Snickers Protein Smoothie

“You're never going to guess what!?”

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One of the women I've had the privilege of coaching during our latest 9-week challenge at Goals in Motion ran, come to think of it, maybe it was a skip, and sat beside me today as I put on my shoes and gloves for a kickboxing class

“There's a muscle in there!” poking at her tummy, “Here, can you feel it?” grabbing my finger to use as a poker as well.  “Well, there's still some fat too, but who cares, I can feel a muscle.  How cool is that?!”

For a brief moment in time, the world stopped, her enthusiasm nothing short of contagious

“My clothes are loose.  I've got more energy.  My upper body is stronger.  Oh, and my husband told me this weekend that I really look great!”

Life lesson #4671 – Watch out for a woman with newfound confidence, she'll prove a formidable foe on the other side of a bag,  ahem!

There's something that happens around Challenge week 7.  If one has been living a clean lifestyle (eating well and working out 85-90% of the time), this is when big changes start to become visible

I'm not talking about the scale necessarily.  Instead, people are noticeably leaner, have more energy, and start to say, “Wait, maybe this really DOES work, maybe it really IS worth it.”

Hah .. I can still see her big smile.  She absolutely made my day.

So, in celebration of tummy muscles and newfound confidence, a protein-filled chocolate smoothie seems in order.  Snickers .. it's recipe scribbled on a torn piece of notebook paper, taped to our kitchen wall, right above the blender.

After discovering the creaminess that comes from blending cottage cheese, I've been experimenting.  My first attempt wasn't a bust by any means, but the flavors my mind sought weren't as prominent as I wished for them to be; especially the caramel

One idea to bring out the flavor?  Use a combination of caramel and chocolate protein powders.  Another, sugar-free coffee syrups, either blended into the smoothie, drizzled on top, or a little bit of both

Enjoy!

xoxo

ps:  I'd be remiss to part without speaking of vodka.  Often, I'll make a couple of servings of a smoothie at a time, freezing some for another day.  The problem is the second serving emerges hard as a rock.  A trick that works for me, since alcohol doesn't freeze, and vodka doesn't impart an intrusive taste; for every 2 cups or so of finished smoothie, I'll blend in a Tbsp or so.

~ Tips for making homemade ice cream softer come from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, and also online

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~ Adapted loosely from 300 15 Minute Low-Carb Recipes  by Dana Carpenter