Triple Berry Smoothie and My Weight Loss Program

I've never been what you would call svelt.

I was always a large kid, but not always chunky. I had my growth spurt early, so I was 5'4 and 140 pounds in 7th grade, al least 5 inches taller and 35 pounds larger than the rest.  Not chubby, just husky.  Let's just say that when I played center fullback on my competition soccer team, I put the fear of God into all the other kids.  The opposing teams only scored 3 goals over the 12 games that year, due in part that it's very hard to focus on bending a shot past the goalie when Mongo is barreling down on you at 65 miles an hour.

The closest I've ever come to being fit was in High School, where I was 15 pounds over the average. And that, according to my doctor, was because I have a very large skeletal structure.  My doctor, like Cartman's mom, said, "You're not fat, you're big-boned!"

But when I stopped growing on the x-axis around 10th grade, I expanded across the y- and z-axes.  The second and third dimensions slowly crept up over a few years until when I was finishing college, I had packed on 40 extra pounds since high school graduation.

Now I lost those 40 pounds an another 5 in the fall and winter of 1998 due to the most surefire weight loss program I know, the stress hell known a divorce.  Trust me, you DON'T want to go that route, it's not a permanent solution.  Well, divorce CAN be a good long-term solution for many other aspects of your life, just not for your waistline.  The worst part is that it all came back within a year and a half. 

After getting married for a second time and having a couple of kids, I literally became "fat and happy" to where I reached my heaviest: 70 pounds past high school, offically "festively plump".  A state where I really started to feel the physical consequences.  Couldn't keep up with the kids, too much salt in a meal would cause cramping, and eating way too much in a single seating would give my heart a nice warm hug.  My family has history of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, none of which are aided by extra tonnage around the stomach.  And worst of all, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and had to start taking pills to control it.

So I had to make a few changes.  First, try to cut out some salt.  You'll notice that I try to not add more salt to most of my recipes.  Some of them already have natural salt built in, through the meat or tomatoes or other ingredients.  There's no need to add more salt, so I'll try to use other spices to enchance the flavors instead.  Second, portion control.  I've tried to keep my personal serving sizes smaller for me.  We've even experimented with using smaller plates so I can fool my mind.  Come on, it looks like a full plate, I should feel full when I'm done...  Third, avoid massive amounts of fat. especially when eating out.  You know, there are times where you really don't need the fries in the combo meals.  Maybe you want the fries, but you don't need a bucket of them.  So I'll order a sandwich and a drink, which is usually a light lemonade or a Coke Zero.  And if I'm craving the fries, I'll buy the size off the value menu (what used to pass as the small or medium about 10-15 years ago).

Now over the space of three years, this has worked.  I've lost 15 pounds and have managed to keep it off.  But like all great loss, I hit a plateau.  So I had to do something different. 

In the past few weeks, Liz and I have started to make fruit smoothies and I have to say that these are kickstarting the weight loss once again.  I'll blend one up, pour it in an insulated mug and then cart it into work.  They have ton of benefits.  They're filled with fruit and fiber.  So when I drink them, I get something to satisfy my sweet tooth and the fiber helps keep me fuller longer.  Also, preparing breakfast on the go makes the stop for two Carls Jr Sausage Biscits unnecessary.  That alone saves me from a wheelbarrow full of fat and salt.  And they don't get boring because I can use any type of juice, fruit, or sherbet/yogurt.  The flavors can be mixed up at will.

I know, I know, they're not exactly low calorie or low sugar.  But what I've found for my personal weight loss, replacing the fat-filled options available on-the-go with a smoothie is just the trade-off my metabolism needed.  I've lost 4 pounds in a month.  I physically feel better and have more energy (probably due to the extra vitamins and fiber, and yes the sugar).  And the craving I've had for fast-food breakfast is now almost non-existant.

We've already discussed the Rules of Smoothie Making when we posted  about the Mango Peach Berry Smoothie.   And these aren't just for breakfast.  They can become alcoholic party drinks by adding 2-4 ounces of your favorite flavored rum or vodka, but the recipe below is my old morning standby.  I like raspberry and blackberries the best, so I'll use them as my fruit base.  I'll just switch up the other fruit and juice if I want some variety.  Do whatever you'd like to make your own personal combination.  Just try to follow the proportions so the blender doesn't continually seize up on you.

