Date and Tahini Protein Smoothie (with cocoa!)
It’s 7am and both the husband and the child are still sleeping. We’re on ‘vacation’ time now so the kid has been going to sleep at around 9pm, which means she’s been sleeping until 8ish and we are all loving every second of it. I thought I might steal a few quiet moments to myself this morning—fresh cup of brewed coffee, sitting chair all to myself—-to finish this post in peace. I’m kinda excited about it (well if that’s not the nerdiest thing to be excited about, I’m not sure what is).
So it’s New Year’s Eve (day) or, as my mother-in-law would call it, erev New Year’s. I gotta say, I don’t get too caught up in this new year’s. I really, and not to sound like a pretentious boob, but I really get caught up in Rosh Hashanah. I don’t make resolutions or get too nostalgic around the 31st. I do, however, get extremely reflective during Rosh Hashanah. I remember the Rosh Hashanah before she was even conceived. I prayed so hard to get pregnant that year. I mean I implored myself to Gd to get pregnant. I felt it in my bones. I have never felt that kind of spirituality while waiting in line at a club in Chicago for an overpriced (and usually over hyped) NYE party in the early 2000s. I mean I’ve certainly prayed while waiting in line at a club in Chicago for an overpriced NYE party and I DEFINITELY prayed after those parties. If I remember correctly, I think those prayers went a little like this:
“Oh dear Gd who is in heaven, please send a cab my way. I realize that this is the lamest thing to pray for but it’s 14 degrees in Chicago tonight and I’m not properly dressed for this weather because my real winter coat is chin to ankle-length and hauling that thing around the club was not in the cards tonight. There was no way I was going to pay $20 to check my coat when I paid $80 to get into the club. I mean, that’s just good budgeting. Am I right? Also? These shoes are killing me (but dannnnng, they look fierce) so could you help a sister out? Please? Anything? No? Fair call.”
Ahhhh, those days are long gone. Gone are the days when I felt internal pressure to have a good time on NYE. I feel absolutely no internal need (spurned on by what the kids are now calling, FOMO or Fear Of Missing Out) to prove to the world or social media that I know how to party and I’d like to take a moment to thank my mid-30s for that. Nope. For the past 3 NYEs, my husband and I have had the same ritual. He makes some slammin’ homemade sushi while I set up our porch with the air mattress and all the pillows and blankets so that it’s very comfortable and we watch whatever movie we’ve finally agreed upon while eating said sushi and downing some sort of bubbling adult beverage. Some times we make it to midnight. Some times we don’t. Either way, there’s no praying to Gd for help with anything during NYE as of late. Those prayers of help have turned into prayers of thanks and I’m ever so grateful for that progression.
Testing out my new light with my favorite model
Moving right along, in my quest to be a teeeeensy bit more healthy (read: no longer eat pasta at minimum 3 nights a week) and to embrace the fact that I can officially no longer eat like a 25 year-old, I’ve taken to eating banana-based protein smoothies for breakfast and it’s actually been good for me. My favorite has really been anything with almond milk and banana with the addition of raw cocoa nibs. Raw cocoa nibs can be expensive but they’ll last a long time so I do recommend the investment. I’ve been known, from time to time, to make one of these here protein smoothies for the kiddo, throw some cocoa nibs in there and call it a chocolate milk shake. She totally buys it. Ha, ha. Sucker.
Date and Tahini Protein Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups of almond milk (I like mine more ‘milky’ than a thick shake so cut it down by 1 to 1/2 a cup if you like it thicker)
1/2 cup pitted dates (roughly 8-9 dates)
Optional:
2 tbsp raw cocoa nibs
1 tbsp flaxseed
2 tbsp cocoa or carob powder
Directions:
Place all ingredients into blender (preferrably a Vitamix or another aggressive blender) and blend for 20 – 30 seconds or until all ingredients are smooth.