This, of course, led to a discussion of the popular Christmas songs that actually include pumpkin references. (By the way, I could actually only think of two: "Hear Those Sleigh Bells Ringing" and "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" but if you can think of others, help me build my case!!!)
So all that is to say I don't know if you consider Thanksgiving the end of "pumpkin season" but I...do not.
This morning I knew I wanted some sort of pumpkin shake but I wanted to play with the standard pumpkin pie shake recipe. And I'm glad I did because this is yummy!
So...this was good. But I have been stricken with the dreaded "little pouch sydrome," or, LPS as I like to call it. So as I type 3/4 of this yummy shake is sitting beside my computer staring at me. Hmph. It was still yummy though!
Since then I've heard a lot of feedback from you guys. For some of you the method works great. For some, not so much. I've done some follow up and have determined that a revision to the method is in order.
So let's go over the steps. Revisions are in red.
Step One: Combine your liquid (milk or water works), protein powder and any additives (pudding mix, sugar-free syrups, etc.) in a blender. This method works best with small blenders, like a Magic Bullet, Ninja or something as basic as this one that I use at my job. The smaller the blender, the better the method works! Blend your ingredients for two minutes. Yes, two minutes. Set the timer (the microwave works well as a timer too) and let it go that long. Think of your shake sort of like cream. If you leave it alone it's just cream. Whip it a little and it becomes whippped cream. Whip it more it becomes butter. Whip it even more (and cool it at the same time) and it becomes ice cream. Same with a protein shake. The longer you let it go in your blender, the more aerated it will become and the foam you hate mixes in and turns the liquidy part of the shake into something quite dreamy. Don't believe me, just watch!
Also, the kind of protein you use will also affect the outcome. Some proteins, like Clickand Fit Frappe have natural thickeners, like guar gum, in them and so when you blend them a long time they get REALLY thick. Others, namely very low calorie whey isolates, won't have those thickeners so they don't work as well with this method! Step Two: When you stop the blender you should see something I call "gurgle pop" (see the video for an illustration). If you get gurgle-pop, you are now ready to add ice. Add enough ice cubes so that at least TWO break the surface of your liquid. Any less and your final product will be too thin to be triple thick. Any more and you are starting to lessen the flavor/sweetness of your shake (for those who have issues with sweet stuff, though, this may be a plus).
Step Three: Blend an additional minute or until your blender purrs like a kitten. It should turn out about this consistency.
Yummmm. Now I know some of you don't like the thick shakes. If you don't, no worries! Here at Bariatric Foodie we're all about having your food, your way. Which is why I always say...PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD!
#PWYF = Play With Your Food and is also how I'm going to start to denote the awesome recipes YOU send me!
This one is from Dana. He's been reading BF for a LONG time and I value his perspective on post-op life. After letting me know he's ok (he lives in the Boston area, ya see) he sent along this picture and protein drink recipe.
I'm sure Dana won't mind that I dedicate this post to the people of Boston. I am a praying person so, you are in my prayers! If you are not a praying person, I ask that you send positive thoughts for safety, healing and justice. Thanks, Foodies!
So now that three of you are all hooked up to get a canister of Click decaf let's get to my opinion of the stuff, shall we?
You all voted and the results were clear: you all wanted me to review to use my sample to make a Click Frapp! If you don't know what a Click Frapp is, start here. Then look at the bottom of the post and there will be thumbnails of other Click Frapps. I endeavor to have as many (or more) flavors than Starbucks has of Frappucinos.
Anyhoo, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start at the beginning.
About two-ish weeks ago I got an email from Beth at Click. I always get so excited to hear from her because that means something good is coming our way. Beth let me know that Click decaf will soon be shipping and that she wanted me to give it a try and let you all know what I think. She also invited me to give away three free canisters, which is what we did last week!
So a few days later I received the following:
You can't see it, but buried under there is this:
My sample!!! Ok, so maybe it isn't the prettiest packaging ever but I am just going to assume that the packaging for this stuff is so awesomely awesome that it is worth waiting for. Besides...they stocked me up on both regular Click Mocha and Click Vanilla Latte. Note for posterity: I like presents. A lot.
So a few things held up this review, one of them being that I like my Click Frapp with both Click and some chocolate whey and I was out of chocolate whey. And I was also very broke. So I had to wait until I got paid to get some more. But now that I have it...let's do this!
For the full experience of this review, see this wonderful video (wherein I manage to outtalk YouTube). Yes, it's long but it's also comic GOLD. Trust me. Best waste of 15 minutes you'll ever make! I've also recapped my experience in text below. Not nearly as exciting but...whatever.
