When I lived in New York City and visited the Metro Diner down the street from me on a regular basis, my standard order for dinner was a turkey burger with cheese and fries, plus a thick chocolate milk shake. This was my order on the nights that dinner happened at 2 am, after dancing with Sharon and friends. We were sweaty and happy. We needed lots of food. I needed a chocolate shake.
You know the chocolate shakes so thick that you need a spoon and a straw? And they come in cold metal cups that start to thaw and leave beads of water on the outside? That was my shake. I still miss them.
This year, I started making breakfast shakes for our kids. Not the ones with ice cream and chocolate syrup. These are protein shakes, in disguise as something yummy.
Both our kids need lots and lots of protein. They never stop moving. They have multiple activities after school most days. And for our youngest, eating has never been that much of a joy anyway.
If I make a smoothie with even half a bite of kale, they can both taste it and reject it within a minute. “No weird things in our smoothies, Mom.”
So when I thought about how to make something delicious for breakfast, something with good protein, and something only slightly sweet, I thought of those chocolate shakes.
I like these ones better now.
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