Homemade Seasoned Croutons

Even better than Sizzler!

When my brother and I were young our idea of a sophisticated night on the town began and ended with the South Everett Sizzler. Mom usually opted for a steak entrée, but Todd and I went with the all-you-can-eat salad bar. Always.

I don’t know when the salad bar concept really gained traction, but in the mid-80s we had never seen its like. Bins of chilled greens, peas, beets, hard-boiled eggs, Krab salad (a family favorite; Todd and I could and did regularly clean that sucker out), bacon bits and an endless assortment of gloppy dressings whose ladles identified their type (and all, inevitably, sticky with the dressing that had run down the handle). And then at the end of the row, beckoning you and your piled-high plate across the finish line, the croutons.

Like any child of the ‘80s, I realized only in adulthood that croutons could be made – I thought they arrived fully formed, and I only ate them at restaurants or on sad airplane salads. Yet here is a recipe urging me to slice up some bread, coat it in margarine and toast it for five minutes. Really? That’s all that stood between a crunchy, delicious crouton and me? Well, not anymore.

Delish like this ...

This recipe is simple, sure, but it’s also a great use for that half loaf of “artisan” bread I regularly find myself staring down in the pantry. There are few things that gall me more than paying $5.99 for a loaf of bread that my family only eats a portion of, unless it’s an ingredient list that’s longer than my arm – like, say, the ingredients used to make some boxed croutons. So this DIY version will bring peace of mind to your pocketbook and stomach.

These croutons take minutes to prepare and are divine on top of salad or soup, as the recipe suggests, but also by the handful right after they come out of the oven. In fact, make a double batch.

I’m sorry to report the South Everett Sizzler is long gone, though other branches do exist around the country. A few years ago, while on vacation in California, we stopped in for lunch. Naturally, I ordered the salad bar.

... or like this!

Homemade Seasoned Croutons

8 slices day-old white bread or French bread

1/3 cup melted margarine

½ tsp. garlic salt

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Makes about 2 cups croutons

Slice bread and cut into ½-inch cubes. Lay cubes flat on a cookie sheet.

Melt margarine over low heat; add garlic salt. Drizzle melted margarine over bread cubes. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake in a 400-degree F oven for about 5 minutes, turning cubes over halfway through cooking time. Croutons should be golden brown.

Store croutons in an airtight container and sue when desired on salads and soups.

Notes:

·      Frequent readers know I have nothing against margarine, per se, but I’m going to insist on real butter here. For a recipe with so few ingredients, the flavor of butter will really be noticed.

·      Sub ½ tsp. each garlic powder and salt for the garlic salt.

·      As evidenced in the pictures, my croutons were not brown or, more to the point, crispy, until almost 10 minutes had passed. Check yours often.

·      “Store in an airtight container?” Please. These will be lucky to last ‘til dinnertime.

Why Don’t You …

·      Stop making fun of Krab salad? It’s still a favorite, although sadly lacking from many salad bars these days.

Must ... stop ...

Japanese Noodles and Chicken Salad

Better than young love?

I know exactly what prompted me to pluck this recipe card from the rack at Everett’s now-defunct Olson’s grocery store back in 1990. The best reason of all: love. You see, it reminded me of the one-time object of my affection, Tim G., a boy who never really knew I existed.

Starting high school was emotionally fraught for a number of reasons, the sudden influx of new boys not the least of them. Tim G. was one of those new boys, and I was smitten the second I saw him whip his three-ring binder out of his Everett High duffel bag during second period English. Despite my best, non-verbal intentions, however, he ignored me mightily. But then I received a helping hand from on high: I was invited to a supper hosted by my friend Annemarie’s church youth group. Glory hallelujah! Tim G. was a member of the same church and was going to be in attendance!

The thrill! The proximity! Eating dinner in a stranger’s house never felt so titillating, so do-or-die. I was sure this was going to be the night Tim G. looked up from his appetizer course and realized the beauty across the table only had eyes for him.

Original Olsen's Grocery Store recipe card!

But then, a funny thing happened that forever doomed any chance of a relationship. You see, the hostess served a “Chinese” Chicken Salad, and from the minute I placed the loaded fork in my mouth, I failed to care that care that Tim G. was sitting a mere six feet from me.