So the packaging notwithstanding, everything about this sample struck me as regular Click. It looked like regular Click. It smelled like regular Click. But would it blend like regular Click?
What I love about Click in cold shakes is that there is something (and for the life of me from the ingredients list I cannot figure out what) that gives shakes this smooth, creamy consistency that I can achieve no other way. When paired with my Triple X Method for making extra-thick protein shakes, it's like having a damn Wendy's Frosty. Except it's low-sugar. And protein-rich. And you won't regret it five minutes after. Just sayin'.
So after loading up my handy dandy Magic Bullet Hi-Speed Blender, I gave it a whiz and...it thickened! Yay! I used the standard Click Frapp recipe (minus the cocoa powder...watch the video to find out why) and once it was all said and done had a wonderfully creamy shake, which I doled into two cups to share with La Petite Diva (I did this review at 10:40 p.m. and, forgive me, but didn't have all that big an appetite so I needed help!).
What I was looking for was mainly to see how much like regular Click the decaf version is. I like regular Click. It works for me. I didn't want the flavor to change just because it is decaf.
Now La Petite Diva was judging overall taste. She, like any kid, simply cares that it tastes good.
The verdict? A WIN on both counts! It miraculously tastes like the regular Click that I love! It has a nice espresso flavor, rich chocolate, not overbearing, not artificial tasting and not that watered down "decaffy" taste!
So...now I am in a conundrum. Cuz unlike many of you I haz ZERO problems with caffeine. It does not make me lose sleep, get headaches, etc. If I drink too much I do get jittery but I don't often drink too much caffeine so even that is minimal. So do I buy regular Click now...or Click decaf? Discuss amongst yourselves.
After a bit more research, it does appear that the stats on Click Decaf are the same as regular Click AND I scored a pic of the product (thank you Melting Mama!)
Anyhoo...here's what I was going to say when YouTube decided my time was up.
Now...if you missed the Click decaf giveaway or did not win...here's one more opportunity to win a canister!
I'm going to give away a canister of my own on Twitter (you know how I'm always asking you guys to order Amazon and Quest bars from this site? This is the kind of stuff I use those proceeds for!!!). Entering to win it is ridiculously simple:
Once my Twitter follows hit 200 (that's only 75 follows, people, we can do this!) I'll draw a Twitter follower from a random name generator to win a free canister of Click decaf. The faster we hit, 200, the faster one of you will win some Click, so be sure to tweet to your WLS (and health minded) friends to follow too!
BUT...if you want to earn extra chances at the prize, tweet a message mentioning @BariatricFoodie suggesting to your followers that they follow BF too! There will be NO limit in how many extra chances you can get this way. So you can send one tweet for one extra chance or 100 for 100 extra chances. Go crazy with it!
But you have from now until next Tuesday, June 5 to tweet your twittery hearts out. I'll draw on the Wednesday, June 6.
Now BF Facebook fans, do not scoff. I've been giving away things for every 200 Facebook likes for eons now. In fact we're getting close to the next one as we inch up to 1,600 likes. AND I've been letting you guys decide on what you win! So...I need love on my Twitter friends a little bit right now. Don't get mad. I love you all equally, k?
Raise your hand if you have a kid that just can't get into breakfast.
You beg, you plead, you guilt trip and still nothing. They are perfectly content to go through the whole morning without eating.
Thanks to our "revised" gastrointestinal systems we know that the body can go long periods of time without food, but for kids especially breakfast is important. It helps them have the energy they need to power arguably the most important organ in the human body: the brain!
My youngest daughter was that kind of kid. She would often skip breakfast, mostly because she isn't a big meat eater and cereal got boring after a while. But she does like protein shakes. In fact, she went with me to the gym this weekend and, as we were leaving, asked for a shake. I grudgingly forked over about $6 for the very same shake recipe I share below. But I would say it was still worth it because I have finally, FINALLY found something the child will consume for breakfast that is not a doughnut!
WARNING: This shake is not for you, post-ops! Especially if you have reactive hypoglycemia or, like me, are simply prone to "very special moments" when too many carbs are playing in the playground. Kids, though? They need carbs. Good carbs. And good fat. And a good bit of protein, making this a great shake for your kid. You? You may have a sip. Maybe two. But then proceed DIRECTLY to the 2nd shake recipe!!!
Nik's Trail Mix Protein Shake (for non-op shake lovers) (Depending on the age of your kid, this would make more than one shake. Feel free to cut the recipe in half to get less!)
