Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

June is strawberry season here in Ohio..


GLORY! GLORY! GLORY! 

I did a flip flop (well, my heart did anyway!) when I came across this recipe at Cupcakes & Kale Chips, after she linked it up to Weekend Potluck. Hurrah!  Brianne opened her post by apologizing for taking 'the easy way out' in an improv cooking challenge. 


PU-LEEEZE!!! =) I told her NO need for apologies.  I knew I would go wild over this simple recipe, though I did adapt it a little bit. She was surprised at all the attention the recipe brought her blog too!! Good for her!


Even when it isn't strawberry season, you can make this luscious treat any time because you use frozen strawberries!


This is an amazingly delicious smoothie that I enjoyed for my dinner meal (we'd been to a graduation open house and I wasn't very hungry). 

It's pretty healthy too with 'skinny' options..I love that about any recipe!

Cream cheese is my #1 favorite ingredient - added to this combo of terrific flavors and I'll all over it. 


Many options to how you might like to fix this for yourself, but no matter what, I can tell you you're gonna be SO glad you tried this simple recipe. 


I do love QUICK & EASY! 


I always keep sliced bananas in the freezer too so I can add it to any smoothie and make it cold.  MMMM! 

STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE SMOOTHIE 

(Adapted from Cupcakes & Kale Chips)

1/2 c. frozen strawberries

(original recipe calls for 1 full cup, but I couldn't suck it through a straw...if that's your preference, then add more berries)

half of a frozen banana, preferably sliced

1 ozs. (about 2 Tb. cream cheese) - I used light

(or 2 Tb. cottage cheese)

1/2 c. vanilla Greek yogurt, or plain

(I used Weight Watchers vanilla as it needed to be used up)

3/4 c. 1% milk 

1 tsp. vanilla, or more

stevia, splenda or sugar to taste

Optional: Strawberries or crushed graham cracker, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish, in blender.  Puree until smooth. 

(You could add flax or chia seeds for a healthier boost.) 

There ya go!!  Suck it down...but not too fast, or you'll get a brain freeze. 

Linked to 

Breakfast Ideas Monday Melt in Your Mouth Monday Foodie Friends Friday Scrumptious Sunday Mop it up Monday Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Smoothies

Naturally Sweetened Lemonade

I'm sure you've heard the saying...

WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS, MAKE LEMONADE!

When that happens, I'm here with a terrific recipe to make some tasty satisfying lemonade!

I have become SOO fond of Brenda at Sugar-Free Mom. She's impacting my life in a positive, and healthier way.

Having a hubby who is diabetic, I've learned to use healthy options in my baking.

Brenda is leading me in a more natural way to healthy foods and I am excited about this journey toward good health.

I tried this naturally sweetened lemonade the day after I saw it posted at Brenda's website. I have made it several times since and just served it to company recently.  They loved it also!

After all - enjoying lemonade is a refreshing way to cool down when the temps warm up.

And all this fresh lemon juice is good for you!

Hubby wanted to go out the day after I first made it and get more lemons!

Give it a 'twist' and a try....

Besides water, all you need are 2 ingredients!

And it's an extra special treat for those of us who are counting calories or counting WW points...

GET THIS!!  A glass of this awesome drink is only 9 calories and

0 (Yes, ZERO!) WW points!

 9 CALORIES PER SERVING!!! 0 POINTS!!!

(Brenda also has a simple recipe for Naturally Sweetened Strawberry Lemonade - click here

Don’t waste anything because once the lemons are squeezed (I saved some of the zest to put in the freezer too)  you can throw the rinds in your garbage disposal and have a clean-smelling kitchen.

WA-LA!

NATURALLY SWEETENED LEMONADE

6 fresh lemons, juiced

1 sliced lemon to add to glasses when serving, optional 

(original recipe says to add to pitcher, but we found it made the lemonade bitter) 

1 teaspoon liquid Stevia, lemon drop

(I used vanilla stevia)

(If you prefer using sugar, dissolve in hot water before adding)

2 quarts of water

1 cup ice cubes

Slice lemons in half, squeeze out juice into a bowl, remove seeds. Add juice to a large pitcher.

