Amazing Energy Boost Smoothie

I recently bought the Morphy Richards easy blend. It is awesome. It blends so fast!!! So smoothly!! And at just £20 it is definitely a bargain buy (Robert Dyas - on promo)

Anywho, obviously, when you buy any new toy you have to play with it!! It came with a couple of recipes to get you started but I've just played with tastes I like and even tried fruit I previously dismissed as yucky =P

This recipe is a little high in sugars but some need that sugar and makes an excellent per workout energy boost. Even better its all fresh fruit so 100% clean. 

Ingredients:

Half a punnet raspberries

Half a punnet strawberries

Half an orange

1 medium banana

40g pomegranate (which I spent 30mins squeezing the juice out with a spoon and a sieve (cos those seeds blended taste like bone )) could just use pomegranate juice

Optional:
'1' spoonful of natural Greek yoghurt - makes it thicker and higher protein!

Add them all to the beaker, add the blending lid, place on the blending unit, release the lid, change it for a drinking lid and your ready to go. 

Easier cleaning, no pouring, great smoothies. If you like making your own smoothies, protein shakes, soft desserts or even a cheeky cocktail or two to share with friends, you'll love this blender =D

Makes refreshing drinks in summer, a drink with a small meal, a snack or add protein powder for a meal replacement.

Alternatives:

Kenwood smoothie 2go - Tesco - £19.50
Salter - Amazon - £39.99 £27.99

Making Recipes - Protein balls

Everyone should be familiar with protein after a workout, but protein is probably also one of the best snacks as it keeps you fuller for longer. That said I decided to try make my own recipe for a little protein snack.

This is not a finished recipe as I haven't fiddled with it to try and get the best results but is a start and can be adapted to put whatever you want in it.

Ingredients:

1 scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
100g Almond Flour
1/4 cup (american) cacao
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3tbsp Peanut Butter
5tsp oil (I used vegetable oil as its all I had)
Hazelnut milk

Method:

Add dry ingredients to a blender/mixer/processor and set on lowest setting to equally mix all the ingredients. 1tbsp at a time add the peanut butter. (I used organic but a cheaper crunchy pb with bigger nut chunks will just add to the crunch of your finished product) This will bind your dry products together.
Next I had to add some oil to help bind and this also gives the outside a nice glaze when finished forming.
I probably used a little to much cacao as it was a little bitter, as I couldn't take the ingredient out instead to sweeten and again bind as they were very dry, I added small splashes of hazelnut milk to the mixture and just keep processing until a lump that travels around the processor forms.

The mix is still very dry at this point so prepare to get dirty!!
Spoon out a heaped tsp into your palm and squash the mix to compact it, then roll  into nice even sized balls (mine made ten) and chill.

No cooking required although you could try it if you wanted - substitute sesame seeds for any other seeds that take your fancy - substitute veg oil for coconut oil or substitute pb and oil for any other binding agent.

The recipe will work with cocoa powder too but might need a different amount. If you have chocolate protein powder perhaps you'll need less binding agent?!

When you try my recipe send me a pick and let me know how you got on!

Personal Milestones

It's important, no matter how big your progress, to notice it and recognise all your improvements.

Although I've bee trying for a couple months I'm only just seeing results. 

A tighter frame than when I started

New trousers a size smaller than my usual pants

Getting fit makes so many differences. I might still look pale but since I've started looking after myself I have a skin tone, no longer a ghost!!!

What differences do you measure?