Because I've been enjoying
and sharing many cooling drinks this hot summer, I decided to share many with you
here (my newspaper community) as well. Even when it's too hot to bake, I still have a need to create, and
this is one way to fulfill that need and 'chill' at the same time. Hope you'll
find at least one or two that satisfy your taste buds as well.
A milkshake is a blend of milk and ice cream, and sometimes a
flavored syrup (some people make chocolate milk shakes by mixing vanilla ice
cream, milk, and chocolate syrup).
A smoothie is a pureed mixture of fruit, ice, and either juice
or yogurt. I make sure I always have some frozen fruit on hand so I can make a
smoothie any time the idea hits me. I line a cookie sheet with waxed paper, spread
cleaned berries or sliced bananas on the waxed paper, freeze until firm, then
place in a ziploc freezer bag. This way the fruit doesn't stick together and
you can use just as much as you'd like. And you don't have to add ice
either.
RASPBERRY LEMONADE
SMOOTHIE
3 pieces of ice, broken into smaller
pieces
1/2 c. frozen raspberries
1/2-3/4 c. water
1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp.honey (or liquid stevia)
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Start
with 1/2 c. water and add more after you've blended the smoothie to get the
consistency you'd like. If you let
the blender stand just a few minutes most of the seeds will drop to the
bottom. Just stop pouring before you get to that part. Yield: 1 serving
LOWFAT PINA COLADA
SMOOTHIE
{NO SUGAR
ADDED}
2 c. fresh or frozen pineapple
chunks
(canned in its own juice is fine
too)
1 c. unsweetened canned coconut
milk,light
1 banana
1 c.ice, slightly crushed
optional: 1 tsp. rum extract
In
a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Top with (unsweetened) coconut flakes
and enjoy. Don't drink too quickly cause you'll freeze your brain!
2 reduced-fat Oreo cookies
1 Tb. Oreo dry pudding mix
(I used sugar free cheesecake)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 c. ice
cubes
garnish: 1-2 Tb. Reddi Whip topping
Add all the ingredients, except garnish, to
blender. Blend on high until smooth. Serve at once. Top with Reddi Whip and a
crushed cookie. Yield: 2-1
c.servings
Flax seed is very low in carbohydrates, making it ideal for people who
limit their intake of starches and sugars. And its combination of healthy fat and
high fiber content make it a great food for weight loss and maintenance--many
dieters have found that flaxseed has been a key to keeping them feeling
satisfied.
BLUEBERRY BANANA FLAXSEED SMOOTHIE
2 TB. whole
flaxseed
(I used 2
TB.flax seed meal)
1/2 c. fat free
Greek Yogurt
1 c. skim
milk
1
TB. honey
*(I used frozen banana pieces and little ice)
Place the flaxseed in a blender and blend until it is ground fine. Add the
remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnish with blueberries. Yield:2
servings
We really
love this green tea recipe and enjoy it often.
From
Harvard Health Publications,these facts about green tea: Green
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 call catechins. In test tubes,catechins are more powerful
than vitamins C & 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 Archibes 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.
NO CALORIE SWEET GREEN
TEA
10 green tea
bags
6 + 4 cups
water
1/2
tsp. liquid stevia
(if you
prefer sweetening with sugar or splenda, begin with 1/4 c. and sweeten to
taste)
Unwrap all
the tea bags; hold together with a clothespin. Clip to side of glass pitcher and
pour in 6 cups of boiling water; allow to steep for 5-7 minutes. Squeeze out bags
with wooden spoon. Add liquid stevia; add 4 cups cold water. Stir a few times to
blend; refrigerate a couple of hours before serving over ice.
This oatmeal smoothie has been a very popular recipe at my
blog.
NUTELLA/PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA-OATMEAL
SMOOTHIE
1/4 c. dry oats
2
bananas, sliced and frozen
1/4 c. nutella (or peanut butter)
Put oats in blender and blend until powder-y. Add
remaining ingredients and blend until there are no more chunks of frozen
banana. Garnish with fresh banana slices if desired. Yield: 2 servings
COPYCAT ORANGE
JULIUS
1(6 ozs) can frozen orange juice
concentrate, partially thawed
1 c. milk
(we are loving unsweetened almond
milk!)
1 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
(or liquid stevia to taste-2 drops=1
tsp.)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
12 ice cubes
Put all the ingredients into the blender. DON'T
FORGET TO PUT THE LID ON! Process until blended and frothy. Pour - relax and enjoy
every sip. Yield:4 yummylicious
servings
PARLOR COFFEE FLOAT
Serves
2
1 1/2 c. strong brewed
coffee, chilled
1/4 c. chocolate syrup
1/4 c. half-and-half
1 c. chocolate or coffee ice cream
Whipped cream, to serve
Maraschino cherries (optional)
In
a blender, combine the coffee, chocolate syrup, half-and-half and 1/2 of the ice
cream. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pour into 2 tall glasses and top with a
scoop of the remaining ice cream.Top with whipped cream and a cherry, if
desired.
Nutrition information per serving: 301
calories;112 calories from fat (37 percent of total calories); 12 g fat (8 g
saturated; 0 g trans fats); 35 mg cholesterol; 43 g carbohydrate; 4 g protein; 4 g
fiber; 107 mg sodium.
.JPG "Snickerdoodle Bread")
