Getting Ready to Leave--Persimmon Smoothie

Here's how it looks in Homer on 11/11/11.

Very different from how it will be where I'm headed.

I've been transitioning in a pleasant sort of way, though, aided by the recent appearance of one of my favorite fruits of all.

I so love persimmons! The ones we've been getting here are the Fuyu persimmons, flat-bottomed and edible before they're fully mushy. Often, I prefer to let even this kind go to the full jelly stage, but the fun thing about them when they're relatively firm is their wonderful gelling propensity. Probably some good polysaccharide action in there! Yes, definitely an 'eat with a spoon' smoothie.

Like just about everyone who ever writes about food in a blog (it seems), I've enjoyed a few pumpkin smoothies this season. I have to say, persimmon smoothies are even better. And they're a true transition toward being in Israel because another name for this kind of persimmon is "Sharon fruit," where "Sharon" refers not to a girl, but to the Sharon Valley, the part of Israel where most of my family lives! Cold feet notwithstanding, I am on my way.

I made these smoothies out of 'a bit of this and that,' but here's an example of how that might go:
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon lecithin
1 teaspoon flax meal
2 tablespoons irish moss gel
handful frozen berries
1/2 scoop protein powder (Life's Basics, or plain Pea Protein)
1/2 cup frozen watermelon
juice of half a lemon
1 fuyu persimmon
1 date and/or stevia to taste

This one, please do try at home!

I'm riding to Anchorage leaving here tomorrow at 5am. Flying out Tuesday, so you'll hear some more from me before I leave. Now I'd better go start getting all those last minute things together--a long list indeed.
Much love.