of granny jeans with elastic waistbands that I've had for years, wearing only when I'm at home and not too concerned with my wardrobe du jour. So, I need to put a stop to the weight gain and, with any luck at all, lose a few pounds of belly fat.
During another attempt to drop a few pounds, I became addicted to fruit smoothies that I purchased from the Smoothie King around the corner. It seemed like a good idea until I became aware of the calorie count of those delicious libations. I decided to create my own fruit potions, thereby controlling the ingredients, the fat content and the healthfulness of my libations.
Sometimes my recipes were failures, but after months of trying different combinations of fruit and ice, I've found a few excellent medleys that I'd like to share with you.
Today my recipe was quite easy and quite tasty. I simply dropped about a cup of seedless green grapes and about 10 ice cubes into my blender. After less than a minute of blending, I had a grape icee that was delicious, healthful and filling.
I've also come up with other recipes that I was pleased with. I love berries of any kind so I can toss in any combination of berries and ice...those are extremely good. Strawberries and ice alone is my personal favorite but you can use whatever fruits you like.
These concoctions are GREAT for children, fruit served blended with ice is a great "dessert" for them...especially during the dog days of summer. They haven't a clue that they're consuming healthy drinks, to them these smoothies are simply treats along the lines of popsicles, especially if you freeze and serve them AS popsicles.
Here are a few combinations that I've found to be particularly good:
Peaches, pears and plums
Apples, oranges and blueberries
Strawberries and bananas
Berry medley...strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
Kiwi, bananas and blackberries
Obviously you can use whatever fruit you like. Some fruits liquefy easily and some don't. If you're blending a fruit or fruits that don't, you can add a splash of water or fruit juice of any kind. Also, you can add a touch of sugar if you find the mixture too tart for your taste although I prefer to add a fruit that will cut down on the tartness such as a banana. I don't peel most of my fruit but you certainly can do so if you (or your kids) prefer it without the peel although when you DO peel a fruit, you've peeled away the most nutritious part of the fruit.
Add the ice after the fruit, beginning with small amounts as you can always add more. Also, you can use frozen fruits which cut down on the amount of ice needed to make a decent drink. Smoothies are expensive when you purchase them at your local smoothie store. Making your own is much less costly and your own recipes are far less mysterious. Using fresh fruit (or frozen fruit) that you've purchased and rinsed yourself will not contain any chemical additives.
Last summer I bought a bag of frozen "fruit" that is made specifically for smoothies. The picture on the bag had some white blobs that I mistook for bananas. The blobs were NOT fruit, I don't know what the heck they were. I assume they were added to enhance the consistency of the smoothie but I see no reason to tamper with the consistency of the fruit mixtures. It was shortly after that purchase that I began making my own. The bag-O-smoothie was about 10 bucks and for that price, you can limit your purchases to fruit alone and that's all you need to make these suckers (that and the ice). Your family will enjoy them and you will be pleased to see them enjoy such healthy creations. They can be served as dessert, enjoyed as a snack or you can simply drink one before a meal in order to fill yourself up before attacking it.
If you find any combinations that are really good, please feel free to let me know in the comments so that others will be able to try different recipes that I haven't come up with!
posted by Meg Kelso | 2:08 PM
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4 comments
4 Comments:
I just wanted you to know, I read your blog about your ex and his wopig (smile)- it made me think and also made me reflect to a time I was a Wopig. In my defense, I met him and had a relationship for 6 months with the guy before he confessed to me he was married? I couldn't believe it!!! He even went so far as to tell me she was dying of Cancer so he didn't divorce her but they hadn't lived together for 4 years. I BELIEVED HIM!!! I have always listened to that inner voice and I honestly NEVER for a second thought he was married. (he had his own aprtment, I went out to dinner with him and co-workers also his clients) I was a stupid idiot. So while the wife was hurt because of me, I was hurt because of his lies and the fact he was married - when she confronted me I even asked her if she was sure they weren't divorced? (crazy). I dropped him fast & furious! she and I are now friends. The low life is still her husband and they live together. I get calls once in awhile from him, telling me he still loves me, then I call her and let her know. I figure the one way to make sure he never comes around me again is for him to understand everytime he calls, emails or text's I will forward it all to his wife. Why she stays with him is beyond me (to each their own) but, she is a stand by your man kind of girl. (like you I am a 3 timer...I tell my friends....atleast I'm not a quitter!) So I want to be clear...some of us really are fooled - he even bought me an engagement ring, and we were trying to get pregnant....crazy stuff. ex-wopig ;)
I found your comment fascinating and I want to discuss it more on the blog. Tomorrow I'll do that, it's almost midnight now and my brain isn't functioning at it's peak. I understand that some women are fooled by married men, I was fooled by the one I was married to and he's basically a nit wit. One of the reasons I mentioned the wopigs was so that some women might see themselves and the stark similarities between the lies that most cheaters tell and the stories they're hearing. As I said, more tomorrow!
I've dealt with weight issues, and one thing that's really helped me is use water, instead of milk etc. It tastes just about as good, but has much less calories. I also use agave as sweetener.
Expensive, but my favorite smoothie recipe is as follows:
Strawberries, blueberries, blueberries, and blackberries (all kept in the freezer thus eliminating the need for ice) Kiwi, Mango, and Pineapple. I typically run out of room for fruit at this point, but occasionally I will add grapes and an apple if I can squeeze it in. During the process to relieve the blender from it's struggle with the frozen berries I add pomegranate juice, acai berry juice, and orange juice.
When I am on a budget I use Gatorade LOL Much cheaper than all those juices, but not nearly as flavorful.
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