8 oz. milk of some sort (your choice)
1/2 ripened banana
1 heaping tablespoon almond butter
1/8 c. lower-sugar granola of your choice (I used all natural pumpkin spice granola I got from the farmer's market)
1 tbsp raisins
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
A few ice cubes
OPTIONAL: Sweetener to taste (I didn't have to use sweetener but it depends on the kid)
Directions:
Combine everything EXCEPT protein and ice in your blender until well mixed.
Add protein and ice and blend again until smooth.
Serve in a glass and try not to sip!!! It's not for you!!!
The picture at the top is this protein shake in my daughters re-usable travel cup. I made it in the morning, she sipped while she dressed and took it straight out the door with her. Lovely!
Now for you...it's been a LONG time since I've done a new protein shake recipe. There are so many on this blog already (and even MORE than in that link, which I'm working on updating) that I have an extensive list from which to choose. This shake was, as so many are, a result of having to use what I had on hand at the moment. The results were very yummy.
In all fairness, this was originally called the "Hot Blondie" (with strong objections to calling it a "Hot Blonde") but then I thought, what fun was that? My inner 12 year-old yearns for more!
So for those who wonder what good hot protein drinks there are...here are some options! If you come up with any good ones of your own, hit me up!!! I'd love to hear about them!
I hope you don’t mind that I pushed this back a day. The installation of the new blog design happened way more quickly than I anticipated (because Diana, my blog designer, rocks!) and I wanted to give folks a chance to get acclimated. If you’re just seeing the new design for the first time today, you might want to read this.
So…strawberry protein. It’s sort of a conundrum to me. I’m not the biggest fan but then I wasn’t a strawberry milk person either. I like actual strawberries. Just not strawberry protein so much. So that is to say I always alter strawberry protein.
Here are my one-ingredient fixes for strawberry protein to go along with the ones I’ve already offered for chocolate and vanilla.
Nik’s One Ingredient Fixes for Strawberry Protein
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Calories: About 20-25 for a tablespoon
Cost: $3-4
Ok, aside from the obvious “chocolate covered strawberry” reference, you should know this: most strawberry protein powders are vanilla with strawberry flavoring added in. That being said, the vanilla undertones offer up some opportunities. In this case what do we think of when mixing together strawberry, vanilla and chocolate? I dunno about you but I think Neopolitan baby!!! A tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder (and a few packets of sweetener depending on your tastes) will get you there.
Butter Extract
Calories: None!
Cost: $3-4
I know what you’re saying. What’s up with the extracts??? But they really do come in handy. I have an arsenal of these suckers in my pantry. Ok so what’s up with the butter extract? Buttery, vanilla, strawberry…anything coming to mind (especially when you add whipped cream to the mix)? Shortcake! It’s amazing how the butter flavor brings that home. I’m sounding like a broken record, I know, but with extracts a little goes a long way. You can always add, you can’t take away so be careful!
Powdered Peanut (PB2)
Calories: About 53 for 2 tablespoons
Cost: $5-8-ish dollars
PB2 has shown up on all three lists so it must be a good investment, right? This, again, replicates a favorite food of mine. Peanut butter and jelly! Need I say more?
Flavored Fizzy Water
Calories: None
Cost: Varies but usually $1 or so
Use half a cup of water as your shake base instead of milk. Blend your protein then add ice. Top off with a little flavored fizzy water and you have a virgin-esque strawberry daiquiri type situation. If you happen to have a bottle of sugar-free Davinci Butter Rum syrup around, that only adds to the mocktail feel of it all.
Sugar-free pudding mixes (again)
Calories: 40 per tablespoon
Cost: $1-ish
There are many possibilities here, as there were when I mentioned these on both the last two lists! If you add banana cream, you get strawberry banana without the carbs of the banana. Chocolate does the same thing as the Neopolitan idea (but with a few more calories). Cheesecake and you get strawberry cheesecake. You get the idea!
Splurge: Vanilla Latte Click
Calories: 120 for two scoops (but I only ever use one)
Cost: $20 for a tub of it
Did you like the strawberry Frappucino drinks at Starbucks back in the day? Well you can replicate that using everyone’s favorite addiction…er, latte protein Vanilla Click (there's also mocha for us chocoholics)! One scoop with your milk based shake and you’ll be saying, “take THAT Starbucks! HUH!”
I hope you've found this little series inspiration. The BF tagline always rings true (especially now that it reads, in large text on the banner) you have to play with your food. If you find that "one magic ingredient" that takes your shake from drab to fab, let your fellow foodies know!
