Making smoothies

Smoothies made from yogurt, frozen cherries and apricots are pictured with a bowl of fresh cherries.

Summer is not quite here but the heat is! Finding ways to cool off is becoming a priority at our house. Cool things to drink are becoming the very desirable.

One drink we like to cool down with is a smoothie. They can be very pricey when purchased at a fast food restaurant or specialty store so we decided to look for ways to make our own. We looked on the internet and found an article by Mackenzie Schieck about making smoothies.

Schieck said, “Send a few simple ingredients for a wild ride in your blender and you’ll have delicious, nutritious, kid-pleasing smoothies in mere seconds.” In fact they are pleasing to us also. She went on to say, “smoothies pull double duty by quenching thirst and satisfying hunger at the same time.” They are not only quick but easy to prepare as well.

The basic ingredients are fresh or frozen fruit, fruit juice and ice. Other ingredients can include yogurt, milk, flax seeds, silken tofu, wheat germ or protein powder for extra nutrition. Sweeteners can be added but are usually not needed because the fruit is already sweet. When we need a sweetener we use honey.

Smoothies can also be made for breakfast or as a dessert. Adding an egg, oatmeal, milk or yogurt can make a good breakfast. Ice cream, sherbet, chocolate, peanut butter or coffee additions can turn it into a dessert. We even found recipes for vegetable smoothies. Maybe they would be for lunch.

Right now we have plenty of strawberries and cherries. We clean, cut and pack them in quart-size resealable plastic bags. Then we store them in the freezer for later use in smoothies and other recipes.

Buying local in season fruit is the best value for those who do not grow their own. Locally grown fruit is sweeter because it is allowed to ripen before being picked. It also does not require expensive transportation costs.

Using an exact recipe is not necessary but good for beginners. Don’t be afraid to experiment. Spices can even be added for more flavor. Nutmeg is one of our favorite spices. Vanilla is also a nice touch.

A recipe we found on the internet is “Peach Pizazz Smoothie.” It serves two. This recipe is for fresh, not frozen fruit. Peaches will be ripe in a few short weeks here in Tehama County.

Ingredients include:

2 peaches, peeled and cut into fourths
6 large strawberries
1 scoop of vanilla ice cream

Directions:

First place the peaches and strawberries in the blender. Next add the scoop of vanilla ice cream and then blend for approximately 35 seconds.

The website for this and many other recipes is flowercarole.com.

Cleanup is also easy. After pouring the smoothies in glasses fill the blender with about two cups of water and a drop of dish soap. Turn on high for 10 seconds. Pour out soapy water and rinse. If left for a later cleanup the fruit can dry on and be difficult to get off.

As more fruit becomes ripe the flavors of our smoothies will change. The recipe choices are endless. We would love to hear from readers about their favorite recipes. Recipes sent to the email address below will be posted on our blog site for all to enjoy.