Simple Smoothies - A Four-Ingredient Fix

In the mornings, we try to do quick breakfasts to get hubby out the door and off to the office. Smoothies have been a staple for us, thanks to our Magic Bullet.

When we were engaged, I wasn't convinced that this gadget was something needful, but I've changed my mind. I think it's gotten more use than any other appliance in our kitchen.

You can use whatever goodies you find in your fridge and freezer, and in 60 seconds, you've got breakfast in a cup (with a cool lid to go)! This week we had harvested a bunch of oranges from the citrus tree in our yard. Our grafted dwarf tree produces limes, lemons, oranges, and mandarin oranges. Cool, huh?

I picked almost all of the ripe oranges, so there are mostly lemons and limes today.

I squeezed 4 oranges and got about 1.5 cups of juice. 

Perfect for a couple of smoothies! Isn't my juicer cute?!? I love it. 

The ingredients and the finished product on the left.
The frozen fruit I have now from Costco has pineapple, papaya, mango, and strawberries. 

Here's what I usually add to a 
Fruit Smoothie
1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. plain yogurt (I used Greek style yogurt)
1/2 c. milk (any kind of milk - regular, soy, almond, etc.)
1/2 c. fruit (frozen or fresh)

If I use fresh fruit, then I would add a couple of ice cubes to make it cold. But I find it's nice to always stock your freezer with some frozen fruit, that way it's always ready for the blender.

Another smoothie I like to make is from the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook
Almond Energy Blast
1 c. lowfat vanilla soymilk
3/4 c. plain low-fat or fat-free yogurt
6 oz. silken tofu
1/4 c. dry-roasted almonds

For this one, I have even used firm tofu and raw almonds, and it's still good. Additionally, I prefer the "original" or plain soymilk, so I use that and add a sweetener like Splenda or sugar-free vanilla syrup. If you're trying to get healthy, you can add protein powder or a little wheat germ for an extra boost.

Blend away and be blessed!