Creating smoothies

Smoothies are something very adaptable to your own ideas and whatever you have on hand. I don't follow recipes when I make a smoothie, I just look at what I have in my freezer, think of what type of smoothie might go well with the meal(or what smoothie sounds good if it's a snack), and throw things together. I like to ask my 4 yr old if she'd like to help. She enjoys thinking of what to put in. I have listened to her ideas, and helped her with amounts, and she's made a couple of really good smoothies! Yes, one time there was something that I didn't think would go and I mentioned this to her, and she was fine with that. It's fun to see she likes to create in the kitchen.

Here is a smoothie she helped make that I really, really liked. Amounts are estimated.

Apple raspberry juice concentrate(1/2 cup)
water(add to desired consistency and taste)* maybe try 1/2 cup
Peaches, frozen(3/4 cup)
Blueberries, frozen(1/2 cup)
Pineapple(1/2 cup fresh)
You could add pineapple juice if you don't have fresh pineapple
sugar(1/8-1/4 cup)

When I make smoothies, I blend proportions together that look good, then look at consistency and taste test the smoothie. I then know whether to add more water, or more of a certain fruit, etc.

If you make a large batch of smoothie, you may get to freeze leftovers into popsicle molds. Sometimes we have just enough for two or three popsicles, but if we've been enjoying smoothies often, we have two or three kinds of popsicles to choose from when we get out our popsicle mold.


March 29, 2016

About equal amounts nectarine puree and * strawberries, (2 cups each?), 1 cup coconut dream beverage, maybe 1/2 cup pineapple juice, and raspberry jam- maybe 2 T. **

*from freezer with orange juice concentrate(and sugar I think) added, partially thawed in microwave for blending

**Rather than adding strawberries and raspberry jam separate, I actually used strawberry sauce I made for pancakes and had leftover. When making the sauce I had blended 4 cups frozen strawberries, 1 cup water, and added about 1/4 cup raspberry jam to add some flavor. Then maybe 1/4 cup more sugar? Dont' remember. I probably used about half of that portion in the smoothie. Use leftover pinapple juice from last opened can. We really like this one! One of our favorites. And my daughter that doesn't like strawberries or raspberries really enjoyed it.  I love utilizing successfully leftover food to make something we really like!

April 1, 2016

Another smoothie we really liked! Another favorite.

1 cup coconut dream beverage, nectarine puree.* strawberries from freezer, mango slices from freezer. 1/4 cup sugar.

*Froze with added orange juice concentrate to prevent from browning, and added sugar to taste. I prepared the strawberries from fresh, ripe- sliced and froze. I think 2 snack baggies, not full, maybe 2/3 cup. Mangos fresh, ripe, froze what didn't want to eat then in snack baggy. About 3/4 of snack baggy- about 1/3 cup? Nectarine puree, maybe 2 cups.