I want to share this recipe I came up with when experimenting in my kitchen. I've had my J pouch 3 years now, and I REALLY wish I had these smoothies immediately after my surgery. When I came up with this, I wasn't intentionally trying to make something nutritious or helpful to my pouch in any particular way. I was just trying to come up with something that taste good. However, after I looked at the label on the black strap molasses and learned more about some of the other ingredients, I realized what a nutritional punch these things pack! When I drink this for breakfast, I feel more refreshed and hydrated than I do from other beverages. I don't even usually like bananas either, but I love these; they taste like gingerbread. I try to have one at least once every 2 days.
Equipment to Use:
Use an immersion blender and a 12 oz plastic cup that it'll fit into. It's a hand blender, you can stick directly into a cup. It's way more convenient and easier to clean than a regular blender. The cup I use is a 12oz beer cup from Yankee Stadium. Try to use a transparent cup so you can see if the smoothie is blending thoroughly.
Here's the Recipe:
1/4 of a banana, frozen (I cut up bananas and keep them wrapped in plastic in my freezer),
1 TBS Vanilla or Plain Yogurt, depending on your preference. I've used both.
1 and 1/2 TBS Black Strap Molasses. (DO NOT use regular molasses. Black strap has a lot of B vitamins and iron that the regular one doesn't have and it taste better too.) A popular brand is Bur Rabbit. If you can't find it locally, it's available on Amazon.
Pinches of Cinnamon and Cloves to taste
Sweetened Vanilla Almond Milk, enough to fill the cup (probably about 6-7oz. You could use dairy milk if you prefer, but it doesn't taste nearly as good. I add about a TBS of sugar if I use dairy milk.
Directions:
Place the bananas at the bottom of the cup, the yogurt on top of them, and the molasses on top of the yogurt, in that order. Sprinkle cinnamon and cloves on the molasses. Pour in just enough milk to cover everything, but DON'T fill the cup to the top, at this point as it would overflow. Blend with blender until it liquefies. Now fill the cup the rest of the way and blend it a little more.