Pink Grapefruit Smoothie

Ingredients:

pink or ruby red grapefruit, peeled, membrane removed
1 banana
1 c. frozen strawberries
1/2 c. orange juice, chilled

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.   You may find a whole grapefruit is too sour for your taste buds so add half first and do a taste test to see if it needs more.

Source:  craftylittlegnome.com

Green Smoothie [For Beginners]

So… have you fallen into the Green Smoothie craze yet? If not, you really should. My husband and  I have been doing green smoothies for about a year now. I can honestly say that it’s been the best “eating” decision we’ve made as a couple.

I know that if I have this smoothie for either breakfast or lunch, I instantly have 4 (1/2 cup) servings of fruit and 2 servings of veggies (if you use 2 cups of spinach).

Don’t let the ingredients or color of the drink shy you away. This is a GREAT beginners recipe. I PROMISE you won’t be able to taste the spinach! This makes a 32 ounce serving. It’ll be really filling, and really tasty!

Beginner’s Green Smoothie
Ingredients:

1 cup water (you could also use juice, I just don’t want the extra calories)
1 cup light vanilla yogurt
1/2 c. unsweetend natural apple sauce
1 frozen banana
1 heaping cup of frozen strawberries
1-2 cups of fresh baby spinach

Directions:
– Put the ingredients in the blender in the order they are listed.
– Blend!
– Enjoy!

If you are doing Weight Watchers (like I am!) this whole drink is 4 points. You may be able to find a yogurt with less points… if you notice the only points in this drink is from the yogurt.

Want more of my smoothie ideas?
Blueberry Banana Smoothie
Jamba Juice’s Strawberries Wild Knock Off

Creamy Hot Chocolate

We found this recipe several years ago and hot chocolate has never been the same! This recipe beats every homemade concoction we’ve tried–and there are some goodies out there.

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (we’ve used other brands and they work, too.)
1/2 Cup unsweetened Cocoa (we usually use Hersey’s brand)
1.5 tsp Vanilla
1/8 tsp Salt
3 Cups Hot Water
3.5 Cups Milk*
Mini Marshmallows (opt)
Whipped Cream (opt)
Ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Chili Powder (opt)

1. In a large sauce pan, over Medium heat, combine Sweetened Condensed Milk, Cocoa, Vanilla, and Salt. Mix Well.
2. Mix in the water and the milk. Heat through, stirring frequently. Do not boil.

Serve with mallows or whipped cream and a dash of spice. Questioning the chili powder? Ever seen the movie “Chocolat“? That’s where we got the idea and it really is quite good.

*The original recipe called for 6.5 Cups Water, but we like it with the milk. It makes it creamy.

Source: All Recipes, with slight variation

Red Hot Apple Cider

Image by FreeDigitalPhotos.net/imagerymajestic

Oh my!  It’s my day to post and I totally spaced it!  Husband is out of town on business and I have been cleaning and decorating and just playing, because I can be up late and not wake anyone up.  Looks like I could have remembered to blog a recipe, doesn’t it?  So if you need a little warming up this afernoon/evening, then I have gotten this post up JUST FOR YOU!  We had dinner with some friends one night during the Christmas season and Trini served hot cider that was so yummy.  I asked her for the recipe and she just laughed.  When you see the ingredients you might laugh, as well, but once you taste it you will be like, oh my gosh.



Image by flickr.com/begautrea


Ingredients:
Apple Cider or Apple Juice
Red Hots candies

1.  Pour desired amount of apple cider or juice in a stove top teapot or in a saucepan.
2.  Pour desired amount of Red Hots into pot/pan, according to how spicy you want your cider.
3.  Heat to desired temperature.
4.  Pour into mug or cup and enjoy….you may want to put a cinnamon stick in for garnish.

Here’s another fun hot drink tip:  Another friend, Adrianna, puts cinnamon sticks in her water when she is heating it for instant hot chocolate.  Kind of a quick way to sort of have Mexican Hot Chocolate.  Yummmm…also good when making instant oatmeal.

Source:  Trini Marquez, El Paso, Texas

Blueberry Lemonade

Nothing says “summer” like good old fashioned lemonade.  This one has an even healthier twist with blueberries, one of nature’s super foods.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8 lemons)
4 cups water
4 cups blueberries
1 – 1 1/4 cups sugar (depending on your taste for sweet or tart)

Directions:

1.  Process ingredients in a blender until smooth.
2.  Pour through a wire-mesh strainer into a pitcher, discarding solids.
3.  Serve over ice.  Garnish with lemon slices, if desired.

