Chocolate Spinach Protein Smoothie

I have a reason for not having a picture of this most decadent and delicious of smoothie recipes. I was thinking about photographing it and looked at it and thought, "Wow... this is kind of a sickly pea green color." I felt like Linguini on Ratatouille, "Why do they call it that? If you're going to name a food it should sound delicious! Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like rat, and patootie. Ratpatootie! Which does NOT sound delicious!"

I don't want to turn you guys away with a picture of sickly pea green substance in an awful orange colored cup. Yeah... not a good idea.

This color. In a cup. Not kidding.

But, seriously, this is my favorite smoothie of all time. It is smooth, delicious and VERY filling.

I buy organic spinach in the tubs at Sam's Club. ($4.39/lb for the organic baby spinach). It is cheaper if you can get it at Costco but only slightly ($3.99). The tub is pretty big and lasts quite a while. I also get my almonds at Sam's club. At $10.89 for a 3 lb bag you just can't find them cheaper ANYWHERE.

The xanthan and guar gums are optional. The smoothie works without them but they lend a creaminess that you can't beat. It makes the smoothie take on more of a soft serve ice cream texture. You can find them online or at a local store that carries spices in bulk. (Like Winco).

CHOCOLATE SPINACH PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

A Shayla Original

Serves 2 (or 1 if you are really hungry)

See bottom of recipe for substitution options

12 ounces unsweetened almond milk 

1/4 tsp Saigon cinnamon

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 large banana (very ripe)

1 huge handful baby spinach

1/8 tsp each xanthan and guar gum

2-3 cups ice

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

If you have a BLENDTEC or other high powered blender you can make your own almond milk very easily. Just put 12 ounces cold water in the jar, add 1/3 cup whole, nonsalted, nonroasted almonds, cinnamon, protein powder and the cocoa powder. Blend on WHOLE JUICE. Add the remaining ingredients and blend on SMOOTHIE.

I, personally, LOVE saigon cinnamon. You can get it at Costco or other bulk food places. If you are using normal cinnamon you might want to use a bit more since saigon cinnamon is a little bit stronger.

You can also make this without protein powder. Since I can't do sugar it is hard for me to find a protein powder that fits my needs. The only one I have found so far is Jillian Michael's Vanilla Cream Whey Protein Powder:

It is naturally sweetened with fructose and a little bit with stevia. I don't have problems with either of those so this is the ideal protein powder for me. However, they recently stopped carrying it at Sam's Club so until I can find it for a good price elsewhere or find a suitable replacement I have been making my smoothie without it. Since the protein powder lends an amount of sweetness to the smoothie on its own when I eliminate it I add 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and 1 heaping Tbsp stevia powder to my smoothie mix. If my banana isn't very ripe I add a little bit more stevia. It is wonderful either way.

This is the stevia that I use. If you use it be careful... the more you add the more of a bitter aftertaste it will have. A little bit goes a long way!

I made this smoothie this morning and gave some to my babies. My girl [A] said to me, "Mom, thank you for making this oh so delicious smoothie!" 

Happy blending!

All opinions on products listed this post are my own based on personal experience. I was not contacted by any of these companies to provide these opinions or compensated in any way. All pictures were obtained via Google Image Search on the web and Shayla's Kitchen makes no personal claim to them. 

QUESTION FOR MY READERS: Do you have a favorite protein powder? Send me a link to your favorite smoothie recipe or just send me the recipe itself!

Loves... Shayla

Supper-Time Sunday!

So I have come to a decision. I really don't have time to be a regular blogger. I just don't. I have 2 very busy children and I am about to go back to school and I am working. So here is the new game plan. I am going to post every Sunday about recipes that I have made throughout the week that are non-original. I will post a picture, include any changes that I made, give it a rating and include a link to the recipe where you can find it. All other recipes posted on this blog will be original recipes, created by me, whenever I so happen to make something original. Sound good? Okay. Here we go:

Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Rating: A+

We absolutely loved these. Really. We had them like 3 days in a row because the recipe makes a LOT. The recipe says 7-8 large patties but I made almost 24 smaller patties, not kidding. Jake liked his with a little bit of Greek yogurt ranch or mustard but I ate mine plain. I couldn't find tahini anywhere so I used a mixture of all natural peanut butter and toasted sesame oil. You use 3 parts peanut butter to every 1 part sesame oil in place of the tahini. I also baked mine in the oven instead of frying them in a pan. It took about 30 - 40 minutes at 350 and then I broiled them for just a few minutes. A few of the reviewers said that the patties easily fell apart so I added 1 egg to my batch. They kept together excellently. They reheat really well too so you can make a bunch and eat them later or the next day. This one is going in our permanent file!

