Yesterday evening seemed to be the perfect time for the two of us to enjoy a fruit smoothie with our evening meal. Bananas that were still good, but too far gone to enjoy “plain,” were in need of a useful solution, so we chose to make smoothies.
One of my favorite kitchen tools is the Magic Bullet. It is so easy to make each person his or her own smoothie to drink right from the mixing cup. We use this powerful little blender for many tasks, including making our 4-ingredient “mocha mix” for first cup of coffee in the morning, homemade mayonnaise, and pesto.
Two “cubes” of frozen grape juice (our own grapes), 1/4 of one of our last stored fall pears, half a very ripe banana, and about 1/2 cup each of homemade yogurt and apple/cranberry juice went into the mix in each “mug,” along with cinnamon and honey. Keep in mind that honey, when mixed with frozen grape cubes, will become hard to blend. Agave syrup or some other natural sweetener might have been a better choice!
It is common for us to use grapes and bananas together for smoothies, then add whatever else we happen to have on hand for the remainder of the fruity flavors. Because of seeds, we typically do not use berries unless we have strained the seeds out. This is a personal preference, and berries do add wonderful flavors and nutrition to smoothies.
In processing, I use the cutting blade first, then the blending blade to finish it off at its smoothest. And who cares if a little honey is stuck to the side in the end? You can always peel that off with a spoon for your last bite!
If smoothies are not in your regular eating plan, please consider adding this nutrition-packed drink at least occasionally. Kids love them, and there is really no downside to making them!