Banana quiz time! (Smoothie, Dresden Files, FFXI)

[thistlechaser]

It's quiz time! For 40 points: If you add the following together, what will flavor will you taste?

1) One full pint of strawberries
2) Two-thirds serving of orange juice
3) One container of no-fat strawberry yogurt
4) One banana

The answer is, sadly, only banana. And I hate banana. But I was using so many strawberries (a whole pint!) I figured the banana flavor would have to be overpowered. Even adding the OJ didn't help (which I hadn't wanted to do -- the yogurt was my "calorie-adding non-fruit thing" in this drink). Bah. (Why did I add the banana if I don't like them? The goal of these smoothies is to get as much fresh fruit into me for as few calories as possible. I totally fail at just eating the fruit plain, so I'm trying this way.)

While I didn't finish all of this one, it made about twice as much as usual. I still got a heaping helping of fruit for the day, even if it was blech blech blech banana flavored.

Icon: Yay! New icon! I love it for so many reasons! Hee hee hee. :E I'm tempted to make it my new default one, but I don't want to make certain people twitch. ;)

DF: I loved the Dresden Files TV show so much that I ordered the first four books of the series. Usually I love books way more than the show/movie, so I was expecting to really, really like them. Failing loving them, I wanted to at least like them, but they're not working for me. The writing style is so simplistic! I keep flipping to the front to check and see if it's a book aimed at teens. :/ Admittedly I'm only halfway through the first one, so the later ones could be better. (I hope so! I have three more after this one...) The story is interesting to read, but I keep flailing and frowning at the style.

FFXI: Unexciting night. Thought about XPing SAM or soloing SMN (really want to wear my Carby Mitts!) but couldn't bring myself to XP again. So boring. zzzz Ended up fishing instead, which was not much less boring. However, I made a friend! A fishing bot! I chatted her up, playing dumb...

Boy, they don't even make it challenging anymore, do they? GM call time! I gave the GM all the details, and he said he'd look into it, but hours later they were all still there fishing, so I guess even admitting you bot isn't enough. 9.9 The big chat log has the broken fishingbot-English in it, too.

Since I had to edit those screenshots, might as well empty out the old screenshot folder!

Mmmmm is for mannequin! My mithra mannequin looks mighty fine in my BRD JSE! JSE, panties, and the fuck-me boots. Yay! She's my best mannequin. :D~~~

How's this for a lot? Val had lotted in the 800s so I almost didn't even bother...


Lots of people wish for an undead army, but how many actually get one? Well I do! Four times every Tuesday evening! Yes, my undead soldiers, kill the nasty snakewoman!

I think this was the first time we've gotten a good thing from Assault? Storm feet thingies! Dani won the lot for her PLD to use them, and it was totally worth losing to see her model them like this. Mmmmmmm.

And lastly and least excitingly, I got Leaping Lizzy twice in two days. Not camping her, just as I chocobo by. No drops though, boo.

zzzzzz now

Comments

[machinegirl.livejournal.com]

I do about 3/4 c water, 1 small orange, 1 banana, and a handful of each frozen strawberries, mangoes, pineapple, and peaches. And I don't taste the banana!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sounds good! Thanks!

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

Err, maybe this recipe (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26398,00.html) I found might help you have a little more success. I mean, it's worth a shot, right?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, that looks interesting! I really should do a search for recipes instead of just throwing in some of this and a little of that and hoping it comes out right. :P

[wanderingscribe.livejournal.com]

Why not do both? You could look at some recipes for inspiration and techniques, but stick to using the ingredients that work best for you.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Good point! :)

[quasilemur.livejournal.com]

Dresden Files does get better, though it's still very much "light reading". Personally, I have a few issues with the television series, primarily due to some questionable choices of actors (Lt. Murphy and Warden Morgan foremost) and visual styles (hockey stick?), but also because the stories in a 45-minute show seem very neat and uncomplicated compared to the stuff that goes down in the books. That's to be expected of course, and isn't the show's fault, but it always takes me by surprise when things wrap up so quickly and easily (and without Harry being beaten half to death a couple of times).

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, that makes sense. And I'm glad to hear the books will improve! The story does a good job of hooking me in, so it's nice to hear that.

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

Banana is the playground bully of the fruit world. Brooke and Zoe, who hate bananas, can taste even minute particles of it if I throw some in a smoothie to thicken it up a little.

Do you like mangoes? Trader Joe's (the best and cheapest source of all frozen fruit) has big bags of frozen mango and, mixed with orange juice and milk (though your frozen yogurt would be splendid here instead of the milk if you prefer) makes a smoothie that rivals that of the girls' favorite Jamba Juice smoothie. Plus, it isn't nutritionally void like that one is, since it's made with lots of fruit instead of just orange juice and sherbet. You might consider giving it a try even if you're iffy on mangoes; Zoe doesn't like them, but she likes this smoothie because all she can taste is the orange flavor.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Banana is the playground bully of the fruit world. Brooke and Zoe, who hate bananas, can taste even minute particles of it if I throw some in a smoothie to thicken it up a little.

Yes. And I think I've be made banana-paranoid by this whole event. I swear I tasted banana in my chocolate chip muffin this morning!

Would you believe I never had a mango? *cough* But I did buy some frozen ones to try! And some 'paradise fruit flavored peaches', too. I have no idea what paradise fruit tastes like, but I'll find out soon! I hit up TJ last week for a mess of frozen fruit. :)

I never thought about putting milk into these. (I don't drink much milk.) Could be interesting though, especially the strawberry-heavy ones!

Jamba Juice smoothie. Plus, it isn't nutritionally void like that one is

It'd be so much easier to get these from Jamba Juice, but there are so many calories in those! Basically I want 'drinkable fruit' and nothing else.

