Real Talk: Summer is All About the Smoothies
Is there really anything you want to eat in this heat besides a smoothie? Now that it is officially summer, I am half-living on smoothies. Albeit I make mine so thick I eat them from a bowl with a spoon. Call it amateur soft serve.
I used to think I didn’t like smoothies. My early experiences with them involved bananas and yogurt and were not particularly thick or good. They were essentially milkshakes masquerading as health food because someone threw a piece of fruit in with the ice cream. If I want a shake, I will damn well have it. I don’t need to pretend it is being enjoyed strictly for my health.
More Smoothies for Life (the follow up to Smoothies for Life by Daniella Chace), introduced me to a whole new world of smoothies. Yes, there are plenty of recipes involving bananas and yogurt. But there are also ones with cottage cheese (not gross!), cashews (not weird!), and berries galore. Then there are the intriguing ingredients such as nutritional yeast which actually make the smoothie healthier without negatively impacting the taste, which is genius, basically.
Speaking of nutrition, as you’d gather from the title, this book is all about being healthy. The book is divided into chapters on all topics of health, from building muscle to fighting wrinkles. There is even a chapter on smoothies to increase libido. The Smoothies for Infants chapter follows. Chace has yet to come up with a smoothie cure for the broken heart, but I’ve got high hopes there will be a Yet Even More Smoothies for Life someday.
For each and every smoothie, there is an explanation of why the ingredients are being used and what they will do for you. And if you want to invent your own smoothie cure, the last chapter just lists ingredients in alphabetical order with all their health benefits, so you could browse to concoct the cure for you. For instance, I am always looking to strengthen my bones because I live in fear of osteoporosis. I discovered dates have calcium. Voila, now I have even more reason to sweeten up my smoothies with those fiber-filled treats.
As I mentioned, there were a few ingredients I don’t see in smoothies, generally. I was most excited by tart cherry juice concentrate, which is thought to reduce inflammation, but also help you sleep. As an insomniac, that made me very, very excited.
So here is a (literally) dreamy smoothie. It is thick, it is delicious, and it is dang good for anything that may be swollen. Ahem. Sweet dreams!
Tart Cherry Ginger adapted from More Smoothies for Life by Daniella Chace
- 2 cups milk (I used unsweetened almond)
- 6 Tbsp. protein powder (I used MRM Veggie protein in vanilla—IT IS SO GOOD)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. tart cherry juice concentrate
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 2 cups frozen cherries
Blend it. Blend it good. Good night! I’m out.
