Summer's end 
 
Aug. 22, 2009 1:30 pm 
Updated: Aug. 24, 2009 2:06 pm
Gone are the days of summer, which means no more smoothies. It also means that I am dreading my imminent return to work from a year-long maternity leave *sob*! And it means that my kids and I will soon celebrate our birthdays, because we're all late summer/early fall babies.

My daughter's first birthday party (an outdoor event) is in a week, and while it'd be nice if summer would return for one last hurrah on that weekend, I'm afraid it's not happening. Temperature in the low twenties, and a mix of sun and clouds. Well, at least it won't rain, like it did during my son's first birthday party (also an outdoor affair).

I'll come clean now; the real reason I'm not making smoothies anymore is that my 12-speed blender broke! (While I was making a smoothie...) If it were mid-summer I'd probably get a replacement immediately, but seeing how downright cool it is these days, I think the blender purchase can wait. Besides, being on mat leave means I'm not exactly swimming in money.

Not to mention that I've been assailed by household breakages since being on leave: the food processor, the microwave, the lid on the coffeemaker reservoir, and the toaster that started it all. I wonder if my being at home and cooking might have over-taxed some things? I'm kidding, sort of.

One of my favourite new smoothies--more like a slushie, actually--is a papaya-lime combo that I found in The Cooking of the Caribbean Islands. I love this book. It's old, I bought it for 25 cents, and every single recipe I tried is delicious.

Refresco de Papaya  (2-3 servings)
  • 1 medium firm ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 3 T fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 t grated lime rind
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 t vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup crushed ice
Place everything in the blender and blend at high speed for 20-30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth and thick. Serve in glasses. I put zest on the top to garnish as well.

Below I have pictures of the refresco de papaya, as well as a mango lassi. No recipe for that one--just mango and yogurt, plus some pulverised pistachios and a sprinkle of cardamom on top. Delish!
Refresco de Papaya
X
Photo Detail
Mango Lassi
X
Photo Detail
 
Comments
Aug. 22, 2009 8:08 pm
Hi DetectiveL. Long time no see. I can't believe you are experiencing that kind of cold already! I'm hoping for all your sakes the weather is nice next weekend and a good time will be had by all....outdoors. I'm sorry that your leave is coming to an end. I know how hard that must be for you. Just know that you gave your kiddo the very best time and attention that only you can give in that very important first year. Have a wonderful birthday and oh yeah......the smoothies look great!
 
Aug. 23, 2009 6:10 am
Sorry to hear your maternity leave is about to end. It probably there will be some tears at the beginning but I'm sure you and the baby will adapt just fine. I'm so glad you had a papaya smoothie recipe to share, I have a papaya and will try your recipe. Thanks!
 
Aug. 24, 2009 2:06 pm
I just made your Refresco de Papaya recipe and is delicious! The lime juice/rind really gives a nice flavor. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
 
 
 
Something worth saving?

Register now to save all your favorites in your recipe box.

My Profile
DetectiveL
 Supporting Member (Click to learn more about Supporting Membership)
Home Town: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Member Since: Apr. 2007
Cooking Interests: Baking, Grilling & BBQ, Stir Frying, Slow Cooking, Asian, Mexican, Indian, Italian, Nouvelle, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Healthy, Vegetarian, Dessert, Kids, Quick & Easy
 
ADVERTISEMENT
About Me 
I love to cook and eat new foods, and I aim to cook healthy, delicious meals for my family. When I'm not working as a corporate writer or taking care of my family (1 husband, 2 small children, and a cat), I'm probably reading or daydreaming about food. I'm trying to stick to my flexitarian (i.e., mostly vegetarian) diet while cooking for my meat-loving family. I have (mostly) cooking/food blogs at http://moodysattva.blogspot.com and http://www.cookingmonkey.com.
My favorite things to cook
I like to cook most things. Love spicy stuff--especially Indian food! When it comes to baking, I'm less into the super-sweet things, but have a fondness for nuts, fruits, and spices in my baked treats.
My favorite family cooking traditions
I hope to start some more family cooking traditions with my children, when they are old enough. My son sometimes helps with dinner and (especially) desserts. I'd like to include my husband here, but he's the kind of person who'd starve beside a loaf of unsliced bread. Ha, kidding. Half.
My cooking triumphs
I'd have to say...making flaky pie crust, getting my husband and son to eat (and like) fish, and learning how to make yeast breads without a machine. Getting my hubby to try 'weird' food (e.g., different ethnic foods) was also a triumph. It's not that hard to get my son to try because he's young and has a mostly blank slate as far as his tastes are concerned. ;) Most of all, learning to actually like cooking is the biggest triumph. I used to despise it!
My cooking tragedies
One of the first meals I ever made was risotto. It tasted good but it was way too sticky! Oh, and there was the time I had a cake baking in the oven and no one noticed that the fuse had blown halfway through the cooking time. Last year I tried to make doubles (Trinidadian snack food with chick peas and fried bread) and it was awful. The chickpeas were too oily, the bread not enough so; it wasn't spicy enough, and the bread was weird and misshapen. Another time I was making something sweet (cookies?) and mixed up the cinnamon and the chili pepper. Thank goodness I realised it before I mixed it all in--I scooped it out and the cookies were saved.
 
Select Your Version:  United States  |  Canada  |  United Kingdom & Ireland  |  Australia & New Zealand  |  Germany  |  France  |  China  |  Japan  |  Quebec  |  SE Asia  |  Netherlands

Frequently Asked Questions What's this?