Tuesday, May 14, 2013

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?