Thursday, 24 September 2009

The Best Damn Smoothie Recipe

 I've been reading A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from my Kitchen Table. I highly recommend! This beautiful and charming book is a cross between a cookbook of delicious recipes and a moving recount of a woman's life impacted by her family's and her own love of food and food preparation. Everyone should read this and realize that it's important to cook with your kids, and it's important to eat meals as a family. I'm not surprised that the author's blog is so popular- she write in a way that is honest, simple, and compelling, just like her recipes.


I love to cook and bake, but my apartment's oven is a shameful disappointment- it heats really unevenly, and I pretty much have to rotate everything that goes in there several times, as well as play with the bake vs. broil settings to prevent the bottom from getting burned while the top is undercooked.  I know it sounds silly, but when I cook something and it turns out badly, I take it personally. I can handle bad knits, I can handle a bad day at work, but a bad turn in the kitchen? Makes me want to sob like a little child.

A recent baking success has been Snickerdoodles. Have you ever eaten a Snickerdoodle? I made a batch on the weekend and they were AMAZING. Like the perfect cross between a doughnut and a cookie. Simple, sugary, lovely. I wish I had snapped some pictures before they all got eaten! Recipe (and an accurate photo) are here. But here is a recent winning recipe from my kitchen (possibly because it doesn't involve the oven). My husband is in LOVE with this. Heck, I'm in love with this! It is, without question, the beast smoothie I've ever had, anywhere.

The  Best Damn Chocolate/PB/Banana Smoothie You'll Ever Have

Ingredients:

  • 1 banana


  • 3 cups of skim milk


  • 7-10 ice cubes (if you want it really thick, add more ice cubes)


  • 1/3 cup of smooth peanut butter


  • 1/4 cup chocolate syrup



  • Directions: through it all into a blender and let 'er rip for about 4 minutes, or until all your ice has been fully incorporated into the smoothie. The long your blend, the frothier it gets.

    Servings: 4. Or two huge portions that pretty much make you full for hours, which is what happens in our home.

    G is a total chocoholic, so you might be happier with a bit less syrup, but in my house that would be sacrilege. If you try it, let me know what you think.

    10 comments:

    Anonymous said...

    Oh dear, you're the second person who has recommended that book and my library doesn't have it! I will have to try that smoothy, J. would love it. :)

    Knit - R - Done said...

    I substitute chocolate soy silk for the milk and syrup. My family begs for this smoothie on a regular basis. Yum.

    Hilary said...

    I've seen a few other recommendations of this book, so I think a trip to the book store or library are in my future! And thanks much for the smoothie recipe. It sounds fan-freaking-tastic!!

    Clumsy Knitter said...

    Gah! Alas, my husband broke our blender ages ago. It sounds good though--thanks for sharing! :)

    Teresa said...

    Oh my, that smoothie sounds waysogood. (so good, in fact, that I had to make up "waysogood" as a new word).
    I understand the disappointment when the baking goes wrong. My mom's (and me!) bake a fair amount. Every Christmas, there's always the "disaster goodie". Happens every time. I've done things to macaroons I don't care to recount! But the moral of the story is, you'll always have another chance to play with sugar. Or make a smoothie. :)

    Ibunnysavetroy said...

    while banana peanut butter and chocolate sound like a good smoothie I once had one just like that from my school's smoothie place made with over ripe/ almost rotten bananas. I don't think i can ever have one again, but maybe I'll try this recipe!

    mjm knitting said...

    Snickerdoodles!

    Thanks for the link to the recipe! They were so good the other night. Might have to whip up a quick batch for the brits before they land tomorrow afternoon.

    I love the banana/chocolate shake I could get at Pulp Kitchen, but they have yet to re-open in their new location so I will have to try your recipe the next time i get some bananas.

    Michele Saunders said...

    I have thumbed through this book but have not had the chance to actually delve into it. I am looking forward to it.

    I think it is a fabulous idea to cook with your kids! I always involve my son (who is only almost 3). He loves to cook with me and turns out is not a picky eater at all. There is no such thing as "too many cooks in the kitchen".

    madingley said...

    I recommend freezing the bananas. It's a good way to save ripe bananas, and it adds a lot to the smoothie.

    Rima said...

    Yummy tummy. I have so got to try this.