Long time reader, first time commenter: I love this blog and I love your daughter Elisa, who happens to be the best writer I know. Because I read you, I now know where she gets it! I'm here now because I have opinions and expertise on smoothies. In college I worked briefly at this strange and wonderful vegan restaurant (a real marvel in Georgia in the 90s) that specialized in smoothies. The secret to an excellent smoothie, I learned, is to freeze the fruit. Mostly the bananas, but also the strawberries and blueberries and whatever else you buy at the store with the best intentions and then actually don't eat. Peel your rotting bananas and chunk them into four-ish parts, and stick 'em in a ziploc in the freezer. If you start your smoothie with frozen fruit instead of ice, your smoothie is naturally cold and tastes a lot better than watered down jamba juice. Add 30% healthy liquid (oat milk, orange juice, whatever) and it's perfect. Try a banana-blueberry-almond-butter-cocoa-flaxmeal-oatmilk smoothie -- it's delicious and feels like dessert and breakfast all in one.
Hi, Long time reader, first time commenter! Love the suggestions (and am intrigued by the whole worked in a vegan restaurant in the 90s! backstory!) Quite sure my big mistake was adding the berries last. Our 30 year old blender didn't stand a chance. (Though I gotta say it gave the whole "little engine that could" try. I was slamming those buttons.) We have this mighty warrior of a blender - it is literally called the "Ninja" - that Elisa & Peter gave us. It is a thing of beauty but also intimidating as heck. (Translation: I had no clue how to use it.) However, I am now getting lessons and even though still somewhat cowed (as is the poor old toaster next to it), have vowed to KEEP TRYING!!! (I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.) :)
Totally team cake here. Even those fresh "tuxedo" strawberries that are dipped in both white and dark chocolate with little bowties painted on...appreciate the effort but wasted on me!
Get that Ninja lesson down pat. We used to have one and they are awesome so blend away. Love, love, love your writing ...... and your perspectives!
(This post had me doing "research" googling Neapolitan ice cream on Wikipedia. I found a variety of claims regarding its origin. I always thought it was an Italian thing (Neapolitan - Naples) but found other possibilities as well. Always disliked it intensely - yet it was a staple in our freezer (1/2 gallon) when I was a kid. We all laid claim to different flavors and I was always on the losing end. The idea of chocolate and strawberry is gross - even the colors look terrible together. As to the car thingy - you know Sal and his cars - I've known what it is since the 70s - we've even had a couple of cars with a thingy on the back. Weird!)
I agree that I do not want Strawberry ice cream between my vanilla and chocolate. Who came up with that one??? Thanks for the humor. And I have NO idea what the heck was in the back of that car.
Long time reader, first time commenter: I love this blog and I love your daughter Elisa, who happens to be the best writer I know. Because I read you, I now know where she gets it! I'm here now because I have opinions and expertise on smoothies. In college I worked briefly at this strange and wonderful vegan restaurant (a real marvel in Georgia in the 90s) that specialized in smoothies. The secret to an excellent smoothie, I learned, is to freeze the fruit. Mostly the bananas, but also the strawberries and blueberries and whatever else you buy at the store with the best intentions and then actually don't eat. Peel your rotting bananas and chunk them into four-ish parts, and stick 'em in a ziploc in the freezer. If you start your smoothie with frozen fruit instead of ice, your smoothie is naturally cold and tastes a lot better than watered down jamba juice. Add 30% healthy liquid (oat milk, orange juice, whatever) and it's perfect. Try a banana-blueberry-almond-butter-cocoa-flaxmeal-oatmilk smoothie -- it's delicious and feels like dessert and breakfast all in one.
Hi, Long time reader, first time commenter! Love the suggestions (and am intrigued by the whole worked in a vegan restaurant in the 90s! backstory!) Quite sure my big mistake was adding the berries last. Our 30 year old blender didn't stand a chance. (Though I gotta say it gave the whole "little engine that could" try. I was slamming those buttons.) We have this mighty warrior of a blender - it is literally called the "Ninja" - that Elisa & Peter gave us. It is a thing of beauty but also intimidating as heck. (Translation: I had no clue how to use it.) However, I am now getting lessons and even though still somewhat cowed (as is the poor old toaster next to it), have vowed to KEEP TRYING!!! (I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.) :)
Agree with Lila's advice about freezing the fruit! It's so crucial!
Nancy, you had me in stitches with this one. This line really had me laughing out loud: "Give me pieces of pound cake!" ❤️
Totally team cake here. Even those fresh "tuxedo" strawberries that are dipped in both white and dark chocolate with little bowties painted on...appreciate the effort but wasted on me!
Get that Ninja lesson down pat. We used to have one and they are awesome so blend away. Love, love, love your writing ...... and your perspectives!
(This post had me doing "research" googling Neapolitan ice cream on Wikipedia. I found a variety of claims regarding its origin. I always thought it was an Italian thing (Neapolitan - Naples) but found other possibilities as well. Always disliked it intensely - yet it was a staple in our freezer (1/2 gallon) when I was a kid. We all laid claim to different flavors and I was always on the losing end. The idea of chocolate and strawberry is gross - even the colors look terrible together. As to the car thingy - you know Sal and his cars - I've known what it is since the 70s - we've even had a couple of cars with a thingy on the back. Weird!)
I agree that I do not want Strawberry ice cream between my vanilla and chocolate. Who came up with that one??? Thanks for the humor. And I have NO idea what the heck was in the back of that car.
Truly, even as a child I thought: This icecream is trying too hard to appease EVERYONE...and is making NO ONE very happy.