Triple Berry Smoothie

Makes 32 ounces

10 ounces concentrated lemonade (made by mixing one can of lemonade concentrate and 1 1/2 cans of water)
6 ounces grape or berry juice
1 cup crushed ice
1 large scoop sherbet or frozen yogurt
8 ounces frozen raspberries
4 ounces frozed blackberries
4 ounces frozen straweberries

Add the juices, ice, sherbet/yogurt and the blackberries, then blend on a low speed until the ice and fruit are broken up. Next add the strawberries and blend again. Start out on a slow setting, but then increase the blender speed until you get a nice vortex rolling around. Stop and add the raspberries. Start up the blender at low or medium speed, then ramp it up until you reach vortex stage. If you're make alcoholic versions, add the flavored rum or vodka here. If you start getting "the bubble", add more liquid to dilute the mixture.

Once that vortex stage is reached, pour out into glasses and garnish any way you'd like

So take the 5 minutes in the morning to make a smoothie for breakfast. Avoid the sausage biscuits, no matter how good they sound.  Maybe you'll see a pound or two melt away and you'll no longer be "big-boned".

Mango Peach and Berry Smoothie and the Rules of Smoothie Making

Liz and I have been on a smoothie kick recently.  Why?  Well, it's getting warmer and they're cool and refreshing.  It's a better, healthier option for breakfast than a pair of sausage biscuits.  Maybe they're not as warm, salty and greasy in a good way, but I can't argue with the 3 pounds I've lost in the past two weeks.  They're a fat-free option when you need a snack anytime of day.  And if you want to turn it into a party drink, add just a little bit of alcohol and you're good to go.

Now using fresh ingredients is nice, but I've found that using frozen fruit work much better in the blender.  Room temperatue fruit can absolutely vaporize after just a few seconds in the blender.  But frozen fruit becomes miniature sweet ice crystals. 

What Liz and I will do is go to the freezer section of the grocery store and buy a ton of differnt fruits and juices.  I admit it, I'll go to Winco because we can get bags of fruit for only $2.00 and frozen concentrated juice for a little more than a buck.  So you can forget about going to Jamba Juice and paying almost $5.00 for a 22 ounce smoothie.  Spend $12.00 on ingredients and you can make 8 smoothies over the week for about a $1.50 a piece.

Now we like our smoothies with a little bit of a sour kick, so we'll make some double-strength lemonade.  Just mix up some lemonade from frozen concentrate, but use only 1 1/2 cans of water instead of the requisite 3 cups. 

Smoothie making isn't an exact science. But I've found this ratio works pretty darn well...

4 parts juice or liquid
2 parts ice
2 parts sherbet or frozen yogurt
3 parts fruit

You can mix and match any ingredient so it matches your taste palatte perfectly.  Don't feel like you have to be completely loyal to a flavor.  Experiment a bit.  But when you are building a smoothie, here are a few tips that will make your life easier...

1. Don't throw all of your ingredients in the blender at once - Part of it will blend up well, the rest will stay giant chucks that won't make their way through the straw.

2. Speed kills - Don't jump into the highest speed on your blender.  If you start at a low or medium speed when everything is large, the frozen ingredients will have a better chance of being chopped smooth instead of running into the problems listed in point 3.

3. Beware the bubble - If you spin too fast or don't put enough liquid in, the spinning blades will try to pull the ingredients above them down.  And if food doesn't fill up the space, air will.  It'll suck enough air down to create a bubble around the blades, causing your blender to rev up and preventing the blender from doing any work.  If you get a bubble, stop the blender and stir with a spoon.  Then start again on a low speed and work your way back up to the higher settings.

4.  Keep liquid handy - If the blender keeps bubbling up and you can't get that nice little vortex inside, add another ounce or two of juice.  It'll dilute the mixture just enough to spin perfectly.

This specific recipe is Liz's favorite.  She's a mango freak, and loves the sourness of the lemonade. 

By the way, if you want to make this into a party drink, add 2-4 ounces of flavored rum or vodka, and maybe a little more ice or fruit to keep the consistancy.  Add an umbrella and a little fruit on the rim of the glass and imagine yourself sitting on a beach in the Caymans.

Mango Peach and Berry Smoothie

Makes 32 ounces

12 ounces double-strength lemonade - see above for instructions
4 ounces orange, pineapple, or orange/pineapple juice
1 cup crushed ice
2 scoops (roughly 1 cup) pineapple, mango, or orange sherbet
1/2 cup frozen mangos
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1/2 cup frozen strawberries

Add the juices, ice, sherbet and the mangos, then blend on a low speed until the ice and fruit are broken up.   Next add the peaches and blend again.  Start out on a slow setting, but then increase the blender speed until you get a nice vortex rolling around.  Stop and add the last fruit.  Start up the blender at low or medium speed, then ramp it up until you reach vortex stage.  If you're make alcoholic versions, add the flavored rum or vodka here.  If you start getting "the bubble", add more liquid to dilute the mixture.

