Revision Note 6/17/07: Two-day smoothies lasted a few months and then the total quantity started to rise until by the end of the summer the blender was again completely full and the contents lasted 4 days. In January 2007, when our dietary regimen took a major change by going to one meal daily, my smoothie became the major portion of this first course of this lengthy meal. I also began including cocoa into the smoothie in March for the many nutritional benefits. (Kitty introduced a small amount of yogurt and/or kefir mixed with cocoa along with the smoothie for the probiotic benefit.) Kitty rarely makes any fruit tea since we both are so satisfied with the half green/half rooibos we almost chain-drink during each day. Consequently no fruit tea residues are generally available for the smoothie refuse container. A current weighing of this combination fruit/seeds smoothie with cocoa was taken 6/14/07 and the listing provided as a new recipe below.
Revision Note 2/9/06: Began making smoothie in 2 day batches in mid-January in order to enjoy the more pleasurable taste of fresh smoothies. When Kitty has not made any fruit tea recently and therefore making residues available, I increase the amount of berries used.
Revision Note 11/7/05: Deleted buckwheat which has trypsin inhibitors that can cause poor digestion if not sufficiently cooked.R
Revision Note 3/11/05: Added photos of Arizona blender; also included that seeds from peppers, all citrus peels and seeds as well as apple cores are also on the used list of "refuse" that goes into the smoothie.
Revision Note 10/15/04: Prunes and brazil nuts were deleted from both versions a couple months ago in order to enjoy them separately during the day. (The prunes we get from Kensington Market in Toronto are so good that we enjoy them plain or with the brazil nuts, and also walnuts; and we take these superior prunes with us to Arizona.) The "full fruit" version w/o kiwi or any extra fresh berries is my smoothie of choice these days; I'm leaving the alternate for anyone interested. Apricots are no longer included since good blending requires the soaking method and I just don't feel like spending the time. Besides, they make a great snack during the day with nuts too. The powders and seeds used for nutritional supplementation have been updated here to reflect their inclusion on the Regimen page; see Breakfast Powders.
The weights given for the Fruit Smoothie were those taken on 10/7 for the amount of volume I typically use each time I make my smoothie; I do not weigh ingredients each time.
Revision Note 3/28/04: The calories for the full fruit version were calculated in mid February and found to be ~580 per meal. Avena Sativa powder in the smoothie was replaced by tablet form taken before meals; see Regimen Changes 7/6/02.
Revision Note 12/16/02: An alternate version that does not use berries or kiwi allowing these items to be reserved for a delicious snack at another time during my day. Sometimes I really enjoy the taste of these items unaffected by the presence of the other smoothie ingredients. Tribulis deleted in powder supplement listing; see Regimen Changes 11/08/02
Revision Note 9/10/02: Occasional soaking of apricots and prunes necessary.
Revision Note 6/8/02: Whole flax seeds, ground at time of smoothie preparation, have replaced Udo's Choice as a cost measure.
Revision Note 2/19/02: The quantities of powders typically used were weighed today to provide more accurate information. Simple tableware teaspoons and tablespoons are regularly used by Tom rather than the measuring variety. A wider tolerance on supplement dosage is expected with this method.
Pumpkin Seeds have been omitted since left over squash seeds are usually available.
Revision Note 9/1/01: The quantities of ingredients have been adjusted (downward in most cases) to maintain a caloric intake of not more than 1800 calories per day.
| 152 g | peels and seeds left over from lemon being squeezed in Kitty's tea and any citrus eaten; apple cores (minus hard stem); all fresh strawberry tops; cooked squash seeds (only 1/2 of the squash's seeds in one smoothie) |
| 43 g | raw almonds |
| 41 g | raw hazelnuts (filberts) |
| 41 g | walnuts |
| 41 g | dried black currents |
| 356 g | frozen mixed berries: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, black & red currant, cranberry (when frozen mixed berries are not available, I resort to just separately frozen cranberries, strawberries, and blueberries) |
| 130 g | frozen blueberries |
| 80 g | frozen cranberries (fresh when available) |
| 100 g | cocoa, undutched |
| 60 gm | hemp extrusions ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 46 gm (~3T) | blackstrap molasses |
| 68 gm (~3T) | barley malt |
| 4 oz | Pomegranate Juice Concentrate |
| ~120 ml (4 oz) | aronia juice |
| ~150 ml (5 oz) | grape juice, unfiltered |
| ~ Vol * | ~ Wt * | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 2 rnd tsp (new) | 5.6 gm | cinnamon |
| 2 rnd tsp (new) | 4.5 gm | ginger |
| 3 hpg Tbl (old) | 48 gm | whole flax seeds ground in coffee mill |
