Smoothie Criminal

I struggle with getting in enough (what is enough, really?) fruits and vegetables on any given day. I love fruit, but it's tedious to cut/clean it at work, and I don't want apples or other items to brown or dry out if I prepare ahead of time. What's a girl to do?

Blend.

I love where my awesome blender comes into this equation. I have disposable cups and straws handy so it feels like someone made my morning smoothie at the gym snack bar or Jamba Juice, but I get to put in my own ingredients and know what is in my food (or beverage, in this case).

Here are some of my go-to smoothie recipes:

Peach Faux-shake

Flesh of two peaches (no pit, no skin); I cleaned these when in season and froze them

1 small container of Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt
2 T skim milk
1 T brown sugar
3 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients. I think it helps when your fruit is already frozen (be careful of any frozen fruit with added sugars). Blend this until smooth and add more milk as needed. The flavor is awesome and it feels like you're having a peach milkshake.

Bonus: Add 2 small pieces of crystallized ginger to make this a Ginger Peach Shake!
PP+ 3

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie

1 cup sliced ripe banana (about 1 large)

1 small container Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons whole wheat graham cracker crumbs (about 1/2 cookie sheet)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 ice cubes

Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a baking sheet, and freeze until firm (about 1 hour). This is great to do before your bananas are too ripe. Place frozen banana and remaining ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately.

Fall-tastic Pumpkin Banana Smoothie

1 small container Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt

3/4 cup canned pumpkin, chilled

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1 T brown sugar

1/2 t ground cinnamon

1/8 t ground nutmeg

1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnish with dash of ground cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Call to the Tropics Smoothie

1/4 cup orange juice

1 small container Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt
2/3 cup unsweetened frozen mango chunks

1/2 pineapple, chopped (great use for canned pineapple!)

3 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth.

I love having this as a 'mocktail' when entertaining in the summer time. It's fruit, fun, and filling (that last part is great tool for not grazing the appetizers table!).

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

1/2 cup skim milk

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

1 frozen sliced ripe banana

1 small container of Oikos Greek Vanilla Yogurt

3 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Having your banana frozen gives a creamier texture and keeps your smoothie cold without adding too much ice.

Tip: You can make this even chocolatier (yes, that's a word) if you find a low-fat Chocolate Yogurt. Hard to find, but great when you do! I've also heard Mocha Yogurt is great with this too.

Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meat Sauce

Raise your hand if you LOVE washing dishes? Yes? Then this recipe isn't for you. Because dinner is done in one pot. Set it and forget it while you change into something more comfortable after a long day. Ingredients: 1 lb. ground beef 1/2 onion, diced 2 c broth or water 3 c (24 ounces) pasta sauce (marinara or tomato sauce recommended) 1 lb. any pasta (I used whole wheat high protein spaghetti) 2 T Italian Seasoning 1 t Onion Powder 1 t Garlic Powder 1/2 t salt 1/4 t black pepper Instructions: Set your pot to "Saute" and cook the ground beef, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion to the ground beef and they will cook together. Once it is cooked through (about 4-5 min), do not drain out the fat. **If you prefer to use frozen meatballs, skip the above steps, start with the meatballs in the bottom of your pot, then go from here: Mix in all seasoning (Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper) Layer in ...

Easy Guide: How to Address Envelopes for Wedding Invitations

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Kira's Baking-Inspired Bridal Shower

While I have a fabulous job professional planning events, it's even more fun when I get to personally host an event for a friend. This past fall, my dear friend, Kira, celebrated her wedding to Nat, and, of course, a Bridal Shower was on the horizon to celebrate her! (And it's her Birthday Weekend so Happy Birthday!) The other bridesmaids and I finalized our plans for her baking-inspired Bridal Shower, and here are some of the details: Make Your Own Mimosa Bar - complete with champagne, sparkling cider, sodas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, orange slices, lime slices, lemon slices, orange juice, cranberry juice, and grapefruit juice. Fool-proof instructions Guests were greeted with personalized champagne flutes. The nametags doubled as glass tags so all of the ladies could keep track of their flutes. Sweet signage. Fun buffet with lots of brunch items! Salads, finger sandwiches, fruits, and the muffins. Oh the muffins (see more below), ...

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