Once that vortex stage is reached, pour out into glasses and garnish any way you'd like

So make a batch of smoothies for your health... or for your snack... or for your party.  Just don't make the party smoothie before going to work in the morning.  There will be problems...

Mommy and Daddy's Special Holiday Hot Chocolate

So it’s the end of the year, we’ve made it through another holiday season. The toys have been torn from the wrapping and packaging and now are strewn across the floor. The kidlings are playing with the treasure troves. But you’re almost ready to leave the holiday behind. The leftover ham is still really good, but getting repetitive. The Christmas lights have started to lose their luster. And there’s nothing... I say NOTHING on TV.

We’re all burned out and ready for a long winter’s nap, or at least a long recline on the couch in a pair of sweats with a blanket over your legs while you watch the snowflakes gently fall past the window pane. It’s time to make mommy and daddy to make some special hot chocolate that’ll make their tummies get all tingly.

Yes, alcoholic hot chocolate. It can be really good at the right time, a time when you can enjoy a little buzz. I like to send the kids over to Gramdma’s house for a sleepover, serve a romantic hearty meal for Liz, serve up some great light dessert, and then finish the night sipping this drink while watching both a movie in a darkened living room and the snow as it falls.

Now that’s the premium setup... You could also do this on a Saturday afternoon for one of the parents while the other plays defense. Either way, it tastes really good.

Since it’s the holidays, we have a few different selections for the liquor, so use whatever you would prefer.

‘Special’ Holiday Hot Chocolate
Makes one 12 oz. serving, double or triple it up as you need to

Whipping Cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Hot Chocolate
10 oz warm milk
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 shot of any of the following liquors
For Candy Cane Hot Chocolate: 1 shot peppermint schnapps
For Orange Stick Hot Chocolate: 1 shot Orange Liqueur
For Raspberry Stick Hot Chocolate: 1 shot Chamboard or other raspberry liqueur

For the whipping cream, place the sugar, milk and vanilla into a bowl and beat quickly with a hand mixer until thick.

For the hot chocolate, warm the milk in a small saucepan to a simmer. Add the chocolate chips and stir until they’re completely melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes (if it’s over 170 degrees, the alcohol will evaporate a little). Once it has cooled to below 170, add the shot of your choice and stir. Pour into a tall coffee mug. Drop a large dollop of whipping cream on the top and sprinkle any kind of decoration you have left over from the holidays (small candy cane pieces, cookie sprinkles, shaved chocolate pieces, etc)

So take a load off, relax and take one last swig of holiday magic before you start thinking about New Year resolutions.

Bloody Wine Glasses and the Zombifier

This particular idea was created by my sister-in-law, Annie.  My wife went to one of Annie's big Twilight parties (blech...., to the movies, not to the parties, hers are great) and saw her awesome idea.  To add a little vampiric twinge, she wanted to have goblets that were dripping in blood.  But since she wasn't able to get the real stuff, she decided to use sugar and food coloring instead.  By dipping the rim in the red sugar mixture, it would drip down the sides as it cooled and look great.  Since it's sugar, the "blood" would automatically sweeten up the drinks.  And best of all, all you have do to to remove the leftover blood is to soak it in warm water.  It'll dissolve over a short period of time without a problem.

Here's how to do it, step by step...

Bloody Wine Goblets
Make 2 dozed coated glasses in about 15 minutes

Wine goblets, martini glasses, or any other type of glassware
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
Red food coloring
Candy or electronic thermometer

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water and begin the heat it up.  Add the food coloring when the mixture becomes translucent.  Stir in enough red food coloring until it is as dark as you'd like it. Continue to heat the mixture past the boiling point to 285 degrees (make sure you test it with the thermometer, don't guess or it will turn out wrong).  Don't let it go over 290 degrees or it won't drip as well as you'd wish.

Drop the heat to low.  While it's still at temperature, dip the rim of the glasses into the mixture.  Swirl it around so a good amount sticks to the rim.  Gently remove the glass from the sugar and slowly bring the glass back to its full upright and locked position.  Let them set for one hour.  Some of the excess sugar will naturally drip down in the first few minutes, then it will take that long to properly harden.

