Pina Colada Smoothies

    Necessity is the mother of all inventions, so the saying goes.  In this case it's true!  Gracie came home from school extremely excited at the beginning of the week.  As a bit of an aside, I feel like I have to share that Grace is very blessed to have such an amazing teacher this year.  He makes learning so much fun for them.  I think that half of the time they are having so much fun that they don't even know that they are learning.  Now that I have that off of my chest, I will finish my story.  She was in a group with four friends and for their project they had to make a smoothie.  On the surface this seems like an odd project, until you really begin to think about it.  In the kitchen I am constantly using math, science and art.  This allows them to be prepared for the world, all the while learning.  

    Tuesday Gracie came home from school and announced that she had volunteered our blender for her group to use (she's such a generous girl ... with my things).  Her tune changed a little when she took a look at our "old" blender.  Our blender is at least 25 years old, if not older.  It looks a little like it has been through a war, or an intense battle at kitchen stadium!

    In a nearly teen voice Gracie declared that our blender was gross and old.  She did not say it, but her eye roll and puke face indicated that she felt embarrassed to bring that old clunker to school.   I have considered replacing it, but really if it still works, why would I?  "Maybe Bailey can bring hers." was the final comment.

    After Grace's face stopped it's almost puke contortions, I asked her if her group had any ideas what they might like to make.  Some of them wondered about making something with berries.  I suggested to Grace that maybe they could make a pina colada.  My kids LOVE pina coladas (they drink the nonalcoholic kind... although Mommy doesn't).  They are so easy to make.  Her face brightened up at the suggestion.

    Yesterday afternoon I made a "pina colada smoothie" for the kids afternoon snack.  I froze two  1/2 cups of pineapple juice in small dishes.  That would replace the need for ice.  I mixed the frozen pineapple juice with with 1 cup of cold pineapple juice, 1/2 cup of pineapple bits (fresh), 1 cup of coconut milk, and one banana.  The results were unanimous... it was a big hit.  The kids all fought to see who would get seconds (this sounds better than it is, because honestly my kids just enjoy fighting).  It was shortly after the kids had all wiped off their smoothie mustaches that Grace announced that she could not use coconut milk.  "Part of the challenge is that our smoothie has to be fat free, we just found out today."  I was outraged (o.k. maybe irked), "but you can't do fat free.  I just don't know how you can.  If you replace the coconut milk with zero fat yogurt, you are taking away the goodness and exchanged it for chemically altered!"  I just could not wrap my brain around it.
    Last night after dinner Riley and I made the trek into Big Bad Belleville (our closest city).  We had a buy a birthday gift for a party she is attending tomorrow.  After we had finished purchasing her gift, we went to Walmart.  I combed the isles looking for a suitable substitute for the coconut milk, that was zero fat.  By the end of the adventure I had filled my cart with smoothie supplies.  I had purchased real coconut in the shell, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut / almond milk, and pineapple.  We were ready to create some smoothie experiments.

    When Riley and I got home it was much later than I had wanted to be out.  I should have been getting Riley and Grace (who was still up) to bed, but instead I got Riley to bed, and Grace and I experimented.  We mixed 1cup pineapple bits, 1 cup pineapple juice, one cup coconut water, with one banana.  The result.... delicious with no fat!  I couldn't believe that something that was fat free could taste soooooo good.

    This morning I made the kids more pina colada smoothies to start their day.  They had begged for them ( you have to love it when the kids beg for something that is actually really good for them).  I did a little more experimentation.  I mixed one cup of frozen pineapple tidbits, one cup plain greek yogurt, one cup almond / coconut milk, one banana and one cup of pineapple juice.  If the day before's smoothie won rave reviews, this mornings rocked it out even more.  They drank their smoothie in place of their usual glass of juice.

    So here is what I have discovered from reading my food labels, that I am going to pass on to you.

 If I add that up it is ...

My original coconut milk smoothie

960 calories for one cup of smoothie

12% of your daily recommended fat 

27% of your daily fibre

5% calcium

2 grams of protein

135 % of your daily recommended vitamin C

7% of your daily recommended iron intake

3%  of your daily recommended vitamin A

By replacing the "coconut milk" with "coconut water"...

450 calories for one cup of smoothie

0% of your daily recommended fat

27% of your daily recommended fibre

7% of your daily recommended calcium

3 grams of protein

135% of your daily recommended vitamin C

5% of your daily recommended iron iron

3%  of your daily recommended vitamin A

4 % of your daily recommended potassium

6% of your daily recommended magnesium

By replacing the coconut milk with coconut / almond milk...

525 calories

6% of your daily recommended fat

28% of your daily recommended fibre

7% of your daily recommended calcium

135 % of your daily recommended vitamin C

9% of your daily recommended iron intake

3%  of your daily recommended vitamin A

By using the coconut milk / almond milk and adding 1 cup of greek yogurt...

600 calories

11% of your daily recommended fat

7% of your daily recommended fibre

27% of your daily recommended calcium

3 grams of protein

135% of your daily recommended vitamin C

5% of your daily recommended iron iron

5%  of your daily recommended vitamin A

4 % of your daily recommended potassium

6% of your daily recommended magnesium

    There is a chance that I have made some incorrect additions, being that I am by no stretch of the imagination a trained nutritionist.  This is a really healthy addition to my children's breakfast, and could easily be a breakfast replacement for myself (being that I rarely remember to eat breakfast).  It's healthy and delicious and right now is a big craze at our house.

*During the making of this blog, my 25 year old blender somehow became cracked, there by ending it's long life.  R.I.P Blendie, we will always remember you. (Ha Ha Grace, the new blender that I rushed out to get is too nice for you to take to school).