Link: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/easy-sweet-potato-veggie-burgers-with.html

Lemony Pesto Pasta with Edamame & Almonds

Rating: B-

This dish has a lot of good elements too it but I wasn't a huge fan of it. I love every ingredient individually but the dish relies heavily on the lemon for most of the flavor and then you get a few kicks of pesto in the mouth. It isn't one that I think we will make again.

Link: http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-pesto-pasta-with-lemon-145783#

Spinach and Parmesan Omelet

Rating: A+

I love this meal. I really really really do. I think I could eat it every single day for breakfast. The Tabasco sauce is a MUST and the Parmesan cheese is totally optional. This entire breakfast is part of Fitness Magazine's Fat-Fighting 300-calorie breakfasts.

Link: http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/you-can-do-it/fat-fighting-low-calorie-breakfast-recipes/

Mini Chocolate-Chip Breakfast Cookies

Rating: A 

First off, make no mistake about the size of these - they are VERY mini. One big bite or two smaller bites at the most. And they don't turn out looking a whole lot like a normal cookie; however, they have an excellent taste and texture and they are certainly ones that I would make again. I love that they are healthy as well. I didn't have raspberries on hand so I used Craisins and 70% dark chocolate chunks in mine. Yummy!

Link: http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/04/16/mini-chocolate-chip-breakfast-cookies/#

Amy's Spicy Beans and Rice

Rating: A+

I made quite a few changes to this recipe. I drained the beans completely and rinsed them off. I added a can of diced tomatoes (15 ounce) that I mostly drained and about 1 1/2 cups frozen corn. I also used banana peppers in place of the jalapeno. I think I sprinkled a little bit of crushed red pepper in there too... we like things spicy here! We served it over gluten free Multigrain chips and myself and my husband absolutely loved it. It is definitely one that we will make again. This is a really low calorie and low fat meal.

*Just as a side note... I don't know how good the original recipe would be... just a warning!

Link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Amys-Spicy-Beans-and-Rice/Detail.aspx

Chef Meg's Orange Chicken

Rating: B-

Orange chicken is not supposed to be friend with a slight hint of an orange flavor - this is more of an authentic version. Unfortunately, unless you REALLY like orange flavor, this dish isn't for you. It is very strong and the orange is very powerful. My family loved it but it wasn't really my cup of tea and not one that I would make again. (Since I am the one cooking). I followed the advice of a reviewer and added 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger, a few splashes of low sodium soy sauce and some crushed red pepper to my marinade. I also added 1 tsp cornstarch to the sauce.

Link: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=871143

Secret Detox Drink

Rating on Taste: D.. ish

Why do I drink this if it tastes bad? Look at these amazing health benefits (source HERE):

Apple Cider Vinegar is full of enzymes and good bacteria. It contains acetic acid which has been shown to lower blood pressure up to 6%. It can also help eat up the starches if you do eat grains in your diet.

Lemon juice helps balance blood sugar and has an alkaline effect on your body helping to regulate ph. It contains, Vitamin C. 

Cinnamon is one of the best anti-oxidants on the planet. It is the number one herb/spice for balancing blood sugar.

Cayenne Pepper has been shown to drop blood pressure, increase metabolism.

Stevia is an all natural sweetener made from the stevia plant and it is a great replacement for any artificial sweeteners. 

It really isn't as bad as you might be thinking. The biggest problems are the cayenne and the cinnamon. They hit the back of your throat pretty strongly and it can be hard to get the cinnamon down. The apple cider/lemon/water/stevia mixture really isn't bad at all. I would probably give it a B on taste. It is just the cayenne and cinnamon... oh man! But I have already felt the benefits of it in the 1 day I have been trying it so I will continue my love-hate relationship with this drink. 

Link: http://www.draxe.com/recipe/secret-detox-drink/

Flaxy Green Smoothie

Here is another delicious and nutritious smoothie recipe for you to enjoy! I absolutely loved this smoothies lime green color. The taste of the pineapple was delicious in the smoothie as well. This recipe is courtesy of the Blendtec cookbook but it can be found online at this site here: http://www.blendtec.com/recipes/view/222

FLAXY GREEN SMOOTHIE

• 2 Tbsp flax seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 cups spinach
• 2 Clementine oranges, peeled (or 1 orange, peeled)
• 1/2 cup frozen pineapple

Add water and flax seeds to blender and secure lid. Press "Pulse" 4-6 times. Add remaining ingredients to pitcher in the order listed above and secure lid. Blend until smooth and serve.

