Creamy Pina Colada

I follow Simple Green Smoothies on Instagram and have loved trying some of their recipes.  We drink a lot of smoothies around here.  I usually just throw a bunch of stuff into my Vitamix and turn it on, but every now and then it's good to grab a new combination idea or twist.  This smoothie is a combination of a few different recipes from the SGS feed and it's our current family favorite for lunch.  My measurements are approximations because that's how I roll when it comes to making smoothies, but it'd be hard for you to mess up this tasty nutrient-packed ingredient combination.  Try it!

1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk

1/2 to 1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/4 to 1/2 cup water, depending on how thick you like your smoothie

1 cup packed fresh spinach

1/2 ripe avocado

1 to 2 cups pineapple (I've only ever used frozen - I like my smoothies thick!)

1 or 2 very ripe bananas

handful of ice cubes

I also toss in a handful of frozen mango and/or small orange if I have any.

Blend well and enjoy!

  

Breakfast Smoothie

This thick, sweet, and filling smoothie has become a staple in our family's breakfast menu.  I make these about once a week, usually serving them with some scrambled eggs.  

1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 bananas (mine are always frozen)

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I've used mixed berries, but we prefer just the blueberries)

1 Tbsp honey, optional

1 tsp vanilla, optional

Blend oats until finely ground.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  If it seems too thick, add a little more milk.  

Fruit Water

I am loving the sunny days we've been having this month and am keeping "fruit water" stocked in our fridge.  The kids think it's great and this was our favorite combination:

two lime slices
five cucumber slices
a handful of strawberries (greens removed)
a handful of mint leaves

Lemon and orange slices also join in the rotation of what goes in the pitcher.  I find the "flavors" usually need changing after two full days of water refills.  It's so refreshing after playing in the sunshine!

Lime, Grapefruit and Ginger juice

After coming across this recipe, I looked up to see one ripe grapefruit, a large piece of fresh ginger, and several limes singing to me in perfect harmony.  It was meant to be.  My 3-year-old said the drink was too "spicy", but I was glad I didn't have to share.  This went down as refreshing as a perfect summer day.  The ginger gives the citrus a little kick, which made for a strong breakfast juice.  But as much as I liked the get-up-and-go in the morning, it was just as good when I finished it off in the afternoon.  I liked it both room temp and cold.  The original recipe calls for more fruit than I had on hand, so here's what I ended up with.


2 Tbsp sugar
1 heaping Tbsp ginger, peeled then grated
1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup fresh lime juice - 2 juicy limes
3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice - 1 juicy grapefruit

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, stir together the sugar, ginger, and water.  Simmer for 5 minutes, transfer to a glass bowl or cup, and place in the freezer for a few minutes to cool.

Strain the ginger into a pitcher along with the lime and grapefruit juices.  You can either strain the citrus juices or leave them pulpy, just be sure to catch any seeds before they go in. Stir and taste, if you want a bit more sugar, go for it, but I found this to be plenty sweet.  Serve straight in a tiny chilled glass with ice.  Or use a splash to freshen up a glass of sparkling water.

Makes about 2 cups.

White Nut Nana

This is a little creation using one of my most favorite kitchen tools - the Vita Mix!  I'll post the original Nut Nana some other time, but I like the white version better.

1/2 - 1 cup milk (start with 1/2 cup and use more if your blender sounds like it's struggling)
1/2 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
*1 Tbsp honey (I only add this if I use plain yogurt)
1/2 to 1 whole frozen banana (when my bananas are looking less-than-appetizing, I peel them, break them into pieces, and freeze them in a baggie for future smoothie-making)
1 large spoonful peanut butter
1/4 cup wheat germ
6-12 small ice cubes


Put everything in your blender and go to town!  Mmmmm . . .

Nutella Hot Chocolate

About a month ago, my family and I popped into a local cafe to try out their Nutella Hot Chocolate.  Oh.  YUM!  Even my husband, who isn't a huge fan of hot chocolate (and will actually make fun of you for ordering hot chocolate at a coffee shop!) really enjoyed it.  The temperature dropped a bit this week and I wanted a yummy warm drink to cozy up with last night.  How hard could it be to make my own specialized hot chocolate?  Not very.  I'm actually drinking it again for the second night in a row as I type this.  YUM!


