Kabango Calmorant Smoothie

I've been drinking a smoothie for breakfast every day. Believe it or not, they are extremely filling as long as you use good ingredients. This morning's smoothie has four servings of fruit, two servings of vegetables (or more, if you use superfood powder), a serving of nuts and a serving of "dairy." Wow! ...and it's delicious!

Packing all of that goodness and nutrition into one glass fills you up and gives you a huge boost of energy. Since I've quit drinking caffeine (only a month ago, but still!) smoothies are the way I get up and get ready to go in the morning!

I buy bananas three or four bunches at at time so I can freeze them for smoothies. Bananas make a perfect smoothie base, and ingredients like dried fruit, nuts and greens blend very easily into them so you don't have to use yogurt. Simply slice ripe, yellow bananas into one inch slices and freeze in a single layer on a piece of waxed paper. When they're completely frozen, put em all in a baggie and just take out what you need each morning. I bought the chopped frozen mangoes from Whole Foods - $3 for a one pound bag.

I'm also pretty darn proud of the word smash up in the name of this smoothie :-D
kale - banana - mango - carrot - almond - currant

Kabango Calmorant Smoothie

Layer the following ingredients, in this order, in a blender:

• about 3/4 cup sliced frozen banana
• 1/2 cup chopped frozen mango
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1 leaf curly green kale, torn into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons dried currants
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass Berry Flavor Drink Powder (optional)
• 1 - 1 1/4 cups vanilla soymilk

Pulse a few times, and then blend, starting slowly and picking up speed, until completely smooth. This will take a minute or so. It may be necessary to stop the blender and stir to ensure the ingredients towards the top blend together well. Add more soymilk if needed.

Breakfast Mint Toasts

I just made these for breakfast. In fact, I am still eating them and I simply could not wait to post them on this blog!!

A little while back we had bought some Greek sour cream to make stroganoff, and we had a bunch left. I've been staring at it in the fridge in anticipation of the expiration date. Then I decided to actually read the container.

This specific sour cream is Greek Gods brand, and it's not even sour cream, it's Kefir Cheese, or Lebni. Now that I look at it it's not sour cream at all, but I am absolutely certain it was on the same shelf as the sour cream in the grocery store... anyway, I absolutely love this brand's yogurt (especially the honey flavor) because it is extremely thick and creamy. The same for the this lebni - it's thick and creamy and very tart. Here's a picture of the package:

Well, on the back of the tub it says to mix it with some dried mint and eat it with pita. This morning I did sort of that, and it's great!!

If you don't have this product, cream cheese would be very similar but the dish would no longer be healthy. Plain or vanilla flavored Greek yogurt would also work, Fage brand is another one I like. Whatever you use, it must be of spreading consistency, so it won't slide off the bread.


Breakfast Mint Toasts

• 2 slices whole grain bread (here in the picture I used whole wheat hamburger buns, because that's what I had! haha)
• 3-4 tablespoons Greek Gods Lebni
• teaspoon or so of honey
• 2-3 tablespoons dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, currants or raisins
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped walnuts or almonds
• 10-20 fresh mint leaves (depending on your level of minty preference)

 Preheat the broiler and place the bread slices underneath just until they are brown (my electric broiler does this in fifteen seconds - check often!) I only prefer one side of the bread toasted, but if you like the other too, flip it over. This side will take much less time to brown. Or, if you have a fancy toaster, use that.


Spread the lebni over the top of the bread slices and drizzle with however much honey you'd like (be careful though, honey is very sweet). Top with the dried fruit and nuts. Make a chiffonade of the mint leaves - stack them on top of each other in a pile, roll them up in a cylinder and slice extremely thinly (or mince the leaves). Spread atop the toasts, eat and enjoy!!