Homemade Protein Shake

~*~About a month ago (at least) I told AndreAnna over at the Primal Matriarch that I'd do a post about my homemade Protein Shakes. Yea, just now getting around to it. OOPS! So anyway, here it is. Better late than never, right? LOL!!~*~

Since I've started working out more, I've been looking for some good pre/post workout eats that won't make me sick to my stomach but will aid in muscle recovery. Enter: PROTEIN.

I can't do protein shakes. One, they taste nasty. Two, I don't do processed foods. I've sworn off soy products after doing a bit of research and that pretty much leaves whey protein. There are some natural shakes out there, but they are all made with whey from pasturized milk coming from grain fed cows. NO THANK YOU!

So, what's a girl to do? I got out my blender!

This was my birthday gift from my husband last year and he recently confided in me that he was skeptical about the purchase, but I've used it at least once a day since he bought it, usually twice. It was a good purchase, indeed! Next up: my ingredients. I keep these items on hand at all times....

Raw milk, Cacao Powder, Eggs from pastured chickens, Agave nectar, vanilla extract, Quality sea salt & Ice. That's it....let's do this!

First up....the milk. I use 3 cups of Whole Raw Jersey Milk. If you want to read more about raw milk, click HERE.

Cacao Powder. I use about 2 T. I use it just for flavor (I've also skipped this step and used frozen strawberries to make a strawberry shake). I intended to use raw powder, but when I went looking for it, I couldn't find it so I just bought a good quality cacao powder and it works. One of these days I'll pick up a raw powder and see how it goes....

Salt. Salt? Yes, salt. It adds a great flavor to the milkshake (trust me on this one) and its a vital nutrient for muscle recovery after a long workout. I used about 10-12 turns of the salt grinder. Do your research and find a good quality sea salt that you enjoy. I use the pink Himilayan Sea Salt found here. Please, please, please, whatever you do, do NOT use regular old Morton's salt. That stuff will kill you. It's refined (read: proccessed) and so full of unnatural chemicals, I can't believe it's allowed to be labeled "food".

Two Egg yolks. Check out that egg. It's round, it's bright orangy/yellow. Mmmm....click this google image to see the difference between a store bought egg and a pastured egg. Store bought eggs are produced from chickens that are fed a "vegetarian diet" (even the ulta expensive, cage free, organic, etc...egs). That basically means they are fed a diet of corn & seeds. Chickens are meant to be able to walk around outside and peck at the grass. They eat bugs, they love grass/greens. I would never ever consider eating a raw egg yolk that was store bought. THAT is a recipe for disater, I'm sure!

Agave nectar. It's gotten a bit of a bad rap lately, and I know it's not the healthiest choice, but it tastes the best in this recipe (I've tried local raw honey, but it just didn't taste as good). This is the only time I use agave and I'm ok with it. I use about 2 Tablespoons.

Add a handful of ice (and a splash of vanilla extract ~ not pictured) and let 'er rip!

Keep goin'

Full speed, baby!!

It comes out quite frothy and thick. I pour it into three pint containers and put in the fridge. Shake well before drinking and enjoy! I drink this before my runs and I've never had an upset stomach. I drink them after weight lifting or any other strenuous workout and it really helps my muscles recover.

Enjoy!