Source:  Southern Living

Instant Christmas Wassail

Just in time for Christmas! If you’ve never had wassail before, I’ve been told it’s similar in taste to Russian tea. I’ve never had Russian tea, but I know I like wassail!
Ingredients:
1 C Tang
2 C sugar
1 1/2 C lemonade mix
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground cloves
1. Mix well.
Source: My mom

When serving I like to pour the water in first and then add the wassail mix and stir; I think it incorporates better that way as opposed to putting the mix in your mug and then adding the water.
Yields more than the quart pictured above (not more than a cup more–I didn’t measure it).

Pink Milk

My kids love Charlie and Lola, a couple of cute British kids that used to come on the Disney Channel. We own pretty much every book and DVD on those two. One of Charlie and Lola favorite drinks is pink milk.

I found a recipe which involved ice cream, milk and strawberries, i.e., ingredients I did not have. So I adapted the chocolate milk recipe below. For pink milk, simply substitute strawberry powder for the chocolate powder (and yes, I do prefer Nesquik).

Pink milk
1 quart water
3/4 cup dry powdered milk
1/2 cup strawberry milk mix

Whisk together dry ingredients in the bottom of a pitcher. Slowly add the warm water as you are stirring. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.


Adapted from: I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage

Chocolate Milk

My kids love chocolate milk. I mean, whose kid doesn’t? But let’s face it, milk is expensive. So to save a little dough I started keeping chocolate milk (made with non-instant powdered milk) in the fridge.


Chocolate Milk
1 quart warm water*
3/4 cup non-instant dry powdered milk
1/2 cup chocolate milk mix (We prefer Nesquik.)
Mix the dry ingredients in the bottom of the pitcher, then stir in the warm water. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving

No one has complained that it doesn’t taste as good as fresh milk (just don’t let them see you mixing it!). Go ahead and double it; it’s gonna disappear fast.
*Crystal Godfrey claims that the powder will dissolve easily in any temperature water. I don’t like to argue with the experts, but I have been much more successful mixing it with warm water and then refrigerating.
Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Food Storage

Harry Potter Butterbeer

 

I found a recipe on Pinterest for Harry Potter Butterbeer and was so excited to try it.  I made it, but was disappointed with the flavor of the actual drink (the topping was pretty good).  But I decided it was worth trying to salvage so I tried again.  The original recipe calls for butter flavoring and rum extract in the cream soda, but I found that this made the soda taste diet-y and weird so I just used plain cream soda.  Hence, there is no “butter” in this “beer”.  But I ran this by a ten-year-old expert who has been to the Harry Potter theme park and tasted “real” Butterbeer….he liked it.  So I guess I’m good to go.

 
Ingredients:
2-liter bottle of cream soda*
1 cup whipping cream
7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 tsp. rum extract
 
1.  Chill the soda completely before “assembling”.
2.  In a mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, marshmallow creme, and rum extract until smooth and combined.
3.  Pour cream soda into cups, allowing head room.  Drop the topping by spoonfuls into soda.  It will float and fizz.  Serve!

Source:  adapted from Design Dazzle Blog

 
*The first time we tried this we bought A&W Cream Soda, but didn’t realize until after we drank it that it has caffeine.  I was able to find a no-caffeine cream soda at Lowe’s Foods….Polar brand soda.
 

Hot Cocoa Mix

This is a family must have and is so easy. Be creative – Sprinkle different flavors of the powdered creamers into individual servings (we like French Vanilla and Cinnamon). My favorite however, is melting a little bittersweet chocolate and drizzling it in – Yum! We use a a Cocoa-Motion to “whip” up a larger batch.

Ingredients:
7 cups Instant Powdered Milk
2 cups nondairy creamer
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa (I use Guittard All Natural high fat – don’t notice that last word)

1. Mix all ingredients in large container with a whisk until well blended – You can also mix this in a 2 gal zippy bag that you shake.
2. Store in 2 gal zippy bag or other container – stores up to 9 months

To make individual cups:
1. 1/3 cup mix
2. 8 oz warm water
3. A titch of milk or cream
4. Stir and enjoy

Source: Adapted from a Family Recipe and Make a Mix