| 2 hpg Tbl (old) | 30 gm | unhulled sesame seeds ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 4 scoops | 80 gm | Enhanced Life Extension Whey Protein (Natural) |
| 4 hpg Tbs (old) | 37 gm | Lecithin w/ B5 & BHA |
| 2 rnd Tbs (old) | 27 gm | Soy Power Protein |
| 2 rnd tsp (new) | 9.6 gm | Super Ascorbate C powder |
| 2 rnd tsp (old) | 9.6 gm | Nutraflora |
| 100 g | peels and seeds left over from lemon being squeezed on meals and citrus eaten at all; apple cores (minus hard stem); all fresh strawberry tops |
| 100 g | frozen mixed berries: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, black & red currant, cranberry (when frozen mixed berries are not available, I resort to just separately frozen cranberries, strawberries, and blueberries |
| 60 g | frozen blueberries |
| 40 g | frozen cranberries (fresh when available) |
| 23 g | dried black currants |
| 22 g | raw almonds |
| 22 g | raw hazelnuts (filberts) |
| 60 g | pulp and seeds of any pepper, squash or melon that I have eaten for other meals |
| 200 g | residues from brewed rooibos pre-mix combination fruit tea (rose hips, apple, rooibos leaves, cassia bark, hibiscus flowers, almond & vanilla) or homemade version |
| 200 g | 100% raw concord grape juice (see "Addition of Ingredients") |
| 100 g | Aronia berry juice (see "Addition of Ingredients") |
| ~ Vol * | ~ Wt * | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 rnd tsp (new) | 2.1 gm | cinnamon |
| 3/4 rnd tsp (new) | 2.1 gm | ginger |
| 2 rnd Tbl (old) | 23 gm | whole flax seeds ground in coffee mill |
| 3 hpg Tbl (old) | 40 gm | whole toasted hemp seeds ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 1 hpg Tbl (old) | 15 gm | unhulled sesame seeds ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 2 scoops | 42 gm | Enhanced Life Extension Protein |
| 2 rnd Tbs (old) | 16 gm | Lecithin w/ B5 & BHA |
| 1 rnd Tbs (old) | 10 gm | Soy Power Protein |
| 3/4 rnd tsp (new) | 3.5 gm | Super Ascorbate C powder |
* The volumes listed are the measuring spoon equivalents of the actual weights based on the information taken on 2/9/06 and also provided on supplement powders measured and calibrated densities.
| 210 g | peels and seeds left over from lemon being squeezed on meals and citrus eaten at all; apple cores (minus hard stem); all fresh strawberry tops |
| 200 g | frozen mixed berries: strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, black & red currant, cranberry (when frozen mixed berries are not available, I resort to just separately frozen cranberries, strawberries, and blueberries |
| 120 g | frozen blueberries |
| 75 g | frozen cranberries (fresh when available) |
| 40 g | dried black currants |
| 40 g | raw almonds |
| 40 g | raw hazelnuts (filberts) |
| 80 g | pulp and seeds of any pepper, squash or melon that I have eaten for other meals |
| 200 g | residues from brewed rooibos pre-mix combination fruit tea (rose hips, apple, rooibos leaves, cassia bark, hibiscus flowers, almond & vanilla) or homemade version |
| 350 g | 100% raw concord grape juice (for amount see below, "Addition of Ingredients") |
| ~ Vol * | ~ Wt * | Item |
|---|---|---|
| 1 rnd tsp (old) | 4.8 gm | cinnamon |
| 1 hpg tsp (old) | 3.0 gm | ginger |
| 3 hpg Tbl (old) | 40 gm | whole flax seeds ground in coffee mill |
| 3 rnd Tbl (old) | 30 gm | whole toasted hemp seeds ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 2 hpg Tbl (old) | 30 gm | unhulled sesame seeds ground with flax in coffee mill |
| 4.5 scoops | 103 gm | Enhanced Life Extension Protein |
| 4 hpg Tbs (old) | 40 gm | Lecithin w/ B5 & BHA |
| 2 rnd Tbs (old) | 20 gm | Soy Power Protein |
| 1 hpg tsp (old) | 6.3 gm | Super Ascorbate C powder |
* See revision note 2/19/02, above. The volumes listed are the measuring spoon equivalents of the actual weights based on the information provided on supplement powders measured and calibrated densities.
| 210 g | peels and seeds left over from lemon being squeezed on meals and citrus eaten at all; apple cores (minus hard stem); all fresh strawberry tops |
| 25 g | dried apricots |
| 40 g | dried black currants |
| 40 g | each of raw almonds & hazelnuts |
| 12 g | raw brazil nuts |
| 80 g | pulp and seeds of any squash that I have eaten for other meals |
| 200 g | residues from brewed rooibos pre-mix combination fruit tea (rose hips, apple, rooibos leaves, cassia bark, hibiscus flowers, almond & vanilla) or homemade version |
| 300 g | 100% raw concord grape juice (for amount see below, "Addition of Ingredients") |
| Sufficient water to replace that "lost" from deleted berries |
Note: I normally do not do this when the apricots are soft and don't bother for the almonds, yet still appear to achieve sufficiently fine blending. Occasionally I find the purchased pitted prunes are dry and the apricots too; then I use this process. (However, if I find at the time of blending that the apricots are just too dry, I just reserve them for eating as a snack during the day.) Also, soaked almonds and apricots have special taste appeal for snacks. See below for details of soaking method.
