Scrumptious and Healthy Berrynana Orangape Smoothie

Want a smoothie but scared of the fat? No fear! Have a satisfying and rich one while getting your morning protein and fruit.

Scrumptious and Healthy Berrynana Orangape Shake  
Total time: 5-7 minutes Serving size: 1 cup/8 oz

Looks creamy? Tastes like it too. Thank you banana and protein! 

Ingredients (in whatever proportion unless specified) 

• Strawberry 
• Banana 
• Orange juice
• Grape juice 
• Protein Powder (preferably 1 tablespoon, or according to package directions) *My protein powder is vanilla flavored, but if your brand does not have flavoring, add a teensy drop of vanilla extract*

Equipment:

• A blender/smoothy maker 

Directions
Cut all fruit into small pieces so that your blender can puree them easily. You don't want to have fruit chunks floating in your drink. Put them inside blender cup, add orange juice, add grape juice, and protein powder. I like to shake my cup a bit to let the powder distribute more easily. Blend to desired consistency. Open your container and smell. Taste. Add honey if you want to sweeten it more. Enjoy. 

Eat your fruits and save your figure!

Autumn: Park Hawthorn Harvest

First of all, I hope everyone has made through Hurricane Irene safely and peacefully on the Eastern US Coast and I offer my sincerest condolences to those who haven't. It was pretty tame in NYC, with naught much but some flooding but luckily, since I live in the suburbs on higher ground, there wasn't any flooding-just a few uprooted trees in the park here and there.

Speaking of the park-last Friday, the last sunny day we had before the tropical storm hit, I went for a walk, wondering how many trees would be struck down by the predicted fierce winds. Along the way, I saw some delicious looking berries. Since childhood, I have always LOVED foraging! In my early business mindset, I imagined that I could sell these berries for money, just like a farm child and be able to earn my own allowance. It didn't occur to me that perhaps other people could just go and pick the fruit themselves. Now, older, more mature, and an aspiring foodie (I hope), I just picked them simply because they taste distinctly different from store brought produce, and hey, free food. Who don't want free food? So whatever is edible, I pick. I pick dandelion leaves (salads) in spring, blackberries in the summer (raw or jam), and wild garlic (allium chrysanthum) and even to the extent of enduring the vile stench of the ginko fruit to harvest the inner nut, which has very high nutritional value and great health benefits. *Ignores stares from neighbors and passerby*  But I have never eaten wild hawthorn-I always had to buy them from the health food store, and not at a cheap price either...

Although I didn't know what they were, I boldly took some to take home to try. Actually, around 1 lb, in fact. At home, after washing them properly, they tasted absolutely wonderful. They were delicately sweet, with a touch of fruity tartness. It tasted apple-like in fact. Judging from the seeds, I identified them as a type of hawthorn berry-completely edible and in fact, is very beneficial to your health. It was a lucky and tasty catch! However, this is not advised to do by yourself if you don't know about wild berries, and I know better than to try something like this again. Eat smart.  

How to Wash 
Simply just pour berries into a large bowl, remove leaves and stem, and gently scrub them with your fingers in bunches. Rinse 3-5 times to wash out dust/dirt.

 Enjoy them the way they are or add them to yogurt and salads. You may store them in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Yum! A delightful and health snack!

The Marriage of Nutella and Butterbeer

I couldn't find a Nutella Butterbeer recipe anywhere on the web, so I decided to make it myself, and also a new version of butterbeer without relying too much on heavy cream... I use a lot of whole milk, which is actually only 3-4% fat... It should taste like caramel, milk, and nutella added together. I usually work with an almost-empty refrigerator, so I don't have fancy ingredients usually. If you don't like Nutella, just try the recipe without it and tell me how it is!

Cookievision's Super Easy (Nutella) Butterbeer Recipe
Takes around 15 minutes. Serves one or two, depending on amount of milk added.
Ingredients:

• butter, 1 1/2 tablespoons
• sugar, 1/4 cup
• whole milk (lots of it!)
• vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
• cinnamon (optional)
• nutella 1 tablespoon (optional)
• whipped cream (optional)

Directions:
NOTE: Assemble all ingredients beforehand because this is a really fast recipe and sugar burns fast.

In a saucepan, heat sugar on moderately high heat. May add a small splash of water to help sugar cook more evenly and not burn. Quickly stir with spoon until sugar just stops boiling. You should have a brownish liquid. Add butter and vanilla extract to the pan and stir until butter melts. Turn to low heat. Add milk (one or two cups) and stir vigorously until well mixed. You may add more milk if you wish, if it is too sweet. Also add the nutella if you wish, and stir until mixture is well blended. Pour into mugs. Drink as is or serve with whipped cream on the top and a sprinkle of cinammon.To store, put in refrigerator and reheat as you wish. Keeps for 1-2 days.