The Mostly Coffee Smoothie

The other day (the one where I wouldn't shut up about being tired), I went on a quest to find the perfect coffee smoothie recipe. It is hot out, and my pregnant self is still rather resistant the smell and taste of too much coffee, in fact drinking it most mornings is a chore that I perform simply for the sake of the 30 minute lift it gives me to start the day.

Now that Bernadette has all but completely quit napping, our afternoons look a lot more like the chaos of the rest of the day rather than the gloriously, sweet, silent and still afternoons we once had when most parties were slumbering. I am still mourning its loss, and I probably will forever. This means that at around 2 p.m., I am utterly desperate for some lift of the legal stimulant nature to revive my weary body and carry me on at least until dinner prep where I can see the light of the end of the tunnel (BED TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Ok you get it. I want coffee that doesn't taste like coffee in the afternoon. But like, COFFEE, not mostly banana and ice and a tiny bit of coffee, and I was having a hard time locating a recipe I really liked on the webs. I came up with one that is work in progress, but it is pretty great for the time being and I thought I would share with you (per my friend Sarah's request: here you go, Sarah!)

The Mostly Coffee Smoothie (with homemade espresso whipped cream):

*3/4 cup coffee plus a little to pour in
*6 cube sections of an ice cube tray
* 1/2 frozen banana
* 1 tablespoon peanut butter (for consistency and a little bit of protein, feel free to omit)
* sweetened creamer or Milk with sweetener of your choice
* 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
* milk

Homemade espresso whipped cream:

* 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
* 11/2  tablespoons sugar
* 1 teaspoon espresso or extra-ground coffee (grind in a coffee grinder until espresso consistency)

I have already mentioned that this is my second dose of coffee for the day, I make a pot in the morning to have then and while I',m brewing it I just go ahead and make some extra for my afternoon coffee fix. I use most of it to fill the ice cube trays with (if you fill them in the morning, they will be hard by the afternoon) and the rest as extra to add to the smoothie. Or, if you'd rather have this in the morning, just make some at night and fill the trays then. Whatevs.

First for the whipped cream.

Pour the heavy cream into mixing bowl and mix on high speed until fluffy, gradually adding sugar as you mix. Once it's to a nice whipped cream consistency, throw in your espresso into the whipped cream, then mix until incorporated.

Set aside.

Gather blender ingredients:

I put all the ice cubes in, 3/4 cup made about 6 cubes, then poured about 1/4 cup of cold coffee left over from the morning to round out one full cup. Blend it up then taste to make sure it is sweet enough, if not add some creamer or extra sweetener and blend some more.

Put it all together and inhale at lightning speed.

Depending on how much whipped cream this makes for you, you can refrigerate for your next smoothie. I am sure you could have figured that out for yourself, but they call me Captain Obvious.

Enjoy!