A Spot in the Big Apple: Smoothielicious

Something I was not expecting about living in the northeast is hot summers. One reason to vacate the south, I thought, was to avoid the 9 month stretches of 90+ degrees. Well, the summers here may not drag on for three quarters of a year, but temperatures can still (and often do) break the dreaded triple digits. Add to that layers of humidity, car exhaust, and a few million other bodies, and you feel like your right back in Texas. Plus, most apartment buildings in the city are old and have window units instead of central air, which gets the job done most days except for the absolute scorchers.

There are very few pools in the city besides the ones on rooftops of luxury apartments, and the scattered public pools NYC has to offer are usually pretty crowded. Some people venture to the public beaches in the surrounding areas, which I've been told are equally as crowded and in my mind are filled with people like the cast of Jersey Shore... No thanks.

Oasis of relaxation? Maybe for some...

Instead of going for a swim somewhere with hundreds of other greasy, sunscreen-drenched bodies, I prefer to cool down by eating cold food. As the temperature outside climbs, ice cream trucks and snow cone carts pop up all over the city. Mister Softee, a chain of soft serve ice cream trucks, in particular seems to be on every street corner. The stuff isn't half bad (as a self-proclaimed connoisseur of ice cream, I can't say it's my favorite), but the name always makes me giggle, so it gets points for that. Another place well-known for its cold treats is Eataly - an Italian restaurant / grocery store / experience that is pretty unique. According to their website, they have "real Italian gelato made with the best ingredients from near and far" ranging from Rochester, NY to Bronte, Sicily.

There are times, however, when I don't feel like spending $5 for 2 ounces of ice cream. On these days of frugality I turn to my own creation: my world-famous smoothie. Ever since we got our blender as a wedding gift almost two years ago, I've had a slight obsession with making smoothies, and now all but refuse to drink a one made by another (objectively inferior) person. The blender and I have had some good times together. Twice now (both times within the past few months), the removable plastic insert that fits into the blender's top has not been securely locked into place, and has fallen inside while the blender was on. I'm still finding little spots on the walls, ceiling, and microwave since these smoothie explosions. A few other times I stuck a spoon too deep into the blender, causing a similar (albeit smaller) explosive event. But the blender, being a faithful appliance, has not given up on me yet.

Back to the smoothies. They have given me such great memories that I thought I would have to share the recipe. It's simple, inexpensive, and health (in moderate portions). Here are the ingredients:

Summer Smoothie

(makes two servings)

1 Large Banana

4-5 Strawberries

Handful of Blueberries (20-25)

1/4 Cup Non-Fat, Plain Greek Yogurt

1/2 Cup Milk or Soy Milk

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter (optional)

3/4 Cup Ice

The peanut butter is optional, and adds quite a few calories, but I usually keep it in because it adds protein, flavor, and thickness. I try to buy peanut butter that only has "peanuts" as ingredients - no added salt or sugar. (Jiff isn't the best option, but will still totally work). I use Greek yogurt because it has the lowest amount of sugar of the yogurts I could find, and the smoothies are sweet enough on their own. Also, Greek yogurt is a little creamier and adds and interesting texture.

One reason I like making smoothies so much is that you can use up fruit that is a little too ripe to eat by itself - instead of throwing mushy bananas away I usually just blend them up! You can mix up the fruit too if you like. Peaches and nectarines are great add-ins.

Directions are pretty self-explanatory. I always start with the fruit, add in the milk and yogurt, and blend for about 30 seconds. While the blender is still going, I add in the peanut butter and blend for another minute or so until smooth. Next I add the ice, use the pulse mode for about 20 seconds, and then puree for about a minute. That's it! Sometimes I'll add a few extra blueberries to the top - they make for a nice little treat when you're drinking it.