I was in love. In love! In love with the crunch and sass of cabbage and noodle and chicken drunk with soy sauce. Every part of that salad worked so well together. I was dizzy with delight. Stunned that I had never eaten anything so perfect, so intriguing, so plain good. My mind raced, trying to identify all of the ingredients so I could recreate it at home. Too soon, the hostess came by to clear the table and I looked up, sure the entire world must have changed in the last 10 minutes. I stole quick glances at my fellow diners but I seemed to have been the only one who’d had any kind of religious experience. To my complete horror, I noticed Tim G. still had salad on his plate.

I couldn't get the chunks to break "long."

I was converted that night, but not to the Lutherans – no, to the delicious and exotic combination of Top Ramen and Napa cabbage.  I’ve made and eaten variations on this kind of salad so many times over the subsequent years that I’ve lost count. To be fair, this particular recipe, while reminiscent of the salad I had at the church supper, is different. But it’s worth your attention nonetheless. The dressing itself is a refreshing keeper, with its lemon, honey and ginger. The noodles and cabbage soften into the dressing while retaining their crunch.  It’s a solid entry into the “Chinese” Chicken canon, even if it prefers to call itself “Japanese.”

Of course things never went anywhere with Tim G. That was inevitable. The final blow came several weeks after the church supper when I screwed up all my courage and asked him to “Tolo” – a version of a Sadie Hawkins’s dance. He acted surprised. It was the first time I had spoken to him, after all. He stammered an excuse and, just like that, my crush crushed me like a package of Top Ramen noodles destined for the salad bowl.

Beautiful purple cabbage.

So later that year, when I saw this recipe card reaching out to me like a frail reminder of what might-have-been, I snatched it up. If I couldn’t have the boy, at least I could have the salad. And a little part of me knew which one I was destined to have a long-term relationship with.

Japanese Noodles and Chicken Salad

¼ cup honey

grated peel of ½ lemon

¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbsp. sesame oil

2 Tbsp. soy sauce

2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 medium clover garlic, minced

1 pkg. (3 oz.) ramen Oriental soup mix, broken into long pieces

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

4 cups Napa cabbage, cut in long thin shreds

2 cups coarsely chopped red cabbage

2 cups bean sprouts

¼ cup sliced green onions

¾ lb. snow peas, blanched, drained, chilled

Serves 6-8

In large bowl, combine honey, lemon peel, juice, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger and garlic. Add noodles. Marinate one hour or longer, stirring occasionally, until noodles are softened. Add remaining ingredients except snow peas; toss well. To serve, arrange snow peas around edge of large serving platter and mound salad mixture in center.

Notes:

·      I found one package of Top Ramen too skimpy for my noodle-loving family. I went with two.

·      I don’t know how to break the noodles into “long pieces.” They just splintered apart when I tried. My best efforts results in substantial chunks, but they weren’t long.

·      I struck out with another boy named Tim in college. I asked him for coffee and he made some lame excuse about having to “work.” A likely story! But the third time is the charm, folks, because when I met my now-husband of 13 years I had to smile when he introduced himself. “Hi,” he said, “I’m Tim.” He said yes when I asked him out. And one of the very first things we made together, natch, was Chinese Chicken Salad. 

Eat your heart out, Tim G.!

Zucchini Crepes

Ladies' Home Journal ... ahead of the trends!

One of the many reasons I so love dipping into the Time Capsule is that it unequivocally proves that everything old is new again. Take, for example, the crepe – a hallmark of French cuisine that has become something of a thing here in Seattle. Crepes are sold at farmers' markets, at upscale tearooms, out of food trucks.

On principle, I try to avoid these types of food trends. They irritate me. I do not want to stand in line for an hour and a half for something I can make equally well (or better) at home. No matter if it’s gourmet ice cream, bacon, vodka, doughnuts, cupcakes – to say nothing of coffee – it’s a regular white-trash revival at country club prices. (I will admit to a certain weakening of resolve when it comes to gourmet popcorn. Man how I miss the “Karmelkorn” mall stand of my youth, and pressing my nose against the already-smeary glass to choose between ranch and bubblegum flavor. Ranch won. Always.)

One larger zucchini works as well as several small.

However, back to the trend du jour, crepes. My crepe experience heretofore consisted of eating Carrie S.’s class project in eighth grade French class. Her chocolate crepes demonstrated not only her kitchen savvy, but also her uncanny ability to knock the rest of us losers with our wobbly paper mache Eiffel Towers straight down the bell curve.

But these crepes won’t make you feel inadequate in any way, my friends. They’re straight outta Ladies' Home Journal, circa 1986.  Perfect for this time of year when you may be drowning in zucchini – planting those tiny seeds seemed like such a good idea back in May, didn’t it?