You may find that these will not blend sufficiently finely enough without soaking. Soaking is accomplished in bulk by filling a 16 oz cottage cheese or yogurt container 2/3 full loosely with dried apricots, topping up with spring or distilled water and placing in the refrigerator at least one day before first use. When first opened, you will find the water level has gone down and you will need to top it up again. After eating apricots, the liquid may be used in place of some juice. Apricots soaked in this manner appear to keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator and are delicious as a snack.
Although the other nuts grind up fine, I sometimes find dried raw almonds too hard to blend properly with the fruit unless they are first softened by soaking. To do this proceed as with the apricots but leave at least two days in the refrigerator before first use. At time of first use, drain water and rinse almonds thoroughly with fresh tap water and store in refrigerator without water in the container. Unless you do this almonds will not keep well. If you can't use them within 2 weeks, you should probably soak only 1/2 container at a time. BTW, they are also delicious to eat straight this way.
The only reason for this order is to allow ease of blending. My method is simply to prepare and place almost all ingredients in the blender before starting the blender, with the "juiciest" things going in first. There are probably other methods which are just as convenient or better. I use as much as possible of the whole fruit: all the pulp and seeds of melons, the skin of the kiwi (only removing the stem attachment part). Naturally, hard pits like peach, cherry, plum, prune, apricot, etc which the blender will not cut up must be omitted. I have used only seedless grapes, having not tried to blend grape seeds - I don't think it would work.
- chop and add all fresh or frozen fruit
- add nuts and dried fruit
- add all dry ingredients except whey protein powder
which I do not add until the "smoothing" part of the blending is mostly complete.
- add grape juice to 2/3 point of the container (1500 ml blender container)
I do not use a special expensive blender, just the cheapest one from Wal-Mart does fine. (See update below.)
I start at low to medium speed and give the bottom juicy ingredients a little time to liquefy. Usually, the other ingredients get "stuck" up in the container. I usually need to stop and shake everything down or stir 2 or 3 times before it all begins circulating. At this time you can also increase the speed somewhat. Pushing ingredients at the top down to the bottom with the back of a tablespoon and stirring with a downward motion helps things along.
Once it begins to circulate freely and you see that everything has been drawn down, wait until it is as smooth as you desire and then add the whey powder plus a little water just before completion of the blending. Sometimes it is so thick that the whey powder will not all sink in at first. The trick here is to stop the blender to allow any trapped air to be released. When it is started again anything sitting on the surface will be drawn down and completely mix.
Now that I am doing 4 days worth at once the blender so usually so full that it will not blend smooth enough and there is no room for the whey powder. I then pour about 1/3 of the blender contents out into one of the storage containers and mix 2/3 of the whey powder into the rest.
I then pour 1 1/3 storage containers full, eat/drink some of the mixture from the blender container before pouring back the partially processed 1/3. To this I then add more whey powder and blend until completely smooth. Then I pour the second and third full containers to be stored and finally complete eating/drinking the contents of the blender container as described below.
While preparing and adding the ingredients to the container, I put the unused portions back in the refrigerator. When the blending operation is complete, I just pour three 16 oz (450 ml) cottage cheese containers full to store for the next three days and then eat/drink the rest right out of the blender. If this is too "piggish" for you, I suggest pouring it into a bowl and eating it with a spoon since it is usually too thick to actually drink. If you do not like it so thick, you can always add more juice, or some other liquid and less fruit.
I like it thick, because it is very easy to swallow a total of 40+ pills in 3-4 sets with mouthfuls of thick smoothie. (Note 2 containers holding 7 days each worth of pill bottles, one for each meal.)
One problem with the thickness is that after completely upending it into my mouth there are still usually several ounces left in the container (and it's so yummy and I am so frugal that I cannot possibly waste that). The answer here is to use a long handled rubber scraper to gather the remainder together *as* you drink it near the end, and get the last by licking it off the scrapper. Once you get adept at this, you will find it takes very little time and you can get out everything but about 1 teaspoonful. You may be satisfied with that and simply wash the container (easy by blending hot water in it) to complete the cleanup. I, however, am not satisfied with even that little waste, so I dribble water down the sides of the container from my filtered water dispenser, swish the water around the bottom and drink the resulting mixture.
The blender Paul originally began to make use of in Arizona at Kitty's house was several years old and didn't last long with the task of Paul's smoothie. We decided to search for one that had more power than those he had been using in Toronto. This Hamilton Beach Blend Master found at a factory outlet kitchen wares store near Casa Grande, has shown itself very much up to the job. We have even considered buying a second and taking it back to Canada since the lower powered ones seem to labor and have been replaced every few years.