The Great Shake Experiment

When I was a kid, I dreamed of getting into my mother’s cupboard and conducting experiments with spices and herbs and sugar and flours.  So this week when the first recipe below was so disappointing, I decided it was time to become the food scientist I dreamed of being as a child.

First, let me tell you about my muse, The American Cancer Society’s  Healthy Eating Cookbook. I’ve tried a couple of recipes from this book that I checked out from the library and so far none have really impressed me.  But I acquired some unhealthy nutrition habits over the winter, so finding healthy recipes is part of my plan to get back on track.  When I saw that the ingredients for “Pineapple Banana Shake” did not include ice cream, but used nonfat dry milk, I did a double-take but decided to give it a try.

Basically, you combine the ingredients below, adding the ice cubes slowly through the blending process.

1 c. pineapple chunks
1 banana sliced
1 T. lemon juice
2/3 c. dry milk
1 c. ice water
1/4 t. vanilla
8 ice cubes

This shake smelled great and I couldn’t wait to taste it.  But the flavor was weak and the consistency was thin.  More like a smoothie than a shake.  If I ever try this again, I’ll leave out the 8 ice cubes and reduce the water.  The shake did get me thinking though – could you really make a shake without ice cream?

Banana Carob Shake

Experiment #1 – Banana Carob Shake

I decided that bananas would be useful for the consistency.  And I tried carob because I’m always looking for a good way to use carob (the reason why is another post).

Blend:

2 frozen bananas
1 c. dry milk
3/4 c. ice water
1 T honey
1/2 t vanilla
1 T carob powder

Positive results:  The consistency of this concoction was very close to a shake.  The color was perfectly chocolatly.

Cons:  The flavor was strong.  Probably too much carob.

Discussion:  A little carob goes a long way.

Next steps:  What about cherries?