grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

Sunday Letter: 04.05.2020

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sunday Letter

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

I hope everyone is doing okay on this Palm Sunday. For me, this last week went by quickly. But March lasted a freakin’ EON. Probably because we are now living in the Twilight Zone.

Yesterday, winter returned to northwest Arkansas. Mid-30s with a cold rain. Um, no thank you. Really, it was like winter said, “You know, you ought to stay inside, grab the Lemon Pledge and give your tabletops a swipe. Maybe do some laundry?”

So I did.

“No moral, no message, no prophetic tract, just a simple statement of fact: for civilization to survive, the human race has to remain civilized.” The Twilight ZoneContinue Reading

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

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Happy Thursday! In case you haven’t noticed, we are exactly one week away from Thanksgiving. (Just thought I’d throw that into this Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie post.)

Guess what? Williams-Sonoma asked me to help promote Smoothie Week. (Disclosure: As always, recipes and opinions are my own.) The idea behind Williams-Sonoma’s Smoothie Week is to highlight unusual smoothie recipes, maybe those with an ingredient twist or an odd blend. I thought my Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie fit the bill. Not only is it loaded with flavor, it’s an easy way to sneak an amazing amount of healthiness into your day before breakfast. (Hello beta-carotene, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber.)

So here we are facing another holiday season filled with tempting pumpkin spice lattes and sweet potato pie.

Yummy, right?

But we all know those are calorie laden and who needs that? Not me, and probably not you either. Instead, I offer you this substitute—rich and creamy yet low in calories—a perfect holiday treat.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

My sweet potato pie smoothie is made from local, seasonal ingredients (sweet potato and apple), basic pantry spices (cinnamon and allspice) and an ingredient you might not expect—blackstrap molasses. When you spoon out a teaspoon for this recipe, you will understand the phrase “slow as molasses”. IT IS THICK, that’s for sure, but unlike refined white sugar or corn syrup, blackstrap molasses is a natural sweetener that is actually good for us. This dark, syrupy byproduct made from the crystallization of sucrose is impressively high in vitamins and minerals including iron, calcium, manganese, copper, potassium, magnesium, selenium, vitamin B-6 and niacin.

Blackstrap Molasses

Now, let’s get started. First, grab your blender. Here’s mine.

Williams-Sonoma Blender

It may not look very exciting, but the mere fact that I’ve had this Waring blender (purchased at Williams-Sonoma) my entire adult life, makes it pretty special. The blender still works like new, and I use it several times a week.

An excellent blender is a kitchen necessity, don’t you agree? If you’re in the market for a new blender or juicer or smoothie machine, add one of THESE to your Christmas list now, and you’ll probably never need another one, at least that’s been my experience.

Okay, moving along. Gather and measure your ingredients. I always do this no matter what I’m making. This makes me feel organized even when I’m not.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie - ingredients

I bet you thought we’d never get to the recipe. Here it is.

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Print Recipe
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup 2% milk I used Lactaid
  • 1/2 cup cooked sweet potato smashed and cooled
  • 1/2 medium apple cubed (I used Honeycrisp)
  • 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon allspice
  • 2 dashes of cinnamon
  • pinch of brown sugar optional
  • 5-6 ice cubes
  • 1 teaspoon chopped pecans optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend together milk, sweet potato, apple, cinnamon, allspice, molasses, and vanilla.
  • Add ice and blend again until smooth. Taste. Add additional milk or ice for consistency preference. Add pinch of brown sugar if more sweetness is desired.
  • Serve in your favorite glass and top with chopped pecans and a sprinkle of cinnamon. You can add a dollop of whipped cream too.
Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie

Topped with chopped pecans (from our farm) and cinnamon. I was heavy handed on the cinnamon…

 

Two final notes. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, buy some before you begin your holiday baking. I love it not only because it adds richness and an extra depth of flavor to your creations but also because of the tiny vanilla bean specks visible in whatever you are making. Also, I used two dashes of cinnamon in this recipe. I’m not exactly sure how much a dash is but I have a tiny little spoon that says dash. Probably close to 1/8 teaspoon?

Vanilla Bean Paste and the cutest measuring spoons ever.

Seriously, are these not the cutest measuring spoons ever? (A housewarming gift from my friend, Judy!) A smidgen, pinch and dash (top of picture).

 

For a different spin on the presentation, pour your sweet potato smoothie into shot glasses. Shots make every gathering a party!

Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie Shots

 

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

[tweetthis]Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie made with #Blackstrap #Molasses. Shut my mouth! #SmoothieWeek @WilliamsSonoma #healthy[/tweetthis]

“Song, song of the south, sweet potato pie and I shut my mouth.” – Alabama, Song of the South

 

 

Mocha Banana Smoothie

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mocha banana smoothie

Mercy. This mocha banana smoothie tastes like a mix between everyone’s favorite Wendy’s Frosty and Braum’s German chocolate ice cream. Know what I mean? This shushy chocolaty goodness with a hint of mocha and coconut will give you a late morning (or anytime) pick-me-up without all the sugar and empty calories.

Since the first of the year I’ve been on a green smoothie kick (thanks to my friend Kellee who blogs at Delta Moxie). Now that I’ve discovered the magical combination of coffee and frozen bananas, I’ve added this to my rotation.

Tomorrow morning, when you brew coffee, save half a cup for this recipe. You’ll think you splurged at Starbucks.

mocha banana smoothie

Mocha Banana Smoothie

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 cup cold black coffee
  • 1/2 cup fat-free milk I use lactose free
  • 1 frozen banana sliced
  • 1 heaping Tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1/2 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon local honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 handfuls of ice

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients. There may be unblended flaxseed in your smoothie—omit if you prefer. (I add flaxseed to most everything for the extra fiber.)
  • This smoothie is not sugary sweet. Add your favorite sweetener, if desired.
  • This makes 2 medium servings.

 

mocha banana smoothie

Very tasty!

For more information on health benefits of smoothies (including weight loss) along with yummy recipes, click HERE.

Grace Grits and Gardening

Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.

THANKS FOR READING!