Spiced Pumkpin and Oat Smoothie (and a word of thanks)

Every November, my Facebook feed is full of people giving thanks on a daily basis.  They give thanks for their jobs, their families, their friends, their cats, and their pumpkin pie.  I really love the idea of this month-long project of announcing gratitude to all who care to pay attention.  I always intend to join their chorus of thanks giving, but inevitably November 6 or 15 or 20 rolls around and I realize that I have neglected the discipline and decide that I cannot possibly join ranks with the grateful so late in the game.  

Still, I want to say that I am thankful for you.  You, the one reading this blog.  One day, I intend to write a post about why I have chosen to take a few hours each week to dedicate to blogging.  In large part, I do it because I see it as part of my journey of self-discovery and expression.  It is part of my attempt to be where I am and who I am in this moment, without apology but while striving to deepen my knowledge and expand my capability.  

So, in reading this, you are joining with me in this journey.  You are watching as I write long and awkward sentences full of unnecessary commas.  You are gazing on, and maybe sometimes wincing, as I attempt to learn the art of photography.  Chances are, you'll try one or two of my recipes and find one of them to be rather dull or even gross.  I want you to know that your engagement with me, with this content, means a lot.  Your supportive comments, whether on the blog, on Facebook, or in person, give me the courage to do this.  I know it may not seem like a big deal, but this is all about being vulnerable for me.  So, thanks.  You're great.

Speaking of great, have you tried Cranberry's Pumpkin Pie Smoothie?  It is so delicious.  I've actually only had a few taste test sips, but I crave it all of the time.  The eatery's smoothie is all vegan, but with vanilla soy ice cream, pumpkin pie filling, and extra sweetener, I would call it a rather decadent treat.  I decided to try to create a similar smoothie that was guilt-free and breakfast worthy.  Here's what I came up with:

Spiced Pumpkin and Oat Smoothie (vegan, GF option)

1 cup milk (almond, soy, oat, regular, etc.)

3 tbs canned pure pumpkin

1 small frozen banana 

1/4 cup oats (for gluten free, make sure your oats are labeled GF)

1 tbs pumpkin butter*

1 tsp agave or maple syrup (optional)

scant 1/4 tsp cinnamon

scant 1/8 tsp nutmeg

scant 1/8 tsp ginger

sprinkle of cloves (about 1/16 tsp)

*I used Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter because I had it on hand.  If you don't have pumpkin butter around, just add a bit more sweetener and a smidge more spice.

Throw everything in a blender and blend until smooth.  But you already knew that, didn't you?

 

PeachBananaCoconut Creamsicles

Friends,

Peach season is almost over.  This means that summer is almost over.  Some of you may have already helped your kids with their first pile of homework, some of you have assigned and graded your students' first assignments, others of you have tackled your own classwork.  Whatever the case, school is back in session and we have entered the strange, seemingly season-less period stretching from late August through mid September.  Summer seems to have ended, but only the most irritating among us (excuse my bias) are ready to cozy up with pumpkin-flavored-everything and surrender to the chill. 

For those of us who adore summer, its remnants linger on.  Vegetables still grow in our gardens, temperatures hover in the upper 80's, the air is full of the scent of flowers and the song of birds.  And, let us not forget, there are still peaches.

When Jordan and I went to Nashville earlier this summer, we had the chance to buy a bag of peaches from The Peach Truck.  Although we have never met Stephen and Jessica, the couple that owns the small business, we are friends with Jessica's brother and his wife, a fellow Mission Year alum.  Peach Truck peaches are brought to Nashville (and can be shipped all over the country) from Stephen's family farm in Georgia. 

Our friend Charles, who is a Georgia native (don't you forget it), had made it clear to us that Georgia peaches were superior to all others.  While I had had Georgia peaches from the grocery store, I had never experienced a Georgia peach that had not been harvested too early and ripened by some unknown and unnatural means.  So, when I bit into a Peach Truck peach, my life was forever changed.  I mean it.  I really do.

Alas, I can't exactly drive to Nashville every week to get a bag of peaches, and I am too impatient to wait for them to come in the mail.  But, at the height of their season, I have to say, Virginia peaches are certainly worth the eating.

In my last post, I briefly mentioned that I was starting round two of the Crazy, Sexy Cleanse.  The end of the cleanse is nearing, but I needed a refreshing, sweet treat to get me through until Monday.  On hand, I had peaches, coconut milk, and a few other ingredients that I thought might make a decent popsicle.

If you're in the mood for peaches and popsicles, and if you're trying to stretch the summer days as far as you can, I give you this recipe.

Peach, Banana, and Coconut Creamsicles
(makes 8-12 popsicles, depending on the size of your mold)

     4-5 ripe peaches (local, if possible!)
     2 ripe bananas (the more ripe, the sweeter the end result)
     1 can full-fat coconut milk
     1-2 tbs agave nectar (or maple syrup or honey)
     1/2 vanilla bean, scraped clean (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
     1 tsp bee pollen (optional)*

*Bee pollen is an amazing food containing 22 essential amino acids and nearly all the nutrients that the human body needs in order to survive.  It helps energize and can be very helpful in fighting pollen related allergies.  I like to add it to smoothies as it adds a delicate floral flavor.  A teaspoon or so a day is plenty.  But, it is entirely optional in this recipe.  I just like to sneak in a few "super foods" whenever and wherever I can. 

First, peel and halve your peaches.

Put the peaches and peeled bananas in your blender and add the coconut milk.

Add the agave (or other sweetener) and bee pollen (if using), then scrape the contents of the vanilla bean directly into the blender.

Blend!  Pour into popsicle molds.

Allow to freeze partially, about an hour, before inserting popsicle sticks.  Then freeze for several more hours.  If you have trouble getting the popsicles out, set the mold in a bowl of warm water for about 30 seconds.  If you still have trouble, run a knife with a thin blade along the edges of the mold until you feel the popsicle break free. 

Last step.  Eat it!  Preferably outside.

 Do you see the Lucy nose?