Today: National Candy Corn Day… minus the cavities… and a Smari smoothie.

My fear of the dentist and avoidance of most Halloween candy are not unrelated (which is to say… they are related… like, blood related).  While I enjoy dessert every once in a while, I think I either broke my sweet tooth in the pool when I was ten (I will spare you the details), or it got extracted along with my other wisdom teeth when I was eighteen (that procedure resulted in lots of the aforementioned blood, two black eyes, and the discovery that Elizabeth + laughing gas = no laughing, just crying).

I think I probably enjoyed candy corn as a kid, but I also clearly took some sort of PSA about Halloween and dental health to heart.  These days I am grateful to work in a small office devoid of candy dishes and thankful to live in a neighborhood where trick-or-treaters are few and far between.  In fact, we have yet to buy any candy at all… perhaps we can give out bananas?  Or kitchen utensils?

In an effort to get in the holiday spirit while minding my canines, I whipped up a candy corn-esque parfait for breakfast this morning, using the Smari Icelandic yogurt that Designer Whey recently sent my… well, way.

This protein-packed cup was a fantastic breakfast.  I was running out the door in a tizzy this morning– nothing new– and wished the parfait was a bit more portable, though.  And less likely to spill all over my car.  And me.  So when I got home, I did a little experimenting with the blender and whipped up a commuter-friendly version.  While it lost its candy corn appeal, the smoothie tastes amazing and would be a great post-workout treat, too.

Happy Halloween… smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 serving Smari pure yogurt
• 1 scoop Designer Whey vanilla almond protein powder
• 1/2 cup Clementine pieces (or oranges)
• 1/2 cup pineapple, cubed
• A splash of unsweetened almond milk
• 1 handful of ice cubes

(Super obvious) directions:

1. Add ingredients to blender, beginning with liquid and ending with dry ingredients (powder).
2. Pulse until you reach the desired consistency, and additional ice or almond milk as needed.
3. Slurp through your favorite straw.

Smari is organic, gluten free and Kosher.  It’s low in sugar and high and protein (with more protein per serving than any other yogurt available in the US), and is available in four flavors (pure–not plain, vanilla, blueberry and strawberry) — all of which I found at my local Whole Foods Market (on sale for $1.69 per carton last week).  Icelandic yogurt is a bit thicker and creamier than its Greek counterpart, with a nice tang.  I’m looking forward to using it in a few more recipes and baking projects this week.

If you’d like to score your own free Icelandic yogurt (while wearing a paper Viking hat), check out Designer Whey’s current Facebook promotion.  To find Smari in your ‘hood, check here.

Disclaimer: I received complimentary cartons of Smari, courtesy of Designer Whey.  Opinions (and horror stories from the dentist) shared in this post are my own.  Duh.

Also On Tap for Today:

• A few more ways celebrate National Candy Corn Day from The Kitchn
• Looking forward to sharing Clark’s Halloween costume with you tomorrow 😉
• Rooting for the Sox

What is your favorite (portable or not) breakfast?