I posted about these the other day on Facebook and wanted to flesh out my review a little bit more.
So picture it. Baltimore. 8:30 a.m. Nik is in a rush to get to work but needs a couple of things from the drug store. While there, Nik remembers that she packed no lunch today (boo!). So Nik goes to the aisle where the protein bars are to see if anything is on sale. While there, Nik happens upon a discovery: single serving packets of protein powder from CVS. Price: Just over $2.
Strange but true fact: I keep milk in the fridge at work and my baby Hamilton blender. So I took the packet and decided to give it the nutritional pat down. Here are the stats:
Serving size: 1 packet
Calories: 140
Fat: 3g
Carbs: 5g
Sugars: 2g
Protein 25g
Ok, so far so good. It looked like a whey concentrate (which in my book is ok, your mileage may vary) so I bought it and endeavored to give it a shot.
Noon rolls around and I was...ennnnh...not really hungry but not really full (mental note: make up a vocab word for that). But I had meetings all afternoon so lunch had to be then if it was going to be at all. So I gave this a whirl with some milk and a decaf instant coffee stick.
(NOTE: I WOULD have taken pictures but I am still getting used to the reduced battery life of a smart phone so my phone was about as dead as a doornail. I was happy to just get the pic of the product.)
When the blender stopped, I sniffed. No wonky smell. That's a good sign. I could tell by the color of it (sort of "clay brown") that it was probably not going to be chocolatey enough for me but I forged on.
Poured it in a glass, tasted it and...not bad. Not bad at all. I was right, though. Not quite chocolatey enough for my liking. But then I am a choco-monster, so you might take that assessment with a grain of salt. I usually add extra cocoa powder and just a wee bit of coffee (per Ina Garten who taught me that if you do so it'll amp up the chocolate factor) to my shakes to get the full-on chocolate effect. It's a 25 calorie investment that I am willing to make.
Anyway, from what I saw they had chocolate and vanilla at my local CVS. I'm sure there is strawberry somewhere. Wait...hold on one sec and I'll Google that for you...ok, I'm back! There does not appear to be. Strange. No matter to me. I'm not a big strawberry protein fan. I've had the same canister of strawberry protein since I had surgery, if that tells you anything.
S'anyway, I probably would not use this as my regular protein, but seeing as I am occasionally prone to forgetting my lunch (or getting stuck in meetings at lunchtime) it is comforting to know I have an option for a cheap shake that is nutritionally balanced. That would be my suggestion for the rest of you all as well. If you feel so inclined, pick up a few and keep them in your "emergency stash."
It’s been a while since I posted a protein shake recipe. There is a good reason for that.
It’s been a while since I’ve actually had a protein shake.
Don’t get me wrong, I still love my shakes. But as I get further out, I’m capable of getting all my protein from solid food and these days I’ve been doing a fairly traditional “three meals, two snacks” sort of eating plan that hasn’t included many protein shakes.
But last night it was HOT and I just got a craving for a shake. So I had to make one!
These days, I’ve been trying to cut back on the shake recipes that depend on sugar free syrups, but I have to tell you, this one is well worth the investment. If you already have the two syrups I use in this recipe, it’s a great way to utilize them (especially since they don’t integrate all that naturally into many different flavors) and for those that don’t have them, it’s definitely worth giving them a try!
Optional (and not in the picture): 1 tablespoon sugar-free French Vanilla pudding mix (if you like a thicker, creamier consistency) and 2 tbsp fat or sugar-free whipped topping for garnish.
Directions:
Mix according to the Triple X method or your favorite shake mixing methodology. Pour in a nice glass and SLURP! I didn’t have a little paper umbrella handy but it is totally THAT kind of drink. This is a good one for the family barbecue when everyone else is imbibing. You can have this, FEEL like you’re having a cocktail, and you won’t end up with embarrassing pictures on Facebook.
Now you’d think I’d learned my lesson last week about non-scientific product reviews. After all, I have now come out of my pocket and bought yet ANOTHER protein powder(I am now at critical mass, by the way) so I can figure out where the brownie batter phenomenon comes from after using the Everlast HypePlex Chocolate.
But nope…I am a hopeless cause. I learned nothing. And I did it again.
Between chocolate and vanilla, I am solidly on Team Chocolate. So convincing me to try anything of the vanilla variety, and especially protein, is dicey. I don’t hate vanilla, but it’s very, very, very easy to eff up that flavor. And bad vanilla is just…bad.
