Friday, August 20, 2010

Banana-Vanilla Shake


I discovered this shake exactly ten days ago. I've made it every day since then...yes, ten days in a row. Yes, I have a problem! I'm hoarding bananas in my freezer, I've gone through a whole bottle of vanilla, and I'm shoving this shake in everyone's face insisting that they'll love it(don't worry...I'm not pushy at all). I've washed my blender so many times that I have dishpan hands and yet I still have to have it. Do you all do that? Do you get addicted to something so bad that you have to keep putting it in your mouth until you get your fix? I do. I'm obsessive-compulsive that way. I'll love something so much that I'll have to keep indulging in it until I'm over it. Thankfully this Banana-Vanilla Shake is actually pretty healthy and I'm so happy that Pam over at Sidewalk Shoes pointed it out. Thanks Pam!

Banana-Vanilla Shake
Adapted from Mark Bittman's How To Cook Everything
1 ripe banana, frozen or room temp **I prefer frozen
1 cup milk
1/2 cup crushed ice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
sugar or simple syrup to sweeten **I use about 2 tablespoons sugar

Add everything to your blender and blitz it up to desired consistency. Enjoy!

Notes/Results:
Cold, creamy, thick, icy and just the right sweetness! This recipe just speaks to me. I'm sure we all have our favorite smoothie recipes and this one is now my go-to. I enjoy it best with frozen bananas and about 2 tablespoons of sugar. I'm not sure why this is called a shake and not a smoothie, but either way I'm crazy about it! I enjoy the smoothie/shake just as the recipe is written, however my husband enjoys it best with a little Hershey's chocolate syrup mixed in. My daughter likes hers with some frozen strawberries mixed in. And last but not least, my little guy likes his best frozen....................

just like this!

P.S. Even though I divorced my Zoku Quick Pop Maker, I'm also stubborn and I have to keep messing with it. I had some leftover shake and decided to pour it into the molds and it was a great success. The pops slipped right out of the molds! You shoulda seen my face when I pulled those pops out "Ha-Ha you tricky little Zoku machine...I win...you lose!"


This is my submission to I Heart Cooking Clubs for the Can I Have A Sip? theme.

19 comments:

  1. Great looking shake Kim! I love the simplicity of it, I bet it would be a big hit in our home as well. I will have to make note of it :o)

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  2. he he must be good if you had 10 days in a row have a great weekend

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  3. I went through a frozen banana / vanilla almond milk smoothie phase for a while--it is addicting. (some peanut butter is nice too) ;-) This looks delicious--great pick!

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  4. Ooooohhhh...I love the idea of Hershey's syrup. This is so easy and as you said, healthy. Since there's a banana in it and milk I can have one for breakfast. :o) Thanks for the laugh re your Zoku Quick Pop Maker, lol! Kim - 1/Zoku - ZILCH!

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  5. Okay, I'm sold! Seriously, sometimes the simplest things are the best. I can just imagine the perfect taste of bananas w/ vanilla. Guess what I'm having today? ;)

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  6. Wow Kim, I feel a new addiction coming on!!!!!

    Think I'll give it a go with skim (fat free) milk, I have a banana somewhere in the freezer!

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  7. I'll have to try this today, I have a couple of bananas left in the kitchen this week ;-)

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  8. Mmmm, can I have a sip!?! Looks delicious!

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  9. that always happens to me, whenever i give up on something, but decide to try one more time, that's when it works beautifully. you'd think it knew or something, lol!

    this looks WONDERFUL. i actually have quite a few bananas in my freezer and i've been so clueless as to what to do with them. there's a good chance i'll be drinking this shake before the day is done.

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  10. That sounds great - and I have to admit, I'm not feeling great right now, but that sounds like something I could 'eat' right now.

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  11. I've had it a couple of times too!!!

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  12. I know my banana loving boy would love this...especially in popsicle form!

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  13. Oh my gosh, you have me so excited I am going to try it right now. That's right you are so convincing that this will over rule my nightly ice cream ritual!
    I love that you eat just like me...food jags are the best!

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  14. Verdicts in...fabulous! It may even get me off my ice cream jag I have had for the last 14 months...does that still qualify as a food jag...14 months may be pushing an addiction!

    Side note: how do you get the peel off of your frozen banana? I use a vegetable peeler but I am wondering if you have a more clever way.

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  15. How yummy. Moi does not actually have a blender though, if you can believe that. Silly question, but is it safe to try this in a food processer do u think (with ice and all)?
    By the way, loved your post so much about the Mario Batali post that I bought the book :). Must try it out.
    Enjoy t he rest of your weekend daaaaahling.
    *kisses* HH

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  16. I get obsessed like this too! I bet it hits the spot on a hot day! Scrumptious!

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  17. Looks like the hardest thing about this is washing the blender! This is the kind of thing I love to have for breakfast. I'm kind of a smoothie junkie.

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  18. It's official - I'm addicted too!!!!!!!!

    LOVE them - thanks for the recipe Kim :-}

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  19. Okay, that's it, I'm going out to get bananas - right now! I get those addictions too - same thing for breakfast (or lunch) day after day after for maybe a couple of months, until I find a new addiction.
    Sue

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