Crack open almost any health, fitness or lifestyles magazine this month and you’ll probably get advice on how to beat the heat.
I think we all know to stay in the shade and drink plenty of water, and if those around us show symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke we need to get some help for them.
As I’ve mentioned, my chosen addiction is coffee, but when the temperature creeps up, I just don’t want a steaming cup of java. In Spain they have a wonderful concoction called Granizad(o) de café, which is simply coffee and shaved ice. Of course, you pour in mounds of sugar, stir and there you have it.
Since I have yet to taste a good granizad here in Canada (though I think some of those chain outlets are trying) I’ve come up with my own chilled caffeinated drink. It’s simple, filling and guaranteed to give you that needed cool mid-day jolt.
Josie’s Coffee and Ice Cream Smoothie
All ingredients can be changed, modified, increased or reduced – that’s the beauty of a smoothie.
2 scoops vanilla ice cream (I like to use Western Family brand because it’s cheap and the vanilla taste isn’t overpowering.)
1 heaping tsp sugar (more or less to taste)
1 scanty tsp instant coffee (more or less to taste)
roughly 1 cup 1% milk
Blend the above ingredients in a blender or with a whisk till smooth, and there you have it. While I never use instant coffee to make coffee, in this drink the instant coffee creates a wonderful carmelly taste that you don’t get if you use real chilled coffee. I don’t know why.
This recipe has 323 calories, 12.5 g total fat, 8 g saturated fat, 0 trans fat, 55.5 g cholesterol, 187 mg sodium, 41 g total carbohydrate, and 11 g protein.
To calculate the nutrients in this recipe, I went to NutritionData.com, an excellent tool for figuring out what’s in the food you eat. It not only provides data for basic ingredients, but it also gives nutritional breakdowns for prepared and fast foods.