So to protect myself (justification alert), I made this sample into a Vanilla Click Frapp, thereby combining the vanilla powder I wasn’t sure about with a flavor I knew I’d like. It was self defense really.
Moving on…so this time I tried it out at work, a place with a much more organized, well-lit and (dare I admit it?) clean environment. Stats on the vanilla are pretty much the same as the chocolate. Same ingredients minus the cocoa powder.
As per usual, I start with a whiff of the powder. Again, no whey smell. Encouraging. So I threw all my ingredients in Hamilton, Jr. and decided to let the chips fall where they may! (Note to self: Hamilton, Jr. needs a good bath…stat!)
I am a Triple X shake drinker so it came out very thick and creamy...but I don't have a pic...yet. (Thankfully my friend Kathy gave me her sample so I'm making another one tomorrow and will post a pic then).
I didn’t take a pretty cup picture mostly because…well frankly my cup at work is just not that inspired. You know how I told you I name everything? Well my cup at work is a big purple cup. It is named…big purple cup. So there ya go.
At this point, I should say that both the chocolate and vanilla shakes came out a good deal creamier than I’m used to with most of my shakes. Now had I used Click both times, I might have attributed that to the Click, because it tends to do that to shakes (it is magical). But this was even creamier than my standard Click shake so…I dunno. But for me this is a good thing.
Let’s taste it, shall we?
(Slurp…slurp…just envision me drinking here…)
Ok, so a few points.
Again, I am picking up a batter like taste. It isn’t overwhelming here so it doesn’t completely bug. Again, but for brownie batter, I pretty much leave the batter bowl alone. But this wasn’t unpleasant.
It does taste like actual vanilla. Not “chemically manufactured vanilla flavoring” but…vanilla. Nice. I’m still on Team Chocolate though.
There isn’t really a number three but for some reason I’m opposed to lists with less than three items.
So, would I buy this protein powder for at home? No. But mostly because I use vanilla so rarely that I literally go through one canister of vanilla powder a year maybe. But if you’re into vanilla, go for it!
Verdict: Diva says Do it! (I can’t give it a “Divine” because I don’t feel inspired to dub anything vanilla flavored as divine…but that’s the highest consolation rating a vanilla product can get, for what it’s worth…)
This shake was supposed to go up around Valentine's Day. I even had a really cute name for it ("Nik's Love Potion #10"). Alas, it was not meant to be. But the good news is this. I'm turning a corner on this bug I have and needed a protein boost so I made one of these babies today!
It's YUMMY! I hope you'll agree
The Strawberry Click Frapp
Ingredients
8 oz. milk (whatever kind you use)
1 scoop strawberry whey (I used this)
1 scoop Vanilla Latte Click
A handful of frozen strawberries
Optional (although I wished I had it here at the office): a "poof" of fat free whippage.
Directions
Blend using the Triple X method. Or not. Your choice!
We now have a good little collection of Click Frapps going on here. Check it out:
So take that Starbucks with your sneaky sugar in the Frappucino!!! HUH!
Oh dear...I think I lost myself there for a moment. But you get the point. There is no reason you can't have a Frapp that satisfies both your sweet tooth AND your daily plan! Enjoy!
So this protein shake was born a few years ago, around St. Patrick's Day.
And you might find this hard to believe...but I...am not Irish.
Still I'm inspired by St. Patrick’s Day. National/Cultural pride is a great thing and it should be celebrated.
Although, today’s shake isn't really about that. It’s triple chocolate. And much as I am proud of my African-American ancestry…calling myself a triple-chocolate diva is a bit of a stretch. I’m more like “dulce de leche” with a bit more caramel added in for good measure, y’know?
Rather, this shake was the result of a mistake (as many of my favorite shakes are). I wanted a chocolate shake. Just chocolate. Nothing else. But just chocolate protein and milk does NOT do it for me. So I got to mixing. By accident I grabbed an incorrect ingredient that took this shake straight to where it needed to be. One sip and I was in love.
But being the shake scientist I claim to be, I wanted a 2nd opinion. So I called in the other resident shake expert in my house (La Petite Diva) who took one sip of the shake and deemed it a…
I mean seriously...could I find a St. Patrick's Day shirt that is any MORE me than this????
So the U-Bet…it seems to be very easy to find everywhere except where I live. It’s no calorie which makes it appealing for shake use, but more than that…it’s actually a decent syrup. Now I wouldn’t go putting it in my milk alone and calling it chocolate milk (although La Petite Diva does and actually likes it) but it has a “real” chocolate flavor that supports this whole effort very nicely.
