Great Smoothies to Beat the Heat!
Yes it's scorching outside. Pools, popsicles, runs down the river on a tube...all great ideas to beat the heat. Yet how about another? Homemade smoothies serve as a wonderful, cooling solution to both the hot weather and your appetite. Hitting that sweet spot of "super tasty and super healthy," the below two smoothies (which utilize some great NW products) are a great way to go. Enjoy!
Smoothie #1: Berry Orange Dream
Without a doubt this is my favorite smoothie, hands down. A frequent go-to on a hot day, or just any day really, this smoothie tastes like a mix between an Orange Creamsicle and wild berries. Oh soooo good!
Ingredients:
2 Cups of “Summer Berry Blend” from Columbia Fruit – link here
1 1/2 Cups of orange juice (pulp aspect doesn’t matter)
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
3/4 Cup of lowfat vanilla yogurt – link here
1 tablespoon ground flax seed (optional, but adds nice texture)
1 tablespoon honey (optional, but sweetens things a bit more)
1/4 cup of protein powder (optional, if you’re working out)
3/4 Cup of ice cubes
Smoothie Instructions:
Well, if you've made a smoothie or two before, you know that there aren't really any big instructions other than to add your ingredients into a blender and press the "smoothie" button (if one exists). If no button has that name, use puree, or blend, etc...until you reach your desired thickness and consistency. Once blended....pour into a frosted glass (get these rolling in the freezer ahead of time) and enjoy!
Smoothie #2: Berry Banana Surprise
Wow, what to say other than "tasty" when talking about this wonderful smoothie. Utilizing frozen bananas in its concoction (a great smoothie ingredient), you will have a hard time choosing between this great, healthy smoothie and the one above.
Ingredients:
1 Cup of “Summer Berry Blend” from Columbia Fruit – link here
1 Frozen ripe banana
1/2 Cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt – link here
1/4 Cup of orange juice
1 Teaspoon of honey (optional)
Smoothie Instructions:
Uh, yes, same instructions here as for the first smoothie. Put your stuff in, blend it up, serve. Not a lot to it. That said, some like their smoothie chunkier (fruit and ice-wise), where others prefer theirs very, very smooth. Blend to what you like! Enjoy!
These two smoothie recipes have featured two, local, NW vendors of fresh foods: Tillamook Cheese and Columbia Fruit. Check them out further via their links! NOTE: Columbia Fruit also sells "smoothie blends," which are ready-made smoothies that make the entire process that much simpler.