Earthly Treats: Chocabbage+Apple Smoothies and IcycKles

It was last Sunday that I made the Banana+Cabbage smoothies, where I used only half the head of the cabbage and then store the other half in the fridge again. So the next day ( I skipped work ‘coz I still wasn’t feeling well) I figured, “Why not make something interesting out of the other half of cabbage?” It was then that I realized I couldn’t go on nourishing myself without having to share the benefit to my kiddo, Bori. I mean, yeah, I’m all sorta-sick-and-stuff at the moment but, heck, that’s no excuse – ‘coz being mums mean no excuse, na-ah! So I figured I’d make something FUN and NUTRITIONAL at the same time and had my fingers crossed that he would get to like it, too.

I figured that including banana as an ingredient was so 1-day old ago (but I still love banana, though) so I thought I could use something different together with the cabbage – so I got an apple instead.

To my ruling, the banana’s more flavorful than that of the apple so I figured Bori might not find it irresistible, so I thought of adding into the recipe something that most kids (and adults) couldn’t resist – chocolate!

I didn’t have any chocolate reserves at home (as I’ve said, I’m really not a sweet-stuffs buff, but personally I’d go for black/dark chocolates, thank you, hehe) except for that of Bori’s mini M&Ms and Mister Choc Choco Duo Spread (very akin to Nutella, except that its flavor is white and milk chocolate intertwined, extreme stuff, right?) both of which are gifts from his uncle-grandpa and auntie from the Netherlands. Kicked off a bit of my practical ingenuity and voila! Chocabbage+Apple Smoothie is born!

You’ll need:

1 medium-sized Red Apple

1/2 head of medium Cabbage, raw green

1 ½ cup of water

1 tbsp. Chocolate Spread (Mister Choc Choco Duo; or you can certainly use alternatives, e.g. Nutella or sweet cocoa powder, since I dunno if they sell Mister Choc Choco Duo in our markets, let alone in our country; FYI: chocolate spreads did help me achieve a thicker smoothie texture)

Blender

Preparation:

Cut the remaining stem from the cabbage to easily take the leaves apart then wash under running water. Cut the cabbage into small pieces or just enough to easily fit it in the blender. Wash apple thoroughly and cut it into pieces removing the section of its stem and seeds (I prefer leaving the apple skin on so you can get its extra nutrients/fibers). First, blend the cabbage and 1 ½ cup of water so you can be sure it’s blended enough in the process. Then, add the apple and chocolate spread. Blend until smooth. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes+. Makes 1-2 (glass) servings.

I got a curious kid, that’s a fact that I can do nothing about, which came in handy for the both of us on that occasion. After just enough time for the smoothies to chill in the fridge, he got his hands on it and, yes, to my delight, he consumed it like it wasn’t all fruits and veggies, which I’m sure, the chocolate did help – and a lot. In fact, things were very sudden that I didn’t get to have a good shot of the smoothie before Bori could have it! For a mom like me who struggles in feeding her kid with veggies and/or has a picky kid when it comes to veggies, it was a real moment of relief.

Oh and yes, before I forget, I spared a modest amount of the smoothie (more than half a glass) just enough to make a Chocabbage+Apple “Icyckles” (yes, I got the “K” there by design; an icy treat with a nutritious “kicK”, I thought) which he undoubtedly loved due to his obvious back and forth trips to the freezer to go and get some.

You’ll need:

¾ glass of Chocabbage+Apple smoothie

Mini M&Ms (optional)

Easy-does-it:

Pour the smoothies into an ice-block container. Place in the freezer for an hour+. Top with mini M&Ms for kids to find it more irresistible!

So, there you have it! I hope this stuff can come in handy for mums out there who find it rather difficult to incorporate green leafies and healthy whatnots to their kids’ food options. Ciao for now! 🙂