My partner made it abundantly clear, many times over, that the cracked and leaking Magic Bullet that’s been with us for over eight years was due for replacement.  I would’ve kept changing gaskets and buying used parts on-line eternally but a box came in the mail, courtesy of said partner, containing the Breville Boss To Go.  A Magic Bullet on steroids.  “You were due for an upgrade,” was the message that came with it.  And therefore this week’s been about rediscovering smoothies.

Here are a couple of breakfast (or dessert) shakes that I like to serve in a bowl as the bed to cushion some hand-crafted granola upon.  They’re too thick to drink: think spoon here.  If you’d rather a drinkable beverage, there’s a couple of choices: either increase the amount of non-dairy milk called for, or reduce on the amount of hemp seeds.  And trust me, you definitely won’t be hungry anytime before lunch!

Strawberry Shake  (Yield: 1 serving)

What you need :

• 3/4 cup oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk of choice)
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 4 fresh or frozen strawberries
• 3 deglet dates, chopped (and soaked if they’re hard rather than soft and tender)
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon maca powder (optional, see note below)

Apricot Shake (Yield: 1 serving)

What you need :

• 3/4 cup oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk of choice, almond is particularly nice here)
• 2 tablespoons hemp hearts
• 4 unsulphured dried apricots, chopped (and soaked if they’re hard rather than soft and tender)
• A few drops of almond extract (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon maca powder (optional, see note below)

What you do (both recipes) :

1. Whizz all ingredients together in a blender, Magic Bullet or equivalent until smooth and creamy.
2. Serve in a bowl solo, or with between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of granola on top.

Note: Maca is a purported system and reproductive tonic that hails from South America.  Scientific evidence of its efficacy is inconclusive at the present time, although some double-blind placebo-controlled trials do show promise.  What I can personally vouch for it is that it’s a pretty powerful stimulant so go easy if you’ve never worked with it before, as not everyone reacts well to it.  It’s a nice inclusion if you have a long day ahead or are going to be hitting the gym soon after breakfast.