Fruit Smoothies

Okay.  So, I was in a Target store recently and overheard the following conversation. Girl talking to a Target employee on an in-store phone: “So, like, I was like wondering if you like have any of those things that you like drink out of. Like, um, I mean I’m like standing in the isle like where you keep like paper plates and plastic stuff but I don’t like see any. Well, um, like let me tell you what they like look like. Like I have this friend and she like has this like mug that you can put water in and like drink it all day like at the office. Do you like know what I’m like talking about? I think that like maybe it should be over here like where I am, but maybe you like have them somewhere else in the store. So could you like tell me like where else they might be?…..Oh, okay, great!…Like they have the straws in them and they’re like mugs?”

Insert long, painful screeeeeeeeeeeeam here!

I had to start forming concise sentences in my head in order to banish the gobbledygook that was bouncing from brain cell to brain cell like a free radical stealing electrons from my oxygen rings. All she had to say was, “Hi. I’m looking for large insulated beverage mugs with straws. Do you carry them in this store?” I really ought not be critical because I have to work really hard at being articulate. Writing is one thing, but being verbal is quite another.

So, just in case you are looking for something other than water to put in your beverage mug, or even a nice tall glass, I am sharing my very favorite recipe for a fruit smoothie. There are endless combinations for fruit smoothies. The basics are fruit, fruit juice of choice, and either yogurt, frozen yogurt, or sherbet.

I like to use frozen fruit because it makes the smoothie slushy without the addition of ice cubes. For bananas, I cut them into slices, place a piece of plastic wrap on a sheet pan, put the banana slices on the plastic, cover with another piece of plastic wrap, and put the pan into the freezer. The banana slices freeze perfectly and keep quite well if covered with the plastic wrap. For strawberries, blueberries, or other types of berries I buy a big bag of whole frozen berries from a warehouse store such as Costco.

The ingredients for a fruit smoothie are not exact. That’s the beauty of this drink; it’s all up to your taste preferences. However, a typical basic fruit smoothie (about 4 [1-cup] servings) contains:

• 1 cup of juice (or milk or other liquid of choice)
• 2-3 cups frozen fruit
• 1/2 cup yogurt, frozen yogurt, or sherbet
• 1 cup chipped ice, only needed if you are not using frozen fruit

A good blender is your best friend for making a chunk-free smoothie. Don’t use an immersion blender; it will not work well.

The following is my very favorite fruit smoothie. I love this one so much that I can’t force myself to make any other kind for me. I have made other types of smoothies for my family, but this one is my idea of a perfect smoothie.