If you don’t have this syrup in your area and don’t want to order it, here’s my advice. Order it. (Kidding. Sorta.) I have not tried this yet, but I would imagine you could also use something like Hood Calorie Countdown Chocolate (which is only a few more calories and less carbs than a glass of skim milk). Or you could just omit the syrup and see how that turns out. I’m not exactly sure of the flavor differential between a “triple” and a “double” chocolate shake.
What I would NOT do, however, is use regular sugar-free chocolate syrup (like Hershey’s). Unnecessary calories that don’t give you much back.
I also would just leave this shake naked. No whippage. Nothing to come between you and the intense chocolatey bliss that this shake provides.
So for those of you who, like me, are not Irish and get goosey off a quarter glass of wine...enjoy a protein drink today. If you want to go more the traditional route, try my Irish Coffee protein shake or, if food is more your thing, do a different spin on corned beef and cabbage with my Reuben ramekins.
But do celebrate...yourself...your life...the sunshine...SOMETHING. It's St. Patty's Day!
You decide to be nice and make something yummy for someone you love. It’s not for you, it’s for them. And because you love them, you put some actual effort into making it good — you measure out your ingredients, you mix it all up and prepare it carefully…you even make it look pretty.
Then, just to make sure everything is good…you know, quality control and all…you decide to have tiny little taste and think, “Hot damn! Why didn’t I make this for myself????” And now you’re officially pissed off. Because you know when you DO make it for yourself…it isn’t going to taste this good!
I found myself in that situation this morning. La Petite Diva has always loved protein drinks and I don’t mind feeding them to her, especially for breakfast on the go. She even has her own dedicated blender bottle so she can continue drinking all the way until she gets to school!
Here’s what went in the cup today:
Nik’s Tropical Sunrise Protein Smoothie
(Note: I’m not giving exact amounts with the fruit because, frankly, I always have a bit of trouble determining the actual measurement. I will say I filled my Magic Bullet blender cup ¾ of the way with fruit if that helps).
Ingredients
Frozen fruit medley (with a special emphasis on peaches, melon and strawberry)
Fresh cut mango
1 c. skim milk
1 scoop unflavored protein (or you could use a vanilla if you like)
½ stick Orange Early Sunrise drink mix (the kind from Wal-Mart)
A splash of sugar-free Coconut syrup
Directions:
Place fruit, milk, protein and drink mix in a blender and blend until smooth.
I topped the above with a dollop of whippage (force of habit) and a few mango pieces…after which I took the ill-fated sip before dumping the whole thing into my daughters blender cup.
I vow to make myself this smoothie later on today!!!
Y'all have heard me mention my morning protein smoothie by now, I'm sure. Well this morning I was out of my usual EAS Vanilla Soy Protein Powder that I use for my Blueberry and Tropical Smoothies. I had plenty of Chocolate EAS Soy on hand, so I decided to try something new, just in time for Valentine's Day!
This dessert inspired the smoothie
I love Chocolate covered strawberries, as those of you who've tried my Better Than Sex Dessert could probably tell. So I thought a Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie would be scrumptious, and it was!
Here's how it's done:
Jen's Chocolate Covered Strawberry Protein Smoothie
Directions: Add the smoothie kit to the mixing cup of your shake blender, pour in the milk, then add the protein powder, sweetener, and syrup. Blend until smooth, usually about a minute or so. Pour into a tall glass, top with whippage and chocolate sugar free ice cream syrup if you desire, and enjoy!
Chai. Once an exotic drink found mainly in Indian restaurants, now it seems EVERYONE makes in varying forms to suit every tea making skill level.
I myself own several variations of “chai mix.” I have some General Foods International Coffee Chai (I rarely use it. Too many calories and it takes a LOT to make my whole mug taste like chai). I have the individual components that make up Pam’s Protein Chai Tea (I love Pam, but I don’t use that often either. I have a mental block to pre-making protein mixes. Don’t ask why. There is no explanation.)
About a year or so ago, Jen sent me a bottle of Davinci sugar-free Chai Tea Concentrate. Well…that changed everything! It’s so easy to use. To make yourself a regular chai, you’d just warm up some milk, steep in your favorite herbal tea (preferably just a plain, flavor neutral variety) add the concentrate, some sweetener and you’re ready to go! (It is missing that wonderful concoction of spices that float atop traditional Chai but, not being the biggest fan of “floaties,” I can deal with that).