Add 2 quarts of water to a pitcher.

Stir in 1 teaspoon of stevia. Taste to decide if you want more or not.

Refrigerate until ready to serve; serve over ice and enjoy!!!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Fav Fruit Dishes
Whatcha Whipped up Wednesday
Fit & Fabulous Friday
Foodie Friends Friday
Weekend Potluck

'Homemade' Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino Light & Summertime Orange Slushie

Are you excited yet?  I nearly jumped out of my chair through the screen when I saw this recipe along with an inviting photo for homemade starbucks LIGHT! 

And Caramel even???

It just doesn't get any better than that! Atleast not for me. 

Nancy at Skinny Kitchen is always 'dragging' me into her kitchen with her heavenly dishes - she adds Weight Watchers Points too!! Oh how I love her!! (I've got a long way to go to get to the 'skinny' part of her kitchen, but she's a big help on my journey). 

I was tickled to try this when my daughter came for a visit...she's an even bigger coffee lover than I am.  She gave it 5 stars!

Keep this recipe handy to keep yourself cool and charged this summer. 

All I can say is MMMMM-MMMORE please!

STARBUCKS CARAMEL FRAPPUCCINO LIGHT 
2/3 c. double-strength coffee, chilled  
(see tip below)
2/3 c. 1% lowfat milk
(I used a little more cause I love CREAMY!)
(see substitution tip below)
2 Tb. caramel ice cream topping
(I used Torani sugar-free caramel flavoring syrup, to taste)
4 pkg. Splenda, Stevia, Equal or your favorite sugar substitute
2 tsp. sugar (or splenda or stevia)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. ice


Topping:


Light whipped cream or light vanilla flavored whipped cream
1-1/2 tsp. caramel topping


Combine chilled coffee, milk, caramel topping, Splenda, sugar, vanilla and ice in a blender.  Blend on high until ice is crushed and drink is smooth. 


Pour into 2 glasses.  Top each glass with 2 Tb. whipped cream and drizzle about 3/4 tsp. caramel topping over each. 


Serve at once with a straw.


Makes 2 - 12 ozs. each


To make double-strength coffee: Brew using 2 Tb. of ground coffee per each cup of coffee.  (You might wanna make extra so you can make more the next time) 


Substitution Tip:
To cut calories and fat further, use nonfat milk instead of 1%, and all sugar substitute, and no sugar. 


These Skinny Facts still include the topping per serving: 
109 calories, 1 gr. fat, 3 gr. protein, 22 gr. carbs, 133 mg sodium, 0 gr. fiber, 1 gr. sugar


WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PLUS: 4 
(made with nonfat milk, no sugar, only splenda and includes toppings


WEIGHT WATCHERS (Old points): 3 

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Roundup - What you made this week
Whatcha Whipped up Wednesday
Weekend Potluck
Fit & Fabulous Friday

Scrumptious Sunday
Breakfast Ideas Monday
Ingredient Spotlight - Coffee

No Calorie Sweet Green Tea: Guest Post/Potholes & Pantyhose

WELCOME TO DRINK-A-THON WEEK AT THE BETTER BAKER!

 I'm serving up several cooling, refreshing beverages every day this week....and I'm thrilled to have a guest blogger for our first day. 

When I first made this tasty drink for my hubby and I, we drank the first pitcher-full the first day, and I had to make more the next...and the next.

And it's something special I made for him for Father's Day too - we both love it. 

It's green tea - and it's not only delicious, it's healthy for you too.
And stevia-sweetened!  I love love love that too!

I'm so happy to have Rebekah share this wonderfully easy drink - along with some great tutorial photos as well. 

Take it away Rebekah...



Hello, Better Baker readers! I am so honored that Marsha asked me to be a guest here today!

