Shakes

One of the great things about living in Miami (or for that fact living in Union City) is the discovery of new favorite Cuban treats. In fact, I should rephrase it and say one of the great things about living with my mother-in-law is the discovery of new treats. Either way, I can't go wrong. My mother-in-law, Marta, loves drinking shakes. If it were up to her, she would drink one every single day, and for that matter so would I. My favorite shake was chocolate. I love chocolate anything, but shakes are the best. Now I would pass on the chocolate shake for un batido de mamay (and I have to say it in Spanish because my Cuban friends know what I'm talking about) Mamay is a fruit that is readily available in Florida. My father use to make me mamay shakes when I was a kid. I remember liking them, but the fruit came frozen. Not much fresh mamay action in Jersey. So the shake wasn't anything out of this world. But here in Miami, you could get mamays practically all year round and damn they're good. Maybe, it's the way Marta makes it, but I can't get enough of it.

Everything changed today. I have a new favorite--batido de trigo (wheat shake). It just doesn't sound the same in English. My father-in-law bought puffed wheat the other day for shakes. I looked at the bag and didn't think much of it until today. Marta decided she wanted to make herself a wheat shake and offered me some. I told her that I never had a wheat shake, but I would give it a try. It doesn't hurt trying new things, which is part of my renewed philosophy. My God was that shake good! I can't believe I never tried this sooner. It's so good that I feel like asking her to make me another. This is better than any chocolate shake I ever had. The best part of these shakes that Marta makes is that they have few calories. They are not made with ice cream. It's just milk, ice, sugar, a pinch of salt, and whatever fruit or wheat product you want to add to it. And if you're really calorie conscious you could substitute the sugar with Splenda and it's just as yummy. In fact, I think I'll be making myself some wheat shakes for breakfast in the mornings before I go to work. At least I'll be in a good mood in the mornings!