But, as I said last week, I am on a Click Frapp craze. Here’s the deal: Starbucks makes many Frappucino flavors…none of which are completely sugar-free therefore none completely safe for the sugar-dumper. My philosophy about healthy eating is that if you are to be successful, every poor eating choice has to be matched with a food choice of equal or greater yumminess. So it is my mission to invent as many Frapp recipes as I can, until I feel a bit less resentful about the Starbucks situation.
If you want a hot chai protein drink, I highly encourage you to check out Pam’s chai tea mix. The above can be made into a hot drink as well by mixing the both protein powders with room temperature water until a smooth paste forms THEN adding hot milk to that and stirring vigorously. It takes some practice, but you should end up with a smooth, lump free drink (and yes, hot protein drinks are still protein drinks. Heating them doesn’t destroy the protein!).
Today's post is a two-fer, you get a recipe AND a handy "Basics" tip! Recipe first, then the tip details just after it.
So y'all have heard me mention my daily protein smoothie as my first meal of the day, and I reviewed the Yoplait Frozen Smoothie awhile back. While I love the convenience of these, they are not very affordable for those of us on a budget.
The cheapest I've EVER found them was on sale for $2.79 a bag. That's $1.40 per smoothie, not counting the cost of the milk, protein powder, and anything else you add. For that price I could go to Smoothie King and have them make me one!
Jen's Peachy Keen Tropical Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 Mixed Fruit Smoothie Kit (see instructions below the recipe)
8 oz milk (whatever type you use)
1 scoop Vanilla protein powder
3 teaspoons sugar-free sweetener (I used Splenda)
2 pumps/tablespoons DaVinci Sugar Free Peach Syrup
Directions:
Add the smoothie kit to the mixing cup of your shake blender, pour in the milk, then add the protein powder, sweetener, and syrup. Blend until smooth, usually about a minute or so. Pour into a tall glass and enjoy!
Jen's DIY Protein Smoothie Freezer Kits
I had to find a less expensive alternative that still had the convenience factor of the Yoplait Smoothies, so here's what I figured out, and it's pretty handy!
Equipment:
Ice Cube Trays
Small Freezer bags (or you can use FoodSaver bags if you have one of those)
Ingredients:
2 bags frozen fruit, no sugar added (I like the mixture of pineapple, strawberries, peaches, & mango)
1 32 oz container plain Greek Yogurt (0% or 2%, whichever you use)
Directions:
Spoon yogurt into ice cube trays, spreading it evenly so the cubes are the same size. Once the tray is full, lightly tap it on the counter (like when you put batter in a cake pan) to make sure there are no air bubbles.
Freeze overnight, or until the yogurt cubes are solid. Assemble the bags as follows to make 1 smoothie per bag: 2 yogurt cubes, 1/2 cup fruit. Seal the bags, put them in your freezer, then pull one out when you're ready to mix your smoothie.
Added bonus: 2 cubes of Greek Yogurt is equivalent to about 2 ounces, so that's another protein punch in this tasty treat! Enjoy!
You may also enjoy our other Protein Smoothie concoctions:
Does this look goooooood to you? You could have this kind of yummy goodness, made with Jen and Nik's very own hands...by attending the "Shake it Up!" protein shake tasting. See the side panel for details!
…And the Click Frapp madness continues!
So let’s go over what we’ve already covered, shall we?
Optional: 2 tbsp whippage and a drizzle of sugar free caramel sundae topping (I actually had cinnamon caramel topping so it carried the theme all the way!)
Like I said…I don’t usually drink Vanilla Latte Click except when I get a hankering for vanilla. This weekend that happened for me and I wanted something different. I recently organized my bottles of sugar-free syrup (I have about 30 bottles of varying flavors) and saw that my Davinci sugar-free cinnamon syrup is vastly under-utilized. Now that I have this recipe, I think it’ll be in more heavy rotation!
Onward and upward! Ok so...I don’t usually do this but I’m going to actually TELL you my next Frapp adventure: I also noticed that my Davinci sugar-free Chai Tea concentrate was not getting a lot of usage…so guess what’s next????
Want even more recipes featuring CLICK Espresso Protein? Check out the FREE e-book I wrote called "50 Ways to CLICK!" You can download it here.
And if you need general protein shake ideas you know you always have...
This is more than a recipe book. It's a protein shake "how to" guide. What makes shakes too thick? Too thin? Foamy? Why do they sometimes smell funny and most importantly how can you make them so that YOU like them? All is revealed - along with dozens of crave-worthy recipes!