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SMOOTHIES!

This post is dedicated specifically to Brittany Henderson!

I discovered that one of my absolute favorite things in the world is, of course, SMOOTHIES! I am completely addicted to Jamba Juice and when we found out we were going to be getting a substantial tax return I invested in the best kitchen appliance I ever dreamed of owning:

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is the Blendtec Total Blender. Saw it. Loved it. Had to have it. GOT IT!!!

I have a smoothie every single day, usually for lunch as a meal replacement. And I am not talking about smoothies that are packed with sugar or sweeteners or anything. I am talking about good, nutritious, packed with health smoothies. I am talking Green here people! Fresh fruits, fresh veggies, LOTS of goodness.

It seemed rather daunting to me to dedicate several posts to different smoothies so instead I am going to give you several of my current favorites in one list. I am sorry that there aren't any pictures... but maybe I will add them later? It is hard for me to think about snapping a picture of my basic lunch... anyways... Ready? Okay let's get to the goodness!

SHAYLA'S GO-TO LUNCH SMOOTHIE

(This is the smoothie I USUALLY have for lunch every day)

1/2 cup acai juice

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (you could also throw in an apple)

1/2 frozen banana

1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves (almost filled to the top)

Add pebble ice depending on if you want it more juicy or more smoothie-ish (you can buy it at Sonic for $1.71 a bag)

Add ingredients in order listed above and blend until smooth! Makes 1 large smoothie. (This is the direction for all smoothies, unless there is something "special" about the blending process I won't mention this again.)

SHAYLA'S ALTERNATE LUNCH SMOOTHIE

(Because right now I am out of acai...)

3/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 banana

1 6 oz. container of blueberry yogurt*

2-3 handfuls of baby spinach leaves

*Yoplait yogurt is NOT a good idea! It has SOOOO much sugar! I buy the Pure brand from Sam's Club that only has 9 basic ingredients. The best yogurt you could get would be Greek yogurt. You can also buy it in bulk at Sam's club in "flavors."

SHAYLA'S BELOVED ORANGE SMOOTHIE

3/4 cup almond milk

2 oranges, peeled and quartered

1 cup baby carrots

1/2 frozen banana, optional

(I like this just as listed but it may not be sweet enough for some people... if you want it to be sweeter then I would definitely add the banana and 1 or 2 tsp of a sweetener of your choosing. I choose Stevia.)

ORANGE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

1 orange - peel and remove seeds

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt

1 cup strawberries - leave stems*

1/2 banana - peeled

1 cup ice

*Why do we leave the stems? Because they are good for you! The blender will take care of them so don't even worry about it!

GRAPE ORANGE GRAPEFRUIT SMOOTHIE

From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

2 cups grapes
1 cup orange - peeled
1/2 cup grapefruit - peeled
1 Tbsp sugar (or honey or Stevia or agave nectar... etc.)
2 cups ice

LIME KIWI SMOOTHIE
From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

2 kiwis - peeled (or not... I don't)
1 large pear - seeded
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar (This is a bit sweet for me but you can use that much of a sweetener if you want)
1/3 cup water
1 cup ice

COCO MINT SMOOTHIE
(This is a very different flavor of smoothie but it is delicious!)
From Blendtec Lifestyles Cookbook

1/4 cup cream of coconut
1/8 cup milk
1/4 tsp mint extract
1/4 cup pineapple
1 1/2 cups ice

SLAMMIN' SUNRISE "GREEN" SMOOTHIE
From Hell if I Gnaw (Site: http://www.hellifignaw.blogspot.com/2012/02/slammin-sunrise-smoothie.html)

2 - 3 cups organic spinach
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1-2 cups frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana
2 Tbsp flaxseeds (This smoothie is still delicious without the flaxseeds, just not AS good for you. But still good for you!)

