Elizabeth Brown | Kitchen Vixen | Nutritious Nibbles | Protein Shake | Smoothies | Watermelon | Whole Foods
Watermelon season is ending What’s a girl to do?Share a recipe or 2
“The constructive use of riches is better than their possession.”
(Be sure to scroll to the end for a bonus, super-nutritious recipe made with beans)
(Be sure to scroll to the end for a bonus, super-nutritious recipe made with beans)
What’s the use of having knowledge and experience and wisdom under your belt if you don’t share it with others? Riches are not only measured in money you know; and with the state of the economy, what is a dollar worth anyway? Can anyone answer that? Seriously, I looked at a chart on the WSJ website: World Value of the Dollar, and I couldn’t make heads or tails except that I’m pretty sure the value is less than $1. I think.
Even when the dollar is up, eventually it will go down. All good things must come to an end or at least cycle in and out like the changing seasons. Alas, watermelon season, my most favorite time of the year, is soon ending. *sigh* Everything in life happens for a reason, relationships end, loved ones and pets pass on, jobs are lost, watermelon season ends…hardships hit everyone at some point in life. And the lesson in life is not how much hardship you can take at one time, but merely, how you handle it.
I’m not the first one to say this, but… “When God closes one door, he opens a window.” Or as my friend Rahel would often say during her times of frustration, “Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.” These are actually the immortal words of Dory, the fish, played by Ellen DeGeneres in Finding Nemo. But they are certainly words to live by.
So now the $24,000 question: “What do you do when watermelon season, or any of your favorite fruit seasons are ending and you can’t bear to go on?”
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Answer: “You buy all the watermelons you can get your hands on and you share your creations with loved ones.” At my favorite dollar store, aka the 99 cent store, you can get a 5-8 pound watermelon for only a dollar! It’s truly hit or miss though. So when I get some that are not super sweet or when I have more than I can eat in a reasonable amount of time, I cut them up, puree the pieces, and make watermelon ice cubes. Woo hoo! Now I can enjoy that real watermelon flavor all year long!!
Watermelon ice cubes for breakfast, watermelon ice cubes for snacks, watermelon ice cubes after a long run. However you use ‘em watermelon ice cubes are, first and foremost, a great way to flavor and color your water with super-nutrition. Watermelon ice cubes also go great in shakes such as the tropical protein shake below or my Super-Green shake found here.
To learn more about watermelon and all its wonderful attributes, read my past article where you will also find out why a “watermelon eating dog caused a man to stab himself.” I’m not kidding either.
Oh, wait, the whole point here is that “When God closes a door, he opens a window.” When watermelon season ends, another delicious and nutritious season is there to take its place.
According to the Produce for Better Health website, the fall season brings pears, grapes, cranberries, guava, passionfruit, persimmons and pineapple. Plus we have apples and bananas year round. Oh, boy!! Watermelon season may be ending, but passionfruit sure sounds like an exciting new beginning!
In the meantime, please do yourself a favor and buy a bunch of watermelon and make watermelon ice cubes so you too can make this Tropical Protein Shake. OMG, it really is so delicious!!
BTW, when I was buying my milk, mint & coconut at Whole Foods last night, Christina R., the woman who rung up my purchases said, “It looks like you have the ingredients for a shake.What are you making?” I gave her my card and told her to read my website in the next day or two. So I hope she does. I thought that was very intuitive of her to figure out what I was doing with my ingredients. Also, on the way out of the store, I ran into the Whole Foods employee featured in the end of the Whole Foods Parking Lot video. I said, “Hey, you’re that woman in the Whole Foods Parking Lot video.” She just laughed and said, “I have been getting phone calls from relatives around the country who have seen me on the news.” You never know what will make someone famous.
Enjoy my recipe made with ingredients bought at the dollar store and at Whole Foods. I love the dollar store for some of their deals, but I Love, Love, Love my Whole Foods shopping experiences!! Whole Foods rules!!!
