The Cardiologist's Wife

Pimento Cheese, Not Your Grandma's Spread

Pimento cheese is one of those foods that has been so corrupted by the food industry that it has become synonymous with other crappy foods like Spam. I'm not even certain what store bought pimento cheese might contain, nor do I want to find out. It's a shame because pimento cheese can be a delightful treat, even if it does Read the full post…

Plum Good BBQ Sandwiches

In a few days it will officially be fall but the temperatures are still warm enough for me to continue swimming for a few more days. The breeze was a little cool but that didn't stop me from swimming several laps this morning and I felt great afterwards! Have you exercised lately? With fall's cooler temperatures and fewer insects, you Read the full post…

Shingles Vacine and Treatment

A friend of mine was recently diagnosed with shingles so I felt I should discuss this nasty virus once again. If you ever had chicken pox, you are at risk for getting shingles and believe me, you don't want it. Shingles is a painful rash with blisters that scab over and may take 4 weeks or more to heal. The Read the full post…

Vegetarian Tacos are muy delicioso!

There are times when I think I could easily become a vegetarian, especially when I try a new dish that is as good as the vegetarian tacos I had at Local Lime restaurant in Little Rock and the tofu fried rice at Sai Tai here in Jonesboro. My husband and I celebrated our 23rd anniversary this past weekend by spending Read the full post…

Midyear Health Check

Summer is winding down , the year is more than half way over and our January resolutions are long forgotten. It's time for a health reality check. First of all, how is your health lately? If you have enjoyed good health, are you thankful? Take some time to appreciate how wonderful it feels to be healthy, for your family to Read the full post…

Vacation Lessons For A Healthier Life

I'm back from a lovely beach vacation and I wish I was still there with all my heart. Wouldn't it be nice if our every day life was as nice as a vacation? If we could relax, eat well, sleep and exercise just enough without having to worry about bills, work, illnesses and school, our lives would be perfect. But Read the full post…

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Making Smoothies At The Health And Wellness Expo

[ Post by Lisa Tedder ][ Post on April 24, 2012 ][ In Breakfast, Snacks and Appetizers ]

I’m happy to report that there were no cooking accidents this weekend at the HMG Health and Wellness Expo this past weekend. Since I was using a blender, I did have a few nightmares that something spectacular would go wrong. After all, I did heat up the oven once at the first Expo I did with the oven manual in it! Fortunately, there was no fire.

As always, I enjoyed “cooking” even though making smoothies hardly qualifies as more than food prep. Just goes to show that eating healthy doesn’t need to involve complicated cooking! I made four different smoothies, three of which have been featured before on this blog. All seemed to be well received, even the spinach smoothie. In fact, an eight year old girl said it was her favorite! Add a bit of protein powder and a smoothie can be a good breakfast, lunch, dinner side, dessert or snack. Just remember to keep the added sugar to a minimum with maybe a bit of honey. There really is plenty of sugar in the yogurt, fruit or a splash of orange juice. I avoid smoothies at fast food restaurants or even those from the grocery as they are usually calorie and sugar laden affairs, negating any nutrition.

Making the banana, peach, buttermilk smoothie.

Assembling the infamous twinkie tree. If it doesn’t grow, if you can’t harvest it, or it doesn’t run or swim or fly, do you really want to eat it?

I’m also going to share the final recipe I made on Saturday. This smoothie isn’t for everybody as it has approximately 600 calories. I created this smoothie for my daughter the swimmer because she needed to gain weight. So if you know someone who has been ill or who trains so hard that they need the extra calories, this is a great tasting smoothie. The rest of us need to look away.

600 Calorie Smoothie
1 serving of chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast*
1 cup 1% or skim milk
1 banana
1 serving of protein powder*
1 to 2 Tbsp. peanut butter
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. *Depends on the kind of protein powder you buy as to how many scoops make a serving. Also, Carnation Instant Breakfast comes in tubs or envelopes so check the package for a serving size. You can also add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt for more protein and calories.

I make a lower calorie version of this for myself occasionally. Blend 1 banana, 1 cup skim milk, 1 tsp. of peanut butter and 1 serving of Carnation Instant Breakfast or 1 serving of chocolate Slim Fast until smooth. Makes a decent breakfast or lunch once in awhile, certainly better than a granola bar and a cup of coffee.