1-1 1/2 cups milk (depending how rich you want it)
1 Tbsp. cocoa
2 Tbsp. Nutella
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash of salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Warm milk in a heat-proof mug for 2 minutes.  Add cocoa, Nutella, sugar and salt and stir vigorously until thoroughly mixed (that is, thoroughly de-chunked).  A mini frother or tiny wisk works perfectly!  Stir in the vanilla.  Sip and enjoy . . .

Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes

Ohhhhhhh . . . these were so yummy!


1/3 C pumpkin, canned or homemade

1/4 - 1/2 C milk
1/4 t vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/16 t cloves (just use a 1/8 t measure and fill it half way, or do a pinch)
1/16 t nutmeg
2 T brown sugar
2 C vanilla ice cream
1-2 graham crackers

Pop everything but graham crackers in a blender. Start with 1/4 C milk and then slowly add more if needed to make the blender process it all.

A note about blenders (if you don't have a VitaMix!): Here's the problem with making thick, diner style milkshakes at home: A lot of times you have to add so much milk to the thing to get the blender to process that it turns into a milk-slushy instead. Or you have to blend and plunge, blend and plunge, etc. You know the drill, right? So if you have any trouble with your blender, I would recommend blending everything but the ice cream first and then mashing it into the ice cream by hand (well, with a hand. Holding a fork or spoon :) If your scooped ice cream sits out at room temp while you measure the other things and get them all ready, then by the time you mash it all together it should be a good consistency.

Sprinkle with crushed graham cracker crumbs before serving. It reminds me of DQ's Pumkin Pie Blizzard!

Strawberry Coulis and Limeade Concentrate

I bookmarked this page from Simple Bites in anticipation of our strawberry picking. They are, indeed, simple ideas, but certainly tasty ways to use up the last of my fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Coulis (a fancy way of saying "Strawberry Sauce")
I made one jar of this and have it tucked away in my freezer to remind us of summer days when the winter comes.

about one pint strawberries, washed and hulled
1 Tablespoon sugar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

Combine strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a blender or food processor.

Pulse until berries are somewhat chopped then blend until smooth and the sauce looks glossy. Taste and adjust sugar if needed.

If desired, pass puree through a fine sieve to remove seeds. (I usually skip this step.)

Pour into two 1/2 pint jars, leaving 1/2 an inch of headspace at the top of the jar, and freeze.

Makes 2 cups.

Note: Sauce will also keep up to four days in the refrigerator.

Strawberry-Limeade Concentrate
I tried these out for the first time this evening. I used three cubes for a tall glass of sparkling water. It was summer in a glass - fantastically refreshing! Use lemon juice instead to get strawberry-lemonade concentrate.


3/4 cup strawberry coulis (recipe above)
3/4 cup sugar or whole cane sugar
1 cup lime juice (approximately 8 limes)

Mix ingredients together and freeze in ice cube trays.
To serve: In a drinking glass, stir together 1 cup cold water and two frozen cubes of concentrate and stir to combine.

Pineapple Lassi

After enjoying Indian food for dinner one evening, I suggested that we make mango lassis for dessert. "I have a big bag of mango in the freezer," I told my husband. So I went to work throwing things in the blender, grabbed the bag of mango, and cut it open . . . only to discover it was pineapple. Oops. I could have sworn that I bought mango! We went with it and were extremely pleased with my mistake. This recipe will make enough for two large glasses.

1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
7 tsp. sugar
2 cups pineapple (or mango!)

Put everything in a blender and mix for about 1 minute or until smooth.

Spiced Tea

My mom kept this mix stocked in the cupboard growing up, but I mostly remember drinking it during the holidays.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup Tang
1/2 cup lemon flavored instant tea
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Mix everything together. Store in an airtight container. Use approximately 2 rounded teaspoons of mix per mug of boiling water.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

Can you tell I'm stuck on pumpkin?! My brother is in town, so we enjoyed these together (since Ryan doesnt' like "cute coffee", as he calls it!). This will make enough for 2 people to have a big mug with a bit leftover. I didn't have the whipped cream (this isn't my picture!), which would have been a nice addition, but they were still delicious!


2 cups milk
2 Tbsp canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
OR: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger
1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee
garnish with whipped cream (optional)

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.