BTW, when I was buying my milk, mint & coconut at Whole Foods last night, Christina R., the woman who rung up my purchases said, “It looks like you have the ingredients for a shake.What are you making?” I gave her my card and told her to read my website in the next day or two. So I hope she does. I thought that was very intuitive of her to figure out what I was doing with my ingredients. Also, on the way out of the store, I ran into the Whole Foods employee featured in the end of the Whole Foods Parking Lot video. I said, “Hey, you’re that woman in the Whole Foods Parking Lot video.” She just laughed and said, “I have been getting phone calls from relatives around the country who have seen me on the news.” You never know what will make someone famous.
Enjoy my recipe made with ingredients bought at the dollar store and at Whole Foods. I love the dollar store for some of their deals, but I Love, Love, Love my Whole Foods shopping experiences!! Whole Foods rules!!!
Tropical Protein ShakeReady in 10 minutes • Makes 1 serving
6 Watermelon Ice Cubes or 1 cup fresh watermelon
1 cup low fat milk or your choice
2 heaping Tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder (or any powder you like)
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
6 mint leaves
2 chopped mint leaves for garnish
Throw everything in a blender except for the garnish. Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves. Drink & Enjoy!
Cost per serving: $1.07
6 Watermelon Ice Cubes or 1 cup fresh watermelon
1 cup low fat milk or your choice
2 heaping Tablespoons vanilla whey protein powder (or any powder you like)
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
6 mint leaves
2 chopped mint leaves for garnish
Throw everything in a blender except for the garnish. Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves. Drink & Enjoy!
Cost per serving: $1.07
Nutrients per serving (1 shake, 14.6oz/415g): Calories: 309, Total Fats: 9 g, Omega-3 fats: 0 mg, Sodium: 139 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 30 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 25g, Protein: 27g
% Daily Value (DV)
Calcium: 30%
Vitamin D: 25%
Vitamin A: 20%
Manganese: 14%
Vitamin C: 13%
Potassium: 13%
Copper: 4%
Iron: 4%
Selenium: 3%
Magnesium: 2%
Phosphorus: 2%
Vitamin-E: 1%
Niacin: 1%
B-6: 1%
Riboflavin: 1%
Zinc: 1%
Inspired by a request to create a drink using beans, I decided to take this same recipe and use beans in place of the whey powder and it is just as good…and way, way more nutritious.Note the exceptionally high fiber, and the significant increase in minerals. Oh, it’s less expensive too!! YAY!! I love when we can use good, real, whole foods to make nourishing concoctions!!!
Tropical Protein Shake (made with beans)
Inspired by a request to create a drink using beans, I decided to take this same recipe and use beans in place of the whey powder and it is just as good…and way, way more nutritious.Note the exceptionally high fiber, and the significant increase in minerals. Oh, it’s less expensive too!! YAY!! I love when we can use good, real, whole foods to make nourishing concoctions!!!
Tropical Protein Shake (made with beans)
Ready in 10 minutes • Makes 1 serving6 Watermelon Ice Cubes or 1 cup fresh watermelon
1 cup low fat milk or your choice
1/2 cup cooked or canned & rinsed white beans
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
6 mint leaves
2 chopped mint leaves for garnishThrow everything in a blender except for the garnish. Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves. Drink & Enjoy!Cost per serving: $0.70
1 cup low fat milk or your choice
1/2 cup cooked or canned & rinsed white beans
2 Tablespoons shredded coconut
6 mint leaves
2 chopped mint leaves for garnishThrow everything in a blender except for the garnish. Blend to a smooth, creamy consistency. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves. Drink & Enjoy!Cost per serving: $0.70
Nutrients per serving (1 shake, 17oz/484g): Calories: 369, Total Fats: 9 g, Omega-3 fats: 110 mg, Sodium: 140 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 52g, Dietary Fiber:12g, Sugars: 27g, Protein: 18g
% Daily Value (DV)
Manganese: 36%
Calcium: 35%
Potassium: 28%
Vitamin D: 25%
Vitamin A: 20%
Vitamin C: 13%
Copper: 11%
Iron: 18%
Selenium: 4%
Magnesium: 17%
Phosphorus: 17%
Vitamin-E: 2%
Niacin: 10%
B-6: 7%
Riboflavin: 4%
Zinc: 8%
Folate: 31%
Thiamin-B1: 18%
B-12: 0%
