Smoothies Smoothies and MORE Smoothies

I have a few smoothies to share! Just a few notes before I post recipes. To make things easier on me and to keep things as "fresh" as possible I have everything frozen. I even froze the juices I use in ice cube trays. So if a recipe calls for orange or apple juice I use 1 ice cube per 1/8 of a cup. I do add some water if the juice is the only liquid in the recipe because it helps the blender work better. I usually start with 1/2 a cup of water and add it as needed. 

I'll start with my FAVORITE breakfast smoothie. I really didn't think I would care for it much but it is SO good and fills me up and keeps me full for some time! I have also done this as an Almond Butter Banana Smoothie and it was just as good. In place of the peanut butter I used almond butter and in place of the milk I used vanilla almond milk. I will get just plain almond milk next time as I think the vanilla is too sweet. I do think I like the peanut butter one just a little better though.   

 Another breakfast smoothie. I enjoy the oatmeal in them a lot more then I thought I would. This is a great way for me to get in some grains as I know I don't eat enough. 

These next three are really good! Very refreshing and pretty filling. I will use these as late night snacks as we have a really bad habit of having a bowl of ice cream every night before bed. It used to be chocolate or mint chocolate chip ice cream but these smoothies will do just as well and are SO much better for me!

 Randall enjoys an Orange Julius sometimes in place of his bowl of ice cream and really likes this one. 

My first smoothie with spinach was WAY better then I thought it would be. I'm a pretty good veggie eater but don't care much for green leafy things except for ice burg lettuce. I was very please with this smoothie!

 I was very undecided about avocados in my smoothies as I'm not a fan of them much at all. I don't even really like guacamole all that much. I know I'm strange! But these two have proved me wrong and are very good. The avocado makes them smooth and creamy. The avocado kiwi one is almost too smooth for me but is very good!

For a very refreshing treat try this one. 

I used 1 cup of frozen watermelon and 1 cup fresh watermelon and a 6 ounce container of strawberry yogurt and 2 ounces of Greek yogurt just for fun. If you use all fresh watermelon I wouldn't put the water in unless you need it when you start blending. The girls I watch that are almost 2 and 4 LOVED this! It made these two 8 ounce cups, my 12 ounce wine glass and there was probably 2 or so ounces left. It was so refreshing.

Waiting on my blender part. :( Should be here sometime this week. I also just ordered "Green Smoothies Diet: The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health" by Robyn Openshaw. Looks like a good book! Lots of info and recipes! I'll probably get it before I get the part to the blender. I love Amazon!!!

Just thought I would end this on a SUPER CUTE note! 

Man I love this kid!

Until next time..........happy blending!!!

2013 Garden

 Both beets and carrots are in the same kind of raised grow bed. (Mom, I will never be able to have a garden down on the ground, but that is OK by me!) 

This is the one plant that looked the worst when they were sick! It is now the biggest and best looking one! Thanks for all you help mom!!! I wouldn't be this far without you and all your help in the years growing up! I may not have been listening then but I guess some of it did sink in! Thanks a bunch for all your help this year though Facebook and a few phone calls! 

We went outside last night to look at a storm that was rolling in so I took a new picture of my tomato! I sure can't wait to eat home grown tomatoes!! YUMMY!!

The up close picture in the corner is what every group of blackberries looks like! I'm going to have at least a million this year and I am still eating bags upon bags of last years! Not sure what I'm going to do with all these berries and to think they all get to be the size of someones thumb!!

Some new smoothies are coming up next!! Now that I have a hang of this blogging thing it sure is getting easier and easier! 

Until next time.................