Any good ways to make a smoothie?

Question

We love smoothies in our house. Is there any good ways to make them without getting boring? Any good cookbooks for this? What are some ingredients that maybe we have not thought of that might give it a little zip? My kids drink them so no alchol. Thanks :)

Answer 1

We made a variation in Guatemala called a "licuado", and it can be done with any fruit, or combination of fruits. You would blend the fruit with either water, yogurt, or milk. Soy milk is excellent.

Melons made exceptionally good licauados, and are different. One of the best I ever had was actually a watermelon one, blended with water. Cantaloupe, honeydew, etc, are also delicious.

Of course ones mixed with water are lower calorie. You can add ice or not, depending on preference. Sugar to taste. I like to add a dash of cinnamon or cardamom to mine, to make the flavor more rich. I have adapted tham for the US, and made them from combinations of any or all of the following:

banana, strawberry, papaya, mango, melon, berries, tangerine (delicious with soy milk), pineapple, peaches, black cherries, pomegranite, and coconut milk. You could also try apple cinnamon flavors at harvest time, with soy milk or yogurt, or plums with water. Blueberry-yogurt (thinned with milk) is exceptional.

Answer 2

I love to throw frozen fruit and berries in a blender with some juice and sometimes yogurt. I like mine without ice and sometimes I like finding a chunk of fruit in my drink. Bananas, berries, peaches, and mango are easy to find already frozen and some brands even pre-mix smoothie fruit blends. It's hard to go wrong with smoothies though, you can just throw anything in and it's delicious.

Answer 3

this is one my mom used while I was growing up

1 over ripe banana (easy to have on hand!)
2 cups of milk (2%, whole, fat free whatever you enjoy)
dash of Cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon (or so) vanilla
2-4 tablespoons sugar (or substitute)
Ice cubes

Put everything into the blender except the ice and blend well. Then start feeding in ice cubes until it gets to the thickness you desire... You can use other types of fruit or use ice cream if you want to...play with the recipe until you find your favorite way... my kids love this on a hot summer night as a treat....

Answer 4

i love passion fruit... goya (a spanish food company, have frozen passionfuit pulp for like under a dollar, it's awesome) Try some tropical flavors, like mango, guava, etc. i'm a book collecting junky... but i have one on smoothies, it's a very small small lil book... called "LITTLE BOOKS FOR COOKS ... SMOOTHIES". From Andrew McMeel Publishing. ISBN: 0-7407-0522-9

There was an idea i saw about using cherry and cherry vanilla yogurt. (well that's too original) they have 'papa pinapple breeze, using pineapple, papaya and coconut.

it's not from the book, but i made before: -passionfruit with mandarin oranges and pineapple juice - cocnut cream with cantaloupe and starfruit...

think about funky mixes... i should try one with chai tea ? who knows

Answer 5

Try this one for a delicious, nutritious breakfast filled with potassium and calcium:

Chocolate Frozen Yogurt
A banana, peeled then frozen
milk
Carnation Instant Breakfast Powder

or try this one for a sweet and spicy slush!

Mango
Orange Juice
Sparkling Water
Lime Rind/Juice
Red Pepper

Answer 6

Lets see my kids like Orange smoothies.
Orange Sherbert
Milk
Orange slices
Cherries
and a little whipped cream on top when done

Answer 7

I use frozen berries and add some kind of sweet juice, usually pineapple, then to make them creamy either vanilla yogurt or vanilla soy milk. If they are too thick add more juice as needed.

Answer 8

16 ounces frozen fruit
32 ounces vanilla yogurt
1 can sweetened condensed milk.

Answer 9

Oh sure, Americans aren't fat enough. Let's find new ways to pile on the calories. :(