Because I am fortunate enough to live across the street from prolific and generous zucchini growers, I haven’t had to grow my own for years. On August 8 (National Sneak-Some-Zucchini-on-Your-Neighbors'-Porch Day – really) and throughout August they regularly supply me with enough squash to fulfill all my cravings. But, there’s only so much zucchini bread a girl can eat. (Never thought I’d type that line.)

The batter is thin and runs a bit before setting up.

These crepes are the ideal use for your bounty. The batter is egg-rich and simple – really a glorified pancake. A few minutes on your nonstick griddle (or frying pan) and you’ve rendered a delicious vehicle for the sour cream-parmesan filling. The shredded zucchini adds such a pretty green-flecked pattern. And I love a dish that can be served at all hours of the day – brunch to dinner.

I’m not sure these will ever take the place of my beloved zucchini bread (or ranch-flavored Karmelkorn, for that matter) but they are a unique entry that will have you feeling on-trend … for pennies on the dollar.

A tower of trendy, tasty goodness!

Zucchini Crepes

Crepes:

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon pepper

5 eggs

2/3 cup milk

5-6 zucchini, finely grated to make 2 cups

1/4 cup olive oil

Filling:

2 cups sour cream

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare crepes: Sift flour, salt, baking powder, garlic powder, and pepper into a bowl.
Beat eggs; add milk and beat until blended. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in liquid ingredients and blend. Add grated zucchini.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil on a griddle or in a large skillet. Use 1/4 cup batter for each crepe, spreading into a 6-in. circle. Fry crepes until golden on both sides, turning once. Use more oil as needed. Keep cooked crepes warm until all have been prepared and you are ready to fill.
To fill crepes: Fill crepes with 2 tablespoons each sour cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Roll up and garnish with additional cheese and chopped parsley, if desired. Makes 16.

Notes:

·      The original recipe calls for ¼ c. of oil to grease your skillet. Using a nonstick pan or skillet renders this point moot.

·      I like my pancakes like I like my hair: Blonde. These take only about 2-3 minutes, max, to achieve that state.  Flip them when the edges are just set.

·      I found half of the filling recipe easily stuffed the 16 crepes. If you like your crepes positively bursting with sour cream, by all means go for the whole batch. Additionally, I mixed the cheese into the sour cream so I could fill the crepes with one dollop.

·      Definitely sift your flour. The batter is so thin that the lumps really stand out otherwise.

Why Don’t You …

·      Omit the garlic powder and pepper and make these a sweet crepe? A filling of sour cream or crème fraiche flavored with maple syrup or cinnamon would be good.

·      Visit your local Karmelkorn location – if you’re lucky enough to live in the Midwest or California? So sad these went under years ago in Washington. Eat a bucket of Ranch flavored popcorn for me, won’t you?

July: National Ice Cream Month!

No, it's not a photo from deep space, it's homemade ice cream!

Far be it from me to let National Ice Cream Month pass without at least a cursory celebration here at the Capsule. These two surprisingly sophisticated choices seem both out of tune with the ‘80s and my childhood tastes, so I’m guessing they’re contributions from my mother.

Mom loved (and still loves) her hand-cranked ice-cream machine. No one else in the family is as enthusiastic, mostly because it is hard work to make ice cream in her hand-cranked ice-cream machine. As much as I love homemade ice cream, I also enjoy leisure, so I upgraded to an electric version. Fortunately, the first of these recipes doesn’t require any kind of machine; don’t let a lack of one stand in the way of you and homemade goodness.

Due to the number of steps and chilling, homemade ice cream does require some advance planning, but it’s not overly complicated. Both of these recipes start with a cooked custard (a combination of eggs, sugar and either cream or half-and-half), so if you’ve ever made homemade pudding you will feel right at home. Then it goes for a spin in the ice-cream maker, spends some time in your deep freeze and voila! Dessert!

This custard is coating the back of my spoon -- perfect!

First up is Cheesecake Ice Cream: As I suspected, this one must’ve been Mom’s. Either that, or I was reading Parade magazine back in 1979. (Possible, but unlikely.) A milkman’s dream come true! It contains yogurt, cream cheese and half-and-half. You’ll get your calcium if nothing else. The “plain” vanilla version is divine, but I opted for the blueberry swirl, which jazzed up the ice cream and added some needed sweetness. Cheesecake ice cream is tangy, no mistake about it. But it’s also pretty and elegant. Gosh, 1979! I never knew you were so classy!