My friend Pam. You’ve heard me mention her a few times, right? Well, she sent me a box for Christmas, bless her heart. In it was something I’d been wanting to try forever: Body Fortress Chocolate-Peanut Butter protein powder!!!
So I have a review and a recipe. The whole thing is too damn long (meaning it really should be two blog posts) so I am putting a handy-dandy bold purple subtitle on each section so if you want to come back to the review and go straight for the recipe, you can do that (but do come back please!). Aren't I considerate???
The Review
Psst! Click the picture (or any of the links in this post)! It'll take you to where you can order!!!
Now, let me say this about my beloved Body Fortress. Yes, it contains whey protein concentrate (along with isolate). That means it has some lactose and fat in it that isolate alone does not. This does not, in my estimation, make it a lesser protein. The whey in it is no less easily absorbed than whey isolate alone. It’s just that if you had equal scoops of concentrate blend and isolate alone, the isolate would obviously have more whey protein in it than the concentrate would. Clear as mud, right?
But in the end, I defer to results in all things. Body Fortress has been 98% of my protein supplement consumption for the last three years. I lost 155 lbs. Went from a size 26 to a size 10. Here is my journey in pictures:
Enough said. Moving on…
Usually I have to doctor Body Fortress up. It doesn’t have a really bad whey smell but the taste alone doesn’t do much for me. This is a good thing, especially for all of you, because the fact that I had to doctor up Body Fortress is what got me to experimenting with protein shake recipes. And look where that got us!
So when the sample of the powder arrived, I decided to be scientific about trying it (or, as scientific as my decidedly un-scientific self is capable of being).
First, I tried it with some water. I generally don’t like water-based shakes. But I wanted to get an idea of the “flavor profile” of the powder (look at me, using fancy culinary terms!). I noticed three things:
The powder stands on its own in terms of sweetness - no Splenda needed! (this says a lot as I am a Splenda crackhead)
The shake thickened up upon blending, probably because of the addition of the peanut product (I wish I knew what it was...the label doesn't say...)
You can actually taste the peanut component. Like...for real. Not a fake peanut taste but real, genuine peanuts. Mmmmm...
So obviously I didn’t really like the water based shake so then I moved onto just milk and the powder. Not a bad experience either. Not my preference, which is why I was glad when it came time to fool around with it.
I’d been making what I call a “Clickabutter” Frapp for a while now. For some reason, peanut amps up the coffee-ness of coffee (in much the same way coffee amps up the chocolatey-ness of chocolate). It’s hard to describe, but peanut butter flavor in a coffee drink doesn’t exactly read as peanut butter (if done in the right proportions). Instead, it reads as a really strong coffee flavor.
So I decided to see how Body Fortress figured into that. Here’s what I came up with:
I made it according to the Triple X method, of course (your mileage may vary so use your good judgment) and poured it into a glass.
And I sipped. And I sipped again. And again. I like it. I like it a lot! The peanut butter did amp up the coffee flavor but my tongue still picked up the peanut butter flavor. As with all my shakes, it was thick and creamy. It could have used a dollop of whippage but we can rectify that in the future.
"But Nik...I like the Click Vanilla Latte! I still want a Clickabutter Frapp!"
You folks are lucky I love you! :) I am not the biggest fan of Click Vanilla Latte (I don't hate it...it's just that I am on Team Chocolate), but I do have a canister that I keep around when the occasional vanilla craving hits (and on those days the stuff really hits the spot). Here's my vanilla variation:
A warning about my Click Frapps in general: there is a LOT of protein in them. If you make yours from exactly the same ingredients as mine, there is 41.5g of protein in the shake to be precise. Newbies, tread with caution. And no…your body doesn’t explode if you have too much protein at a sitting. For those of you who are gym rats, your body will USE the protein. For anyone else…remember that if you had RNY or DS you have a malabsorptive digestive system. A high protein shake simply increases the overall amount of protein you get from the shake.
Anyway…now I have to order some Body Fortress Chocolate Peanut Butter. Damn you Pam!!! I have a cabillionty seven containers of protein and I am sitting here on the cusp of ordering yet another. Sigh…
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? Buttery, vanilla, strawberry…anything coming to mind (especially when you add whipped cream to the mix)? Shortcake! It’s amazing how the butter flavor brings that home. I’m sounding like a broken record, I know, but with extracts a little goes a long way. You can always add, you can’t take away so be careful!
)
)
(it’s strong so you don’t need much)
was not getting a lot of usage…so guess what’s next????
!!!
(or Peanut Flour from Trader Joe's)