HEAVENLY BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE
From Allrecipes.com (Site:http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Heavenly-Blueberry-Smoothie/Detail.aspx?ms=1&prop25=77299861&prop26=WhatsCooking&prop27=2012-02-16&prop28=PhotoArea2&prop29=Photo_1&me=1)

• 1 frozen banana, thawed for 10 to 15 minutes
• 1/2 cup vanilla soy milk (or normal milk)
• 1 cup vanilla fat-free yogurt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons flax seed meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2/3 cup frozen blueberries

PINEAPPLE MANGO GREEN SMOOTHIE

From Maria at Two Peas and their Pod (Site of recipe: http://www.zupas.com/2012/02/pineapple-mango-green-smoothie/)

1 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 banana, frozen
1 cup chopped mango
1/2 cup chopped fresh pineapple
2 cups fresh spinach
1/2 cup of ice

________________________________________________

And there you have it! These are the ones we usually make or have tried recently. I will post more as I go along but I wanted to jump start with a whole list. You probably noticed the use of spinach is quite prevalent... don't be afraid! It is delicious and you really can't taste it in the smoothie. You can buy a big box at Sam's Club for about $3.50 and it is SOOOO wonderful! Do it... you know you secretly want to!

Love, Shayla

Caramel Apple Cider

We love flavorful beverages at our house and when I saw this recipe on the wonderful site http://jandeecrafts.blogspot.com/ I knew that we had to try it! Unfortunately, I don't think ours turned out the way that it was supposed to. It was REALLY strong, literally like we were DRINKING carameled apples. But I believe it has the potential to be a lot better. Just be really careful. Don't make your initial apple cider too strong. I know it is tempting, but the caramel/sweetened milk will add a LOT of sweetness. And add the caramel mixture slowly, tasting it occasionally, so that you get it just right. I was making a big batch and everyone was in sugar shock for the rest of the night. Lol!

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER

11-14 oz. caramel squares or bits
1 small can sweetened condensed milk
Apple cider packets

Place all of the caramel in a microwaveable bowl with the sweetened condensed milk. Stir. Place in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Continue this process until caramel is completely melted and mix thoroughly. Make up apple cider packets as indicated on package. Stir in 2-3 Tbsp of caramel mix into hot apple cider. Serve!

Brazilian Lemonade!

If you have ever been to Rodizio Grill and had this lemonade you will know how ADDICTING it is! The food is phenomenal there and if it weren't so expensive we would go all the time. But instead of paying $4 a glass - with this recipe you pay about $4 a pitcher! Easy to make and SOOO tasty you will want to finish the whole pitcher of lemonade yourself! The picture is courtesy of Steph's Kitchen and the recipe is courtesy of Our Best Bites.

BRAZILIAN LEMONADE

From Our Best Bites

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.

Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you're using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.

Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.

Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water.

Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; if you used giant, thick-skinned limes and don't test it and it can come out a little bitter. If it's bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.

Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Hot Vanilla

I love hot drinks! Especially hot chocolate and hot apple cider. They are so soothing and comforting, and with all of this crazy snow, that is just what we need! This one is DEFINITELY a keeper! In Jake's words, "Yummmmm, that is the stuff!" It's fast, it's easy, it doesn't require a whole lot of ingredients you wouldn't already have on hand, and it's EXTREMELY tasty! I got this recipe here.

HOT VANILLA

from Real Mom Kitchen

1/2 cup of whipping cream

1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup

Dash of cinnamon

1 cup of milk (per hot vanilla)
2 teaspoons of sugar (per hot vanilla)

1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract (per hot vanilla)

1. Start with the topping. In a medium bowl, whip 1/2 cup of whipping cream until it's frothy. Add 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup and a dash of cinnamon, then continue to whip the mixture until everything is well blended and peaks form. Makes enough to top about 6 drinks.

2. For each hot vanilla, microwave 1 cup of milk and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a mug for 90 seconds. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Top with a dollop of chocolate cream, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and a dash of cinnamon.

Virgin Strawberry Colada

This was one of our favorite things to make in the late night days of college. This beverage is especially good served with a fresh piece of fruit.

VIRGIN STRAWBERRY COLADA

4 Chilled Glasses
1 c. cream of coconut
1 c. crushed ice
1 c. pineapple juice
12 oz. strawberries fresh or frozen

Blend fresh or frozen strawberries, cream of coconut and pineapple juice. Add crushed ice and blend until smooth. Pour into chilled glasses. Serve with a straw.

Wassail

A classic holiday treat! If anything, make the whole thing - no halving! You may even want to double it. Trust me, you will want to continue to return to the pot and just have to heat it up! My mom QUADRUPLED this recipe and it was gone in 2 days. Yeah, it's that good.

WASSAIL

½ gallon apple cider
1 ½ cups of orange juice, made up
¼ cup honey
½ tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

Add all ingredients to pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and serve.