Doesn't hurt to strain your custard -- see the little eggy bits?

Next up is Homestyle Pistachio Ice Cream, which prompted one of my more vivid ice-cream related memories. My mom’s cousin John David came to stay with us when I was about 11. What made this memorable was not so much that we made homemade pistachio ice cream (which we did) but that we went with John David to the grocery store to buy the ingredients. Oh, and did I mention he drove us there in his talking car? Yes, John David was driving one of those wood-paneled Fords that were going to usher in a new era in computer helpfulness. A Tron-like voice warned us if the door was ajar, or our seatbelts weren’t fastened. My brother and I could have stayed in that car all day, opening our doors the slightest of cracks to start the electronic warning, snapping and unsnapping our seat belts.

Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Swirl

But the craziness didn’t end there, because once we got to the grocery store, John David paid for the ice-cream ingredients with traveler’s checks, a move I felt both urbane and unheard of at our local Albertson’s.  I nearly floated out the talking car and would surely have failed to fasten my seat belt if it had not reminded me.

At that point, I hardly needed pistachio ice cream to round out my ultra-sophisticated day, but, back from the store, we forged ahead with Mom’s hand-crank, and, what seemed like hours later, sat down to rich and creamy goodness.

This Homestyle Pistachio is a truly winning ice cream. For starters, the custard is a delicious, un-”vanilla” vanilla that is both smooth and rich. If you want to stop right there, you’d still be rewarded. But the addition of the pistachios somehow makes the entire concoction that much creamier, even while adding a mildly salty crunch. (A drizzle of hot fudge, while not totally necessary, would make this even more wicked.)

There's no reason to leave either of these ice cream recipes in the past. Choose one or try both, and you’ll be celebrating in style!

Cheesecake Ice Cream with Blueberry Swirl

2 egg yolks

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup half-and-half

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese or Neufchatel (low-fat cream cheese)

½ teaspoon grated lemon rind

½ teaspoon grated orange rind

1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ teaspoon vanilla

1 pint plain yogurt

In heavy saucepan, beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar; beat in half-and-half. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, just until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Do not boil. Remove from heat; chill thoroughly.

Beat cream cheese until light. Add remaining sugar, lemon and orange rinds, lemon juice and vanilla, continuing to beat until smooth. Add yogurt and chilled egg yolk mixture; beat smooth. Freeze in an ice cream freezer as directed by manufacturer. Or freeze in flat trays, then beat with rotary beater or in food processor. Makes about 2 quarts, 16 servings.

Blueberry Swirl

½ cup water

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, unsweetened

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan; bring to a boil; stirring to dissolve sugar. Dissolve cornstarch in lemon juice; add to pain, stirring until thickened. Add blueberries and cinnamon. Boil for about 2 minutes, mashing the berries slightly with a potato masher or the back of a large spoon. Remove from heat; chill thoroughly. Swirl into the soft Cheesecake Ice Cream after removing it from the ice cream maker. Freeze firm.

Homestyle Pistachio Ice Cream

1 cup half-and-half

¾ cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 egg yolks, beaten

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup chopped, natural California pistachios

2 teaspoons finely grated orange peel

Heat half-and-half in saucepan; stir in sugar and salt. Pour a small amount of hot half-and-half into egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return yolk mixture to half-and-half; cook and stir over medium heat about 5 to 10 minutes or until thickened and creamy. Do not boil. Cool. Stir in vanilla and heavy cream. Chill. Pour into freeze container; follow manufacturer’s directions for freezing. Add pistachios and orange peel when almost frozen; freeze until firm. Allow ice cream to stand at least 2 hours in freeze to mellow flavors. Makes 1-1/4 quarts.

Notes:

·      Considering how much ice cream I’ve eaten in a celebratory fashion already this month, I opted for the low-fat cream cheese in the Cheesecake Ice Cream. Did not miss the fat.

·      I also used low-fat plain yogurt. See above.

·      Both of my ice creams churned for 25-30 minutes until a “soft serve” consistency. Both will require at least two hours in the freezer to firm up. They will also freezer harder than a store-bought ice cream. I think due to lack of preservatives. So plan to take them out a little ahead of dessert time to allow them to soften enough for easy scooping.

Why Don’t You …

·      Go crazy with some Cheesecake add-ins? The options are as endless as the menu at the Cheesecake Factory itself: Chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, strawberry jam, crushed Oreos … As with the Blueberry Swirl, add these in to the soft serve, then freeze firm.

