Crispy Bits

Well kiddies, it’s your parents’ favourite time of year…back to school.  Those days are far behind me but I still cherish a few fond memories of the beginning of any school year…shiny new Laurentian pencil crayons, all pointy and even; a complete compass set with a protractor that eventually ends up stuck in the suspended tile ceiling; if you’re lucky, you might get a fresh Adidas gym bag in royal blue or fire engine red.

Still a trouble-maker after all these years

One thing I didn’t particularly like was getting up early.  At around 7:20, the clock radio would wake me up with CFRW.  Hop in the shower and scrub down with a bar of Irish Spring.  Throw on a cream turtleneck, a gold velour vest and a pair of brown cords.  Then my sister and I would huddle in the dark dining room, slurping back half a grapefruit, munching on a bowl of Quaker Harvest Crunch or a toasted frozen waffle from a marathon waffle-making weekend, served with margarine and Beehive Golden Syrup.  Good times.  But breakfast is touted as the most important meal of the day and I fully support that notion.

Today, however, who makes the time to sit down and enjoy a balanced breakfast?  Knowing what I’m like without breakfast, I will always find a moment to eat something.  And smoothies are my favourite way to start the day.  I’ve been enjoying them for almost a year and have not grown weary of this perfect breakfast tipple thanks to their endless variations.  I won’t give you a recipe for them, but here’s what you’ll always find in my smoothies:

Ryan’s Breakfast Smoothie

Throw the ingredients into the blender and top it off with a splash of juice and a bit of water.  This all gets whizzed together in my holy grail of kitchen appliances…the Magic Bullet. 

Now I could totally do an infomercial for this thing.  It makes smoothies so quick, easy, smooth and simple.  Just ten seconds and you’ve got creamy perfection, and clean-up is a breeze.  I drink it straight out of the blender mug with a bubble-tea straw as I check my e-mails and update Facebook.

If I’m in the mood for a slightly more decadent treat, I’ll add a bit more banana, a blob of almond butter, and then fill it up with unsweetened chocolate almond milk.  mmmmm.  Heaven.  I’m also open to any of your own personal favourite flavour combinations, so please feel free to share.