SubscribeBlender drinks for breakfast
The maternal women in my family all had very strict rules about food and we had to eat everything on our plates. My mother insisted that we eat three square meals a day and breakfast was major. She made us a hot breakfast everyday and we weren’t allowed to leave home without it. Her mother, my grandmother Susie was equally as strict and her food which was always wholesome and healthy was also very plain. Mom’s was a little fancier and she always took great care in preparing her menus ahead of time every week.
These women had survived both World Wars and the Great Depression and wasting food was never an option. My mom and Grandmother Susie were sympathetic to the picky tastes of children and each worked very hard to prepare meals that we liked. If Mom made liver for Dad, she made hamburgers for my two sisters and me because she knew there was no way that we’d eat organ meat of any type. And Grandmother Susie made us bacon although she never ate it. But my step-grandmother whom we called Aunt Lena didn’t care if we liked her food or not. Except – when it came to our evening treat, which I’ll get to in a minute.
Aunt Lena had survived the Holocaust. Her parents and her four sisters had escaped from the Nazis in Eastern Europe and landed in Brooklyn, NY, where she grew up in poverty. Although she amassed great wealth later in her life and was very generous, she always wanted to make certain that her eight step-grandchildren were appreciative so, the children ate what the grown folks ate, there was no discussion about it. When we visited her during the summer and didn’t eat what was served (like oatmeal for breakfast), we got it again at the next meal – cold, so you know we learned to like it. But at night Aunt Lena lightened up and went for fun, allowing us to help create blender drinks that we loved as a treat. They included any fresh fruit from her orchards, milk which was often powdered and ice cream.
We’ve carried this tradition to our own kitchen, but make healthier blender drinks for breakfast. Instead of ice cream we might use yogurt which contains acidophilus, an immune booster which also aids the digestive track. But bananas are even better than ice cream to thicken the drink up along with all types of other fruit. We use what ever is in season and our blender drinks have an orange or unfiltered apple (my preference) juice base. We also add nutritional supplements like vitamins and Spirulina, which is made from sea algae and turns the drinks dark green. Spirulina is an excellent source of food that is high in nutrition, particularly protein and is available at health food stores. It comes in either capsules, powder or tablets. Just two grams of Spirulina taken daily can inhibit viruses and it also helps fight allergies. In a blender drink with fresh fruit, it provides the essential nutrients the body needs. In today’s fast-paced environment, blender drinks made with Spirulina are a great way to make sure that everyone in the family is nourished before they leave the house.
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As the mother of five and a journalist, I've always encouraged people to empower themselves with information on healthy foods and lifestyles. Nurturing our children with healthy food is one of the most important jobs we have, yet as families have become busier or drifted apart, meal times have been sacrificed.