·      Let me know what you’re going to do with all your egg whites. Pavlova? Face mask?

This is the hilarious article on the flip-side of the Cheesecake Ice Cream recipe. Remember, it's from Parade magazine, 1979. This man is enjoying the audio revolution that was the book on tape. Look at the lengths the poor man had to go to simply to listen to War and Peace during his commute. That tape machine is taking up half his dashboard! Too bad he didn't have my cousin John David's talking car!

Super Milk Drinks

Milk marketing at its finest.

As the solstice approaches, kids stream out of school and the yawning, lazy days of summer beckon, my thoughts naturally turn to … milk.

Well, they do now that I’ve read the fun and thorough booklet, 15 Super Milk Drink Recipes, produced by the Washington Dairy Products Commission. Milk, it turns out, is “a natural for summer.” In fact, the milk marketing verbiage is so good I’ll just quote it:

“Satisfy summer thirsts with ice cold milk. Milk is so refreshing and it can help you feel good … Make ice cold milk your summer thirst quencher. Right now is the time for milk.” (I might have employed more exclamation points, but you get the picture!)

Purple Cow

As an avowed dairy lover, I cannot dispute any of those claims, but I must admit to never truly reaching for a glass of moo juice when the hot rays of the summer sun beat down upon my parched body. But now, thanks to this pitcher’s worth of options, perhaps I will.

Sadly, there is no date on my almost-pristine booklet. But because it’s hole-punched and marked “Free! Take one.” I venture to guess this came from the grocery store, probably the now-defunct North Everett Albertson’s to which my parents were loyal in the early-to-mid 1980s. The reliance of several recipes on wheat germ, as well as raw egg, further dates it to that era.

Peachy Banana Flip

But let me not overlook the obvious: These recipes seem designed to compete with the original (and some would say, best) commercial smoothie. Yes, I’m talking about the Orange Julius, which, just last year merged with Dairy Queen – another tent pole of ‘80s mall culture. (Quick Orange Julius history lesson: A man named, yes, Julius, started it and his original drink was simply called “Orange.” Customers would order by saying: “Give me an Orange, Julius.” And thus an icon was born.)

Raspberry Delight

And so, it was hard to know where to start with this new batch of smoothies. I thumbed thorough the (really very uplifting) booklet for one last fillip of encouragement: “Enjoy these Refreshing Milk drinks. Satisfy your thirst while you give yourself a lift." Thus, I chose these four to (excuse the pun) give a whirl:

Purple Cow

Peachy Banana Flip

Raspberry Delight

Tropical Breeze

I started with the simplest – the Purple Cow. Not to be confused with the delicious, fizzy Purple Cow served at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, sadly – that concoction featuring blackberry ice cream, blackberry syrup and 7Up  – but a violet-hued delight nonetheless. Whip up grape juice concentrate and milk and prepare to avoid a diabetic coma. It’s that sweet. It tastes nothing like milk. Although it looks slightly curdled and separates into a fluffy upper layer and dense juicy layer after about five minutes, this one is surprisingly refreshing. (Made more so by the addition of ice cubes, unless you’re starting with frozen concentrate.)

Next up with Peachy Banana Flip, which was definitely a walk on the milder side. It’s light blush color hinted at its mellow flavor. Not peachy enough for me.  It did, however, froth up as promised.

Tropical Breeze

Raspberry Delight, not to be confused with the other Raspberry Delight I’ve already attempted, was my favorite so far, perhaps because it contained two ultra-‘80s ingredients – raw eggs and wheat germ. I really could have been at Orange Julius as I took a sip. This had the best flavor, and a shot of protein and vitamin E to boot! The wheat germ fits well here – it is nutty and mild, but feels kind of like you’re enjoying an oatmeal cookie with your smoothie.

And so I came to the Tropical Breeze, not knowing that I had unintentionally saved the best for last. Despite paying $5 for a single papaya, this one truly took me away to the isles. It may have been the super-delicious local strawberries, or the half-cup of honey. Heck, I’m even wiling to allow it may have been the icy cold milk that made this one such a winner. But it did what the Dairy Products Commission had been promising all along: It refreshed and tasted, well, super.

Purple Cow

1 can (6 oz.) frozen grape juice

1-1/2 cups milk

Whir all ingredients in blender. Makes about 2 cups.

