Frozen Strawberry-Pineapple Limeade

All four of us here are kind of smitten with this smoothie. It is so refreshing, and the lime juice creates an almost fizzy feeling to it. The ingredient amounts are very flexible, of course, so feel free to play around with them to suit your tastes. I love using home-canned pineapple, but canned pineapple from the store would work as well. I don't suggest using fresh pineapple, as the taste is more acidic and it has a tendency to overpower the other flavors. 

Also, I like to freeze my bananas when they're slightly underripe. I just peel a bunch and put them in a gallon ziploc bag for use in smoothies. If the peel has brown spots at all, the banana taste is too much for me, so I like to freeze them when they are still tinged with green.

2 cups frozen strawberries

1 cup canned pineapple, drained

1 frozen banana, cut into chunks

1/2-1 cup milk (start with 1/2 cup and increase as needed)

juice from 5-6 medium limes

1/4 cup sugar

Combine ingredients in blender. If your blender isn't very powerful, let the fruit sit for 5-10 minutes to soften up a bit before blending. Blend until smooth, adding milk, lime juice, and sugar as needed. (And don't be shy with the limes! This tastes best with a pretty good lime flavor, so if your limes aren't very juicy you may need to add more.) Enjoy!

Nutritious Peanut Butter-Chocolate Banana Smoothie

We're kind of smoothie fanatics at our house. Almost every morning I break out the blender and whip up a smoothie with whatever fruit we have around--sometimes vegetables, too! My boys slurp them down in no time and it makes me feel at peace to know they're at least getting their daily servings of fruit. This smoothie is a little different than what I generally make--but it's amazing! While it's not exactly low-calorie, the fat in it is at least the good kind! It's very filling and a great source of protein.

And somehow, the bananas, milk, and peanut butter combine in such a way to create the creamiest concoction I've ever made! It really feels like a milkshake. We all adore this smoothie!

Recipe from Blendtec

2 bananas (I like to use frozen so it doesn't get as diluted with ice)

1 c. milk

3 Tbsp. peanut butter

2 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. cocoa

ice

Blend first 5 ingredients until smooth. Add ice until smoothie reaches desired consistency.

*I've also added in several cups of fresh spinach and a tablespoon or two or ground flaxseed with great results. If you can get past the murky camo-green color the spinach creates, it really doesn't taste much different. Just make sure to blend your spinach with the milk alone until it's pureed well in order to maintain the smooth consistency.

Yummiest Hot Cocoa EVER!!!

I'm kind of crazy about hot chocolate, so I find many excuses to drink it, even during our not-so-cold Houston winters. This one is absolutely delicious! It's rich and creamy without being overly sweet. I've also seen it with baking chocolate used instead of cocoa, but since cocoa is a bit less expensive and I have it more readily available, this one is my preference.

And by the way, YES that is a mug from Brick Oven Pizza in Provo. Consider it a merging of my Utah roots and Texas living. :)

Recipe found here.

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. salt

6 1/2 cups hot water (start with 5 and then add according to taste)

In a large saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Over medium heat, slowly stir in water; heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Hot chocolate can be stored in the refrigerator up to 5 days. Mix well and reheat before serving.

Enjoy!

Cucumber Limeade

This drink is amazingly refreshing! The cucumber adds such a mild taste that complements the lemon/lime beautifully. A women who used to be in my ward gave me the recipe, and it was her standard to take to ward activities. Just about everyone loved it!

Sorry, I don't have a picture of my own at the moment. Image Source

1 can frozen limeade concentrate

2 liters Sprite

1 cucumber

1 lime

Blend 1/2 of peeled cucumber with limeade. Carefully add in fresh lime juice and Sprite (it tends to foam and overflow). Serve with remaining half of cucumber sliced and floating on top.

Brazilian Lemonade

I got this recipe here, and it quickly became a favorite of ours! I never really thought sweetened condensed milk and citrus fruit would be a good pair, but it turns out they're fabulous together! It's perfect for those times you need a light, refreshing treat.

4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)

1 c. sugar

6 c. cold water

6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time. Wash limes thoroughly with soap. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths. Place half of the limes and half of the sugar water in the blender, put the lid on, and pulse 5 -7 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Discard pulp and peel remnants in strainer. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk. Taste test and add more sugar and/or sweetened condensed milk if needed. It tastes best if served over ice!

Note: the original recipe says it doesn't keep well, but I usually double the recipe and it still tastes great the following day or two.