Smoothie Super Chef

Lately, I've become a little addicted to the wonderfully tasty, healthy, filling, chilled delights better known as smoothies. This developed love has been a process, however. Let me back up, so you can understand the smoothie's and my journey to greatness.

Marriage is literally a melding of 2 individuals into one (hopefully better) whole. When Skylar and I got married, we each brought our own great qualities with us. I brought kindness (ha ha), patience (ummm), logic (ok, that's true), and charm (really?). He brought..........a blender. (Yes, he brought much, MUCH more than that, but we'll go with just that one thing for effect).

However, this blender initially was the bane of my existence (a little dramatic? perhaps). It was HORRIBLE! When I first tried to make a smoothie with it (last year), it took me half an hour! And even then, it wasn't fully blended. So I put the blender away and never looked back - that is, until a few weeks ago. It was starting to get super hot here in Utah and as I'm trying not to be a whale anymore, I didn't want to go get ice cream. So as I pondered my plight, I decided to give the ol' blender another go. At first, it was rocky. It took me another half hour to make a stupid strawberry banana smoothie. Afterwards I thought, "Forget it. Too much effort for one serving." But the next day, the heat was back and so was my desire to be cooled and not fat. So I pulled out the blender again. This time, it was a little better, a little smoother. Gradually I cut the blend time down to 25 minutes. Then 20 minutes. Yes, I began to figure out the quirks and gliches of the blender and realized that all she needs is a little patience, love, and understanding for her guard to come down.

Today, I boast a whopping 5 minutes for a delightful, delicious, delectable smoothie. You might say Sally and I have arrived at smoothie pro-dom. (That's right, we've been through a lot so I named her). Because of her loyalty to me, I've come to love her product: the smoothie.

The best things about smoothies, you ask? Why, they're the things I listed at the beginning of this post! Tastiness. Coldness. Healthiness. Happiness. How about a glimpse into one of my best recipes yet?

(These are all approximations. I don't actually measure anything out.)

(Also, there are a lot of parentheses in this post. My bad.)

1 cup of frozen sliced strawberries
1/2 of a frozen sliced banana
1/6 can of calcium fortified frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup of raspberries
3/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of milk

This makes about a glass full of smoothie goodness.

*I've been cutting dairy out of my diet lately, so I use light vanilla soy milk instead of regular milk. It's delish.

*You could use 1 1/2 cups of milk instead of splitting it between milk and water, but I'm cutting out calories by splitting it.

*When you use the frozen fruits, there's no need for ice.

*Also, I'm considering adding some silken tofu to the blend for extra nutrients and protein.

All in all, I've estimated one glass of smoothie-liciousness pumps out about 250 calories, several servings of fruit, and the only sugar is the natural, good-for-you kind. It's super filling and I end up having one for dinner a few times a week. Trust me, they're awesome. Now go make one. Please? Sally will be here cheering you on.