Cycling Foodie

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I am loving my Vitamix and have had a smoothie almost every day since I bought it. I’ve been doing lots of reading about smoothies, green smoothies in particular. There are so many recipes out there and the possibilities practically infinite. Just remember, though, that just because a smoothie is green, does not mean it is healthy, low fat, or low calorie. There are some extremes on both ends of the spectrum, so keep that in mind when you’re looking at recipes and what you ultimately want to gain (or lose) by drinking smoothies.

I have got to come up with some catchy names for my recipes, but for now, this will just be called a green smoothie. Sorry there is no photo; I’m a little rushed to get to work this morning.

This makes 2 large smoothies, so if you don’t have a large capacity blender, you’ll want to halve this recipe. Place the following items in your blender, in this order*:

1 cup filtered water
1 fresh peach, pitted and quartered
1 fresh kiwi, peeled and quartered
1 cup honeydew melon chunks
1 handful of baby carrots
1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
2 large fistfuls of baby kale greens
9-12 ice cubes

Start your blender on low, then increase the speed to high. Blend until smooth and creamy.

This smoothie is low fat and packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber. According to this website (CalorieKing), this smoothie has only about 200 calories per serving, depending on the protein powder you’re using. It is light and refreshing, yet will keep you satisfied for hours.

*Placing the softer items in the blender first help the smoothie to blend more quickly. I suppose you could just pour the liquid in last if you want (it will naturally settle to the bottom).

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Winters, in front of Steady Eddy's

I got a nice ride in this morning with a friend. She’s got a brand new bike and we had a nice, pretty leisurely ride to Winters, out and around Lake Solano, and back. It was a little breezy, not quite cool, not quite warm, and it got really cloudy.

We got about 40 miles of riding and lots of good chatting in.

When I got home, I made a green smoothie with organic baby kale, kiwi, pineapple, banana,  nonfat Greek yogurt, and vanilla whey protein powder. It was interesting … not too sweet, a little tart, and really refreshing and satisfying. I accidentally made a huge batch, so I froze some. I’ve found that these smoothies actually keep pretty well in the freezer. If you get the mixture just right, it freezes like a sorbet and could make a light, healthy dessert. That works best with berry or peach-based smoothies.

This weather makes me want to bake bread, so I did! I made a multi-grain bread, based on this recipe, but just changed up a few ingredients based on what I had on hand. In place of the oat bran, I used steel cut oats. I increased the pumpernickel by a cup, used 1 cup of high protein unbleached white flour, and reduced the whole wheat flour by 2 cups. Otherwise, the recipe is pretty much the same.

Whole Wheat, Oat, and Pumpernickel Bread

I have a pretty good idea that breakfast tomorrow will involve toast. This batch made 4 rustic loaves. It would make 2 large loaves using loaf pans. I just prefer the rustic style. I love that crust.

Is the weekend really almost over? It feels like it just started! Before we know it, the holidays will be here, and then the 2014 Tour de Cure! Join me for the ride! Sign up here. Can’t ride, but still want to help? Donate here!

So, I guess I’m still feeling chatty after my ride today … thanks for spending a few minutes with me to read this!

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Green Smoothie with Oat Milk

Green Smoothie with Oat Milk

1/2 cup oat milk
1 cup organic green grapes
2 organic carrots (2-inch chunks)
1 medium banana
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
2 handfuls of baby kale (3 cups)
14 ice cubes*

Place all ingredients in your Vitamix in the order listed above. Blend as directed to your desired consistency and be prepared to feel super healthy and energized. Enjoy!

* I used ice cubes that had 1 organic green grape in each cube.