Got the banana blues...

Today, we're going to talk about my very favorite smoothie of all time: Blueberry Banana smoothie.  It's simple, but so delicious.  I think you'll find that the flavors really compliment each other.
Begin by adding one banana (or more, depending on how many servings you want to make. One serving typically = one banana), then add the desired amount of blueberries.  I usually add about a handful.  Then you can add your yogurt, milk, and ice; feel free to add some honey for extra sweetness as well.  With this smoothie, I recommend vanilla yogurt.  Oftentimes smoothies are just as delicious with the "Original" flavored yogurt, but I really prefer vanilla flavor for this one.  It's up to you to choose which brand fits you and your price range, but Yoplait has always been the perfect fit for me.
This is the perfect breakfast smoothie treat!  I love drinking them in the summer with a bagel and strawberry cream cheese for breakfast.  Also, they are great for the picky eaters in your household.  My younger sister is the pickiest of all picky eaters; she particularly dislikes most fruits and vegetables, as macaroni and cheese is her very favorite food.  This smoothie, however, became her favorite over the summer when I made them every morning.  Soon, she was asking me to make her favorite smoothie for her!
For another delicious breakfast smoothie recipe, check out this blog.  Her smoothies look delicious, especially since she suggests adding a little extra fruit juice!!
See you next time!
 

Funky Fresh Smoothie.

Today, we're going to try a fun and exciting flavor combination: kiwi, apple, and banana.  Kiwis are one of my favorite fruits, and my appreciation for them only grew during my recent trip to New Zealand, land of the Kiwis, Kiwi-birds, and, of course, the Kiwi-fruit.  Before traveling to the Kiwi-land, I had no idea that there were two different kinds of kiwis; I had always assumed the green one was the only one.  In New Zealand, and America, too, there are also golden kiwis.  The name explains it all, doesn't it?  They are simply delicious and golden in more ways than one.  So today, we are going to try a smoothie inspired by a delicious fruit salsa I had during my stay down under.
In Tonya's delicious fruit salad, she included chopped apples, kiwis (golden and green), bananas, and peaches, for all you fruit-lovers.  After adding a little extra sugar for taste, she gave us extra-sugary graham crackers to eat the fruit salsa with.  It was simply delicious.  I highly recommend it.  In honor of Tonya's yummy fruit salad, we will attempt to make an equally delicious smoothie using many of the same flavors.
Same as always, add your desired amount of fruit, yogurt, milk, and ice.  If you so choose, a little extra sugar really complements the kiwis.  For fun, make your smoothie extra thick and add a couple graham crackers to the cup for a fancy serving option or a delicious snack for yourself.  This kiwi-licious flavor combination cannot and will not fail you! If you're really feeling the kiwi spirit, check out this blog for other healthy kiwi recipe options.  It has some fun and unique ways to make kiwis, and it's great for those of us who are trying to stay healthy!
As the kiwis say, thanks, mate!

Tropical Getaway.

Although it's a chilly February in Oklahoma, it's always nice to imagine a tropical getaway on an island somewhere.  When enjoying the sand, surf, and sun, what could be better than a tropical smoothie to cool off a bit? 

Today, we'll be talking about one of my personal favorite flavor combinations--The Tropical Smoothie.  While a tropical smoothie could contain any tropic fruit, I tend to prefer the flavors of mango, pineapple, and maybe even a little coconut.  However, it's important to make due with what you have.  Kiwis are always a great tropical addition, as are guavas, if you have them.  For these types of smoothies, I prefer them a bit thicker, so I usually add a little more ice and a little less milk than usual.  If you're like me and enjoy the texture of coconut, you can throw in coconut shreds or slices.  Or, if you'd just prefer the flavor without the texture, coconut milk works great. 

I do feel that I should add a little disclaimer to this post; tropical smoothies are not the healthiest, since tropical fruits are so high in sugars.  For those of you who are choosing to drink smoothies for health reasons, these smoothies are not for you.  However, check out a health-food smoothie blog here.  She recounts her weight loss on smoothies in this blog post, so she has some insightful smoothie options.  I really enjoyed her ideas on weight loss, but I'm not much for green smoothies; I'll stick to fruits, please. 

Check back soon for more smoothie ideas and combinations!

The Classic.

Smoothies are the juice of life, and as a college student who has limited kitchen space, little to no time, and hardly any kitchen utensils, they are a life saver.  Not to mention, they're delicious.  As my younger sister and I like to yell across the house, in imitation of one addicting online game, "Let's get ready for some SMOOOOOOTHIE MOOOOOOVES!" Get your creative juices flowing, and try the game for yourself here.  We'll be trying out all sorts of yummy, funky, and crazy flavor combinations, so we'd better get ready for some smoothie moves, indeed.
Before we begin with the odd (and fun) flavors, let's start with a classic and one of my favorites: Strawberry Banana. It doesn't get any simpler or more delicious than that. The beautiful thing about smoothies is that you can always be creative with the balance of ingredients, thickness, flavor, etc.  So feel free to improvise as needed, and have fun with it!  Obviously, you'll want to throw a banana and several strawberries to your blender, along with your desired amounts of milk, yogurt, ice, and whatever other sort of supplements you wish.  I sometimes add a little protein powder, for example.  If you'd like to spice it up, you can always add some honey, Nutella, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, and of course, a little whipped cream on the top doesn't hurt.  However, if you're looking to pursue the healthy route, the smoothie will be plenty sweet without these extra high-in-fat ingredients.  Smoothies can even be delicious with only fruit and ice, if you are a purist.
Check out other yummy smoothie options at this smoothie girl's blog.
Happy blending!