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Popeye Smoothies

March 14, 2012

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The older Mr. Boy gets … the more “BOY” he becomes.

If he sees any standing water on the ground — no matter how thin — the child must run to it and commence stomping and splashing.  It as through the puddles contain some homing device for him.

He spends hours and HOURS of his day pretending to be an airplane … or a car …. or a super hero of one kind or another.  And, of course, every imagined persona or entity has its own sound effects.  LOUD sound effects.

And, to my horror, Mr. Boy has become obsessed with all things “gross.”  Snot.  Boogers.  Slime.

If it is disgusting . . . if it oozes . . . if it smells . . . Mr. Boy is in LOVE.

I’m pretty sure the author of the “Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails” poem defining little boys had his or her own Mr. Boy running around.  That poem sums hims up perfectly.

He is just ALLLLL boy.

(and, as my grandmother likes to say about his kind …. “But, oh!  What a man he will make.”)

When it comes to eating, he is my picky one.  The one most likely to turn his nose up at most vegetables and at most meats.

His preferences? Oatmeal, bluebabies (blueberries), redbabies (raspberries), apples, and french fries.

If I would let him eat those food at each and every meal, the child would be blissfully content.  But, alas, I’m a mean mommy and I expect my children to sample everything served to them at mealtimes.  And, GASP … I expect him to EAT GREEN VEGETABLES!

Mr. Boy is NOT a fan of green vegetables.  Every now and then, if the mood strikes, he’ll nibble at roasted broccoli; but this only happens if the stars are perfectly aligned, there is NOT a full moon, and if everyone holds their breath while he eats.

A few weeks ago, however, I discovered a secret to getting my Mr. Boy to eat something healthy and something green: Popeye Smoothies.

Every morning, Mr. Boy asks for a Popeye Smoothie (or what the rest of the world knows as a Green Monster Smoothie);  the greener and thicker and “gloopier” it is in his glass, the happier that tyke is.

And, since he has found a new hero in Popeye the Sailor Man, Mr. Boy thinks it is uber-cool to be drinking something Popeye would drink.

AND, it doesn’t hurt that he can give himself a mean mustache and a unibrow while slurping down the smoothie.  To a 2.5 year old, facial hair is even more cool that Popeye.

Whatever it takes, right?

Mr. Boy isn’t alone in his love of this drink. Momm, Daddy, and the Little Lady are also fans. The baby spinach yields plenty of iron and calcium but its flavor is masked by the sweet fruit. Using frozen blueberries is not only economical (at my store, I can purchase three times the amount of frozen berries at the same price of fresh berries) but saves you from adding ice for bulk (ice which would melt and water down the texture and flavor of the drink).

If you add Ginger, you get a spicy, pungent bright note — a nice balance to the natural sweet flavor of the green smoothie.

[print_this]

 Popeye Smoothies

aka “Green Monster Smoothies”  — Makes one adult serving or two child-sized servings.

Ingredients

  1. 2 Cups of Baby Spinach
  2. 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  3. 1 Banana (the riper, the better)
  4. 1 Cup Frozen Blueberries
  5. 1 Tsp Raw, Organic Honey (optional)
  6. 1 Tsp Ginger (optional)*

Directions

  1. In a blender, puree the baby spinach and milk.
  2. Add the banana to the liquid, cutting the banana if needed. Puree.
  3. If you choose to add honey for additional sweetness, add it in at this point and puree.
  4. Add in the frozen blueberries and ginger, “pulsing” the blender a few seconds until the blueberries are broken and incorporated into the smoothie.
  5. Pour immediately into a glass(es) and serve.

notes

* Since I don’t have the time or patience to grate ginger every morning, I buy Ground Ginger Paste. It comes in a small tube and is sold in the fresh herb section of my grocery store’s produce department. It is SUCH a time saver. Love it.

[/print_this]

Inspired by Sing For Your Supper’s Brown Monster Smoothie.

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About Rachel Lacy

Rachel Lacy is the author of Following In My Shoes, where she blogs about Mommyhood, Family-Friendly Recipes and Bento Lunches, and Life in Texas. She is a lover of all things Coffee and Nutella.
You can also connect with Rachel Lacy on Google+.

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Who is Rachel LacyMy name is Rachel -- I share tales about food and family. I'm a home-cook who focuses on fresh meals to both fuel us and to help us celebrate our family-life. My day starts with coffee. Lots of coffee.
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