I was recently inspired by “Tommy’s” restaurant on Coventry in Cleveland Heights who is offering a free milkshake for Facebook fans who post a memory. Tommy’s is best known for their sensational and unique combinations. I purchased a bag of really ripe bananas then baked and shared as many of them as I could before I began to run out of ideas. In an attempt to risk their sacrifice, I decided to make a banana milk shake. My personal challenge was to make it as healthy as possible preserving the food value, while avoiding “unfriendly” dairy. Not sure how “good” it would be sans the ice cream, I satisfied both sweetness and creaminess with whole, ripe bananas and it goes something like this:
3 lg. Ripe Bananas
1 ½ c. Almond Milk
Generous dose of Organic Chocolate Syrup
Sprinkle of Penzey’s fresh Cinnamon
½ tsp. Penzey’s Cake Spice
Several Ice Cubes
Blend on High Speed until smooth
Variations on this recipe include: Oat Milk or Rice Milk (also naturally sweet)
½ tsp. Agave Syrup to sweeten, in lieu of the Chocolate Syrup
A dollup of Yogurt, Vanilla Pudding or Orange Sherbet; if you have no dietary considerations.
1 tsp. of Pure Vanilla Extract for added dimension!
Have fun and try your own combinations you may crave, and please, share your creations.