And did you know most of the credit for this idea goes to you? Your 'if you don't like a veggie, blend it up!' sentence stuck with me! It's sooooo much easier to drink fruit than eat it!

[laurelwood.livejournal.com]

You can never be too paranoid about bananas; their influence is far-reaching. I once ordered a cheese bagel-y thing out of a case at Starbucks, but because it had been sitting within 6 inches of a plate of banana bread, it had become marinated in banana-by-osmosis flavor. And if you think banana with strawberry isn't so hot, try jalapeno/cheddar bread with banana!

Hurrah- you're already on the Trader Joe's cheap frozen fruit bandwagon! The passionfruit-flavored peaches were a bit of a disappointment, but okay if you mix 'em with something stronger-tasting, like strawberries or raspberries. I hope you like the mangoes; I don't care for them fresh, but frozen and mixed with juice, they're pretty tasty.

I'm glad you got inspiration from the "whirr it to bear it" idea. :D It's certainly worked really well for me with fruits AND veggies. And it's great to be able to make these things at home. Not only are the Jamba Juice ones calorific, but they're pretty expensive, too!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

You can never be too paranoid about bananas; their influence is far-reaching. I once ordered a cheese bagel-y thing out of a case at Starbucks, but because it had been sitting within 6 inches of a plate of banana bread, it had become marinated in banana-by-osmosis flavor. And if you think banana with strawberry isn't so hot, try jalapeno/cheddar bread with banana!

Heh! Just trying to picture that makes me twitch. But sometimes that by-osmosis flavoring thing works! I'd never eat an onion bagel, but I love it when you put a plain one next to an onion for an hour or so -- or even just in the same bag on the ride home. A subtle, interesting flavoring instead of overpowering.

The passionfruit-flavored peaches were a bit of a disappointment, but okay if you mix 'em with something stronger-tasting, like strawberries or raspberries. I hope you like the mangoes; I don't care for them fresh, but frozen and mixed with juice, they're pretty tasty.

I don't think I've had a single-fruit one yet. I had planned a strawberries + strawberry yogurt one, but it morphed into last night's banana mess. If the remaining pint of strawberries lasts until tomorrow, maybe I'll try it then. (Friday night is my 'going out to eat' night, so I very well might not have one tonight.) I'll let you know about the mangos!

And it's great to be able to make these things at home. Not only are the Jamba Juice ones calorific, but they're pretty expensive, too!

It's surprisingly fun to make them at home, too. I have a cool stick blender (got just for this!) and I love deciding what to put in my drink-of-the-day.

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

If you hate banana, why put it in? o.O?

Dresden Files is okay. I find it a little weak, to be honest. "I'm a detective with spooky magical powers and a loldrama background."

I'm actually enjoying a series called Threshold. The basic premise is: Alien entity appears to the crew of a boat off the east coast and emits an audio signal that infects them with a virus that rewrites their DNA and has all sorts of other weird effects. Threshold is the name of a emergency plan devised for the government by a woman called Caffrey (not sure about spelling) to deal with a first-contact situation. Her plan is put into effect and she becomes the leader of a team of specialists who have to figure out what's going on.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

If you hate banana, why put it in? o.O?

Because they're good for you. I thought the strawberries would way overpower any banana taste so I wouldn't even notice! And I'd get a whole extra serving of fruit! Oh well.

I'm actually enjoying a series called Threshold.

That sounds interesting! What station is it on?

[doxxxicle.livejournal.com]

That sounds interesting! What station is it on?

It's on a Canadian sci-fi channel called Space. It looks like it appears on the American SciFi channel: http://www.scifi.com/threshold/

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ah, cool! Thanks!

[barahir-ffxi.livejournal.com]

Weird.. had to redo this comment.. 1/2 of it disappeared when it posted...

Ironically enough.. your recipe is close to MY smoothie. (I don't say my favorite becaus ehwn I order a smoothie there is only one option I like and I get it every time.) When I make one at home, I do:

1-2 bannanas
5-6 Frozen Strawberries
Pour in Orange Juice until 1/2 the fruit is covered.
Blend

That's it... never understood the whole adding yogurt (or any kind of dairy for that matter) to a smoothie thing.. I want a fruit SMOOTHIE not a fruit shake. But for me this tastes like a very tangy strawberry with a hint of bannana.

IMO, it also depends on when you buy the bannanas. I buy when they are just slightly green. That's when they have a very fresh sweet taste... from the time they are bright yellow to spotty brown they have that over the top "bannana" flavor... even though i love bannanas, I avoid that at all costs.

[gbeans.livejournal.com]

You make a very good point with the banana's age. I like them on the greenish side myself so they're not as strong flavorwise. My mother likes then when they're nearly brown and can kill you with their scent from half a block away...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

See, for me it's opposite. Yellow (and god help me, green) bananas taste way sharper and more banana-y to me. Nearly totally brown is the only way I can stand getting close to them. To me, they seem more mild that way.

And I hate the texture either way, so that part makes no difference.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

never understood the whole adding yogurt (or any kind of dairy for that matter) to a smoothie thing..

There are two different reasons I do it:

1) I didn't know any better. :P I'm new to these smoothie things!
2) More important, I'm happy to get calcium and protein into me whenever I can. Not eating meat (and not liking milk) I tend to come up a little short on those two things if I'm not careful.

IMO, it also depends on when you buy the bannanas. I buy when they are just slightly green. That's when they have a very fresh sweet taste... from the time they are bright yellow to spotty brown they have that over the top "bannana" flavor... even though i love bannanas, I avoid that at all costs.

It's funny how people can be the opposite on that. I can't eat yellow, and gah if they have a bit of green on them!, because it tastes way sharper and stronger and more banana-y to me. If I have to eat one, I let it get most of the way brown -- that makes it seem more mild to my taste buds.