Sponsor Spotlight~ Anita from Hungry Couple

October 31, 2012 By 8 Comments

Happy Halloween! I have a very special sponsor spotlight for all of you today.

Do you guys know Anita from Hungry Couple? Well, you should. Here’s why:  Her philosophy regarding food is on point. She loves good food! What do you know, we have a lot in common. I love good food, too. Anita doesn’t believe in junk food, however, she does believe in delicious food made from scratch, like this pumpkin bread with cream cheese filling, and these peach crumb bars, or this lemon coffee cake (drool).

I refer to Anita as the Cocktail Queen, because any time I need a mixed beverage for a party, bonfire, or just to sip on while reading a good book, I can count on Anita to provide me with a delicious cocktail. She has a cocktail for every season. Fall? Try this apple pie martini. I did, and it was delicious. It tastes like a pie, but bites like a cocktail. Winter? Try this ultimate chocolate martini. It’s made with chilled hot cocoa, chocolate liqueur, and grated chocolate. I’d say it deserves it’s ultimate title. Spring? Can you say strawberry basil martini? Yum! Last but not least, summer? How about a peach martini made with fresh peach juice? The lady knows how to represent a cocktail. She even celebrated National Vodka Month and has a total of 52 cocktail recipes on her blog.

Since it’s fall, I felt compelled to choose one of Anita’s pumpkin recipes to make and feature. I had a hard time choosing one of her many pumpkin recipes, but after careful consideration, I decided on her pumpkin pie smoothie. There’s something about slurping my dessert through a straw that makes me happy.

This smoothie tastes exactly like the custard of an unbaked pumpkin pie, but without all the extra calories, as Anita’s recipe calls for greek yogurt and frozen bananas. It’s so good! I prefer my pumpkin pie without the crust, so this worked out in my favor.

Want this recipe? Trust me, you want this recipe. You can get it here.

If you want to be like me and stalk Anita, you can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: , ,

Bananas Foster Smoothie

February 26, 2012 By 11 Comments

I had an epiphany the other evening while eating dinner with my girlfriend. It just came to me out of no where. It happens quite frequently. Food combinations and ideas enter my thoughts at the weirdest moments; usually, it happens in my dreams. It’s as if a little conversation bubble pops up, like the ones you see in the Sunday comic section. This time, it happened while I was eating a chicken fajita and drinking a margarita at my girlfriend’s birthday dinner. Naturally, I blurted out the idea as soon as it penetrated my thoughts. Being a foodie as well, my girlfriend thought the idea could work, so we began discussing how to execute the recipe.

This smoothie tastes just like bananas foster. It’s creamy, frothy, and delicious. The bananas get caramelized in brown sugar and a small amount of butter before it goes in the blender with the other ingredients.

Enjoy!

Love and Sweet Treats,

TMB

Recipe

1 banana, cut into rounds

2 tbs. brown sugar

1/2 tbs. unsalted butter

1/2 tsp. rum extract

2 tbs. natural almonds

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup ice

In a nonstick pan, melt butter. Add the banana and brown sugar. Cook for about 30 seconds, until the sugar is melted and the bananas are slightly soft. Take off the heat and cool to room temperature. When the banana mixture is cool, add it to a blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth. Serve right away. Enjoy.

Filed Under: Smoothies Tagged With: , , ,

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Smoothie

February 18, 2012 By 7 Comments

I wasn’t lying when I said I was obsessed with smoothies. The other day I was experimenting in the kitchen and came up with this pineapple upside down cake smoothie. I had pineapple, cherries, and coconut on hand, so I decided to blend them together. I’m glad I did because the result was delicious. It really tastes like a pineapple upside down cake. Who needs cake when you can have a smoothie?

I love the lovely pink color of this smoothie. We can thank the maraschino cherries for that. Unlike cake, you won’t regret drinking this smoothie because it’s good for you.

It was so tasty, I drank two mugs of this smoothie. Enjoy!

Love and sweet treats,

TMB

Recipe:

2 cups pineapple chunks, frozen

1/4 cup maraschino cherries, frozen

1/4 cup natural almonds

2 tbs. shredded coconut

2 tbs. oats

1 tbs. agave nectar or honey

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup milk

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. It’s very important to freeze the pineapple and cherries. They give the smoothie a nice frothy, slushy texture. If you don’t have the time to freeze your fruit, you can add a handful of ice; however, the ice dilutes the smoothie, causing it to be less flavorful.

Filed Under: Smoothies Tagged With: , ,

Smoothie Obsession

February 14, 2012 By 4 Comments

My husband and I have a recent obsession with smoothies- like, a serious obsession. Smoothies have some how made their way into our lives (although, I’m not quite sure how), and now we absolutely love the fruity beverage and can’t live without it. I think we have had a smoothie every day for the past week. Total obsession! Matter-of-fact, I’m drinking one right now. Actually, this one- my very berry banana smoothie. It’s super delish.

Not only do smoothies taste delicious, but they’re pretty, too. Depending on what fruit you use, they come in an array of colors. Heck, you may even be able to match a smoothie to what ever outfit your wearing that day. I so don’t do that. Wink!

Smoothies are very versatile. You can use any fruit you like or have on hand. I love adding almonds, oats, or flax meal to my smoothies to give it a boost of protein. The protein helps fill you up and keep you full for a couple of hours. Lately, I’ve been using smoothies as a meal supplement because of my busy school/work schedule. I also drink a smoothie before my zumba class. It fills me up just enough to give me the energy I need for my workout without making me feel nauseous. All you have to do is grab the ingredients your using, throw them in a blender, and buzz. Viola! you have a delicious and filling fruity beverage.

Love and sweet treats,

TMB

This recipe is dedicated to my brother, Mike- the smoothie king!

Recipe:

6 strawberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

1 banana, peeled

1/4 cup natural almonds

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbs. flax meal or oats

2 tbs. honey

1 cup milk

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Feel free to add some ice if you like it cold and slushy. I happened to use frozen fruit, so it was all ready very cold. Like I said before, play with the ingredients. You can supplement any of these ingredients for the fruit of your choice. Make it your own. Enjoy!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Filed Under: Smoothies Tagged With: , , , ,