Store in a cool, dry place until the party is ready to begin and fill with anything you'd like. I recommend adding some dry ice to the bottom of the glass before adding the liquid, so it'll smoke and bubble when the liquid is added.  If you're looking for something dark red, check out my adult raspberry lemonade.  But any basic fruit punch, cranberry juice, wine or red drink you like will work just as well.  For kids, Powerade or Kool-aid of any color works great, and give it a name like Bug Blood (blue or green), Worm Spit (orange or yellow), or Pureed Spider (purple).

And of course, you can use any mixed drink you'd like...

In the photo above, I've used a Cabernet from Chateau Ste. Michele for the wine glass, a little bit of blue punch for the kids, and then made one of my concoctions for the water goblet, the Zombifier.  It's a high alcohol drink guaranteed to make you shamble aimlessly around a social situation.  It's similar to a Long Island with a little color, fruit flavor, and smoke to give it the potion effect.

The Zombifier

1 shot gin
1 shot rum
1 shot tequila
1 shot lemon vodka
For color, either one shot melon liqueur and 1 drop green food coloring for slow zombies (Romero Night of the Living Dead Style)...
or 1 shot raspberry liqueur and 1 drop red food coloring for fast zombies (28 Days Later style)
Ice
Dry ice

Fill a water goblet 3/4 of the way with ice cubes.  Add the gin, rum, tequila, vodka in and stir.  Then add the flavored liqueur and just enough food coloring to get the desired color.  Add the dry ice and stir so it sinks to the bottom and serve as it is bubbling.

So make a set of these glasses for your next party and get some spooky on.

Grownup Raspberry Lemonade and the Hawaiian Island

I think we're not going to get any more snow this year, so it's safe to say we're entering the outdoor season.  Time to relax in the backyard with the smell of grlled meats and veggies whafting about, the kids playing on the swingset and sipping on a cool adult beverage.  Yes, I said an adult beverage. Nothing wrong about an adult beverage at the end of a long hot day.  And it doesn't have to be a wheat, barley, or hops based one.  I'm not knocking beer, but I'm more of a mixed drink fan.  So here are a couple that not only taste great, but will cool you off and take the edge off. 

The first one has a little alcohol and is great for sipping on a hot day.  It's a basic Raspberry Lemonade with a little hooch to get the party started.  The second is a version of a Long Island.  You know Long Islands have a splash of Coke added to a number of shots of alcohol.  A Loan Beach is the same, except replace the coke with cranberry juice.  I created a Hawaiian Island, which is the same Long Island alcohol, but with some pineapple juice as the mixer.  Great to nurse while reclining under a sun shade.  Disclaimer:  Know your alcohol tolerance.  That Means We Get Pie will not be held responsible for enhanced inebriation that leads to public nudity,WOOOOO!!! screaming, the revelation of embarrassing college experiences, physical or verbal fights with extended family members or friends, or any other social, political, religious, economic, or legal faux pas caused by a miscalculation of your tolerance level.

Adult Raspberry Lemonade
Makes roughly 64 ounces

1 1/2 cups raspberry licquer, your choice (I prefer Chamboix)
1 cup crushed raspberries
48 ounces lemonade (either from concentrate, bottle, or handmade)

Pour the alcohol and the raspberries into a 2 quart pitcher and stir for a minute or two.  Then add the lemonade and mix well.  Pour over ice in a tumbler glass and serve cold.  Goes will with almost any barbecued item

You can change the fruit as well and swap out the raspberry liqueur for any other flavored booze.  Try peach schnapps and peaches that have been chopped up in a food processor for 5 seconds.  Or even mashed strawberries with strawberry vodka.  Essentially you'll have about a shot and a half of booze per glass, which is enough for some people to get a little loopy.  I need to drink the whole pitcher, thanks to my high alcohol tolerance. 

And make sure to make a non-alcoholic version for the kids, but put it in some other type of container so you DON'T MIX THEM UP!!!!

Hawaiian Island
Repice makes one drink

2 shots Pinaeapple juice
2 twists of lemon
1 twist of lime
1 shot vodka
1 shot gin
1 shot rum
1 shot tequila
1/2+ shot triple sec

Combine all ingredients over ice and hold onto a large, solid, grounded object during and after drinking it.

So enjoy a little drinkie-drinkie with your meal and truly relax in the warm summer sun (finally).