My name is Rebekah, and I'm from Potholes and Pantyhose where I share and photograph detailed tutorials of my DIY Projects, Recipes, Photography Tips and Remodeling Endeavors. Marsha loved my recipe for No Calorie Sweet Green Tea she asked if I'd be willing to share the whole process on her site for her dear readers.

So, here I am with my No Calorie Sweet Green Tea.

During the summer, there's nothing better than a cold glass of sweet tea. I enjoy the beverage but wanted a low calorie option that was also healthy for you. There are numerous antioxidants, along with Vitamins C and E found in Green Tea. (*See a report by Harvard Health Publications at the end of this post on the benefits of drinking green tea.)

This simple No Calorie Sweet Green Tea is good for you, easy to make and tastes wonderful.

Here's all that is needed to make your very own No Calorie Sweet Green Tea:

Tea Kettle

Glass Tea Jar

10 Green Tea Bags (I use 5 Caffeinated and 5 Decaffeinated Tea Bags)

6 + 4 Cups of Water

1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia

Using a clothespin, use the tab at the end of the string to corral your tea bags.

Clip the tea bags to the side of your glass tea jar. Boil 6 cups of water in your tea kettle.

After the water in the tea kettle whistles, pour the boiling water into the glass tea jar. Aim for the tea bags as you pour.

Steep for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, pull the tea bags from the liquid but still inside of the tea jar. Slowly squeeze out any remaining water from the tea bags using a wooden spoon.

Add the 1/2 tsp Liquid Stevia.

Add 4 Cups of cold water to the tea jar.

Stir the tea a few times to mix the stevia in.

Let the tea cool in the fridge for several hours. Once it's cool, pour yourself a glass and enjoy!

Stop by Potholes and Pantyhose for other recipe, craft, and remodeling ideas. I am so looking forward to meeting you all. And, thanks again, Marsha for letting me be a guest here today. It's been wonderfully sweet!

Love-Rebekah

[*Tea's health benefits are largely due to its high content of flavonoids — plant-derived compounds that are antioxidants. Green tea is the best food source of a group called catechins. In test tubes, catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal, and bladder.

Additional benefits for regular consumers of green and black teas include a reduced risk for heart disease. The antioxidants in green, black, and oolong teas can help block the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol, increase HDL (good) cholesterol and improve artery function. A Chinese study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed a 46%-65% reduction in hypertension risk in regular consumers of oolong or green tea, compared to non-consumers of tea.

Source: Harvard Health Publications]

Thanks Rebekah for sharing with my awesome readers who are ready to cool down in this warm weather. 

DRINK UP YA'LL!!!

Linked to Melt in your mouth Monday

Kansas Cucumber Salad & Weekend Potluck #22

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!! 

AND 

WHEN I SHARE A PREVIOUS POST WORTH SHARING AGAIN!! 

Tis the season for fresh veggies...

and this is a favorite dish to make with cucumbers.

  I also love serving it on top of fresh chopped tomatoes. The dressing goes great with that combination.

I've been making this recipe for many years. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine.  

KANSAS CUCUMBER SALAD

1 c. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip

1/4 c. sugar (can use Splenda)

1/4 c. vinegar

1/2 tsp. dill weed, optional

1/2 tsp. salt, optional

4 medium cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced (4 - 5 cups)

3 green onions, sliced

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar, vinegar, dill and salt.  Add cukes and onions; toss. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. 

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

For variety - use half mayonnaise and half sour cream.

Onto the Potluck Party...we sure do love your recipes!

Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was ~

Moink Balls by Sunflower Supper Club

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Old Fashioned Steak Fingers by Miz Helen's Kitchen

Snickers Cheesecake Pie by A Kitchen Addiction

And, a personal favorite ~

Icebox Lemon Angel Food Cake by Joyful Homemaking


If you were featured, don't forget to grab the featured button below...

Your hosts ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• Meet Penny ~ Tabitha
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
• Life As a Lofthouse ~ Holly
• 4 Little Fergusons~ Tonya

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