Shout Outs - Sister's Soft, Moist Sunday III

If you were following along back in April, and I selfishly hope that you were, you'll remember my taking part in Making Love in the Kitchen's 3-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse. At the time I wasn't sure what drew me to this challenge, but I'm beginning to wonder if it was some sort of subconscious precognitive hunch. Of course, it may have been co-incidence or just plain old luck that prompted me to participate. Whatever the reason, I find that I'm drawing on that experience every time I break out the blender and try to conjure up new smoothie for my sister.

Not that I'm trying to dispense nutritional advice. That's Meghan's job. I'm just trying to find a way for my sister to incorporate more whole foods into her diet. Participation in the cleanse has given me the confidence to experiment. I find myself combining ingredients I'd never considered before, like watermelon with cucumber or strawberry with lettuce and green tea. In spite of my sister's doubts, I'm sure nothing I've combined will harm her. She suspects I might be trying to get even for past sisterly mishaps. Like the gum in my hair incident. She forgets that I test all these smoothies on myself and hubby first.

Another advantage of taking part in Meghan's program was the opportunity to connect with other participants. Even now, months later, I found myself being inspired by Ginger Lemon Girl's (aka Carrie's) experiences during the cleanse. It was her unique solution for conquering peanut butter and jelly sandwich cravings that prompted me to do a little experimenting of my own. While my recipe is rather different from hers (I based mine on price, ingredient availability and my sister's taste) the original idea came from her. I'm grateful to her for sharing her thoughts so freely, and I'm grateful to Meghan for hosting the cleanse and making such connections possible.

This Week's Soft, Moist Selections

PB & J in a Blender

(This one is a work in progress. When I asked hubby what he thought it tasted like, he said satay sauce. Obviously needs some work, but tasty none the less. You can add more or less water, depending on how thick you like your smoothie. Also, consider other fruit instead of strawberries if strawberry jam isn't your favourite.)

Makes 4 cups

1 cup strawberries
3/4 cup apple juice
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 banana
1 cup milk
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup water

- Blend strawberries and apple juice.
- Add peanut butter, banana and milk and blend.
- Add honey and water and blend until smooth.


Banana, Peach and Green Tea Smoothie

(I'm guessing a nectarine would work as well as a peach here. I'm also guessing that plain yogurt and a bit of sweetener of your choice would work for the vanilla yogurt. I know, that's a lot of guessing, but that's much of what has been involved in this process. No wonder my sister is suspicious of my concoctions!)

Makes 3 cups

1/2 banana
1 peach peeled and sliced
1 cup green tea
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1 cup ice cubes

- Blend banana, peach and green tea.
- Add yogurt and blend.
- Add ice and blend.