We're keeping things simple today. I have been testing for the book and had a few quick-turnaround freelance jobs. There has been so much food I'm passing out tupperwares to anyone who stops by. There were a few food-heavy weeks, followed by drought. I was burnt out and uninterested in cooking unless it could be easily stuffed in a brown rice tortilla or blended up and considered a meal. I left Hugh in charge where I typically have a plan, so we had a solid handful of breakfast burritos and taco meals. No complaints from either side. When thinking food, and writing food, and making food becomes your work, part of its charm is sometimes lost. But only part and only sometimes. I love what I do, but I am not much for excess. I keep a fairly minimal home and prefer to have around the items we actually use as opposed to cling to clutter. So when it's all food all the time, I have to step back for a few days to avoid going completely nuts.
When needing hardly a meal, more of an in-between, tide-you-over, on the run mini-meal in a cup sort of deal, we make smoothies. Hugh makes his off a memory from his childhood. They'd shop at a health food store and the kids would get a shake at the juice bar on the way out. To his memory, it was a creamy combination of milk, peanut butter, banana, date and a little chocolate. It's delicious, but on the shake side of smoothie. Actually no, it's just a straight up shake. I am ever the fan of frozen mangos because they're creamy themselves and then stuck with the tropical theme. Hugh assured me everyone would like his better. My love, I even like yours better, but someone had to go the slightly lighter route here.
Sometimes I find smoothie recipes insulting - isn't it all just thrown in a blender? Yes, yes it is. But this is what we're eating 'round here so take your combination however you wish. This looks tasty if you're on the pumpkin train right now, and this looks Fall-ish as well, or something completely unique with sesame milk, and while the fresh are gone, this blueberry basil one could be made with frozen blueberries. Browse through Sarah's tips on smoothie boosters too!
MONKEY FLIP // Makes 1
As told by Hugh Forte
- 1/2 banana
- 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
- 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 date, pitted
- 1 scoop chocolate ice cream or frozen yogurt
- 1 cup milk
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more milk or ice for desired consistency.
TROPICAL COOLER // Makes 1
- handful of crushed ice
- 1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
- 1/2 cup coconut yogurt or plain yogurt (or coconut sorbet)
- flesh of half a seeded and peeled papaya
- 1 cup coconut water
- squeeze of honey
- squeeze of fresh lime juice
Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth, adding more milk or ice for desired consistency.