Peachy Banana Flip

1 banana

2 ripe peaches or 3 drained canned peach halves

1 tbs. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups milk

1 carton (8 oz.) plain yogurt

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 or 4 ice cubes, cracked

 Peel and slice banana. Peel, seed, and cut peaches in chunks. Combine all ingredients in electric blender. Whir until smooth and fluffy. Makes about 5 cups.

Raspberry Delight

1 carton (10 oz.) sweetened frozen raspberries (DO NOT THAW)

1-1/2 cups milk

2 eggs

1 tbs. wheat germ

Whir all ingredients in a blender. Makes 2 generous servings.

Tropical Breeze

1 papaya, peeled and seeded

1 cup sliced fresh or frozen strawberries

1/2 cup honey

2 tbs. lemon juice

1-1/2 cups milk

4 ice cubes, cracked

Scoop papaya pulp into blender. Add remaining ingredients and whir until smooth. Makes about 3 cups.

Why Don’t You …

·      Serve these as appetizers in shot-glasses. You could have a real rainbow of flavor that would look so pretty on your sideboard. With apologies to the good folks at the Dairy Commission, no one will guess the star ingredient.

Notes:

Feeling nervous about using raw eggs? Try the pasteurized egg whites sold in the refrigerated section instead. The carton will have equivalents to equal the amount of egg you need.

Joggers Cocktail

Is it the endorphins or the cocktail that has them smiling?

This photo has long haunted me ere these many months as I searched for the next Time Capsule experiment. Look at these two! Her shirt is tucked so tight she’s about to face plant in the ingredients, and speaking of tight: Check out the smile of the faux Bruce Jenner in the background. That pully-thing isn’t the only thing that’s straining! Despite the recipe's title, it's hard to tell if these two have just returned from or are about to embark upon a jog. Certainly her hair and makeup are pristine, and nary a drop of sweat mars her mister’s brow.

Early ‘80s fashion notwithstanding, I (being a “jogger” myself) longed to know if this brisk mix of juice and fruit could truly “turn on my day.” Unfortunately, Del Monte no longer makes Pineapple Pink Grapefruit Juice Drink, so I improvised by buying both pineapple and ruby red grapefruit and hoping for a ‘80s-style blend.

Ingredients at the ready.

I’m assuming this ad, which was featured in Family Circle magazine, was used for many Del Monte-sanctioned workout quenchers. Wouldn’t I love to find the one featuring the peanuts and egg! And someone should tell that gal to get her sweaty barbell off the kitchen counter – gross!

It’s hard to imagine now, but it took a while for jogging to catch on as the mainstream workout it is today. Women weren’t even “allowed” to run the Boston Marathon until 1972 – just a few short years before our blonde beauty here poured out her frothy sipper.

My blend of juices.

Beauty and the Beast are gazing into a very different future than the one the prescient folks at Del Monte manufactured for their photo shoot.  Jane Fonda and her aerobics revolution burst onto the scene in 1982.  Today, about 43 percent of Boston Marathoners are women.

But how does it taste? I'm guessing pink grapefruit juice "drink" was a sweeter hybrid (like pink lemonade), but using my blend of ruby red grapefruit and pineapple juices resulted in one very tart smoothie. Get up and go indeed! The banana and honey did their sweet part to offset the tang, but next time I might add additional honey or do a ratio of ¾ pineapple to ¼ grapefruit juice.

Using context clues “Turn on the juice and turn on your day,” my guess is that this was intended as a pre-workout sipper, though exercise nutrition has certainly come as far (if not farther) than the workout wear of yore. I think this smoothie would best be served after a workout, in lieu of Gatorade. Whether you pull out the hot rollers and tuck in your shirt is entirely up to you. 

After drinking my smoothie I pumped some iron.

Joggers Cocktail

“A frothy drink with tropical taste and aroma.”

1 cup DEL MONTE Pineapple Pink Grapefruit Juice Drink (chilled)

1 tsp. sugar or honey

½ tsp. vanilla

1 small ripe banana

4 ice cubes

Combine ingredients in blender container. Run on high until smooth and well blended. Makes 2-1/2 cups (20 oz.)

Notes:

·      Sadly, my juice hybrid resulted in a drink that looked more banana daiquiri than tequila sunrise.

·      I used honey. I would consider upping the amount (to 1T.) or playing around with some kind of sugar/honey combo.

Why Don’t You …

·      Let me know what that “pully-thing” Faux Bruce is tugging on is really called?