SMOOTHIE OPERATOR

You would think that as summer has officially ended and school is back in session that this post would be a little out of place. Unfortunately for us, this Indian Summer has been brutal. Leaving us feeling like residents of Orange County, FL rather than Orange County, CA....

To beat this scorching heat and humidity me and the little one have been smoothie fiends!! The upside to this heat wave and smoothie adoption is that I've found it to be a clever way to sneak in some extra fruits and veggies for the wee one. Here's what we've been making:

Mixed Berry Smoothie:

1/2 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup frozen strawberries (or raspberries)

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1 cup of fresh orange juice

1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped (optional)

Blend ingredients together until smooth, then serve. The cucumber is great for hydration during hot summer months and for mommies it has a ton of skin soothing benefits including reducing rosacea, hydrating skin, and beating under eye circles! 

The Glowing Green Smoothie:

For a list of full ingredients and directions visit HERE. Kim Snyder's blog offers a variety of versions of this beauty miracle smoothie. I'm definitely frequenting her site to keep up on all of my healthy how-to's. And FYI she has a ton of healthy dinner recipes on there as well...so keep her in mind if you're looking to strict-up your diet. 

....and last but not pictured....

Mango-Ginger Smoothie:

1 cup frozen mango

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 peeled lime

1/2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

Again, you're just gonna throw it all in the blender until smooth. If you're feeling brave you can add 1/2 of a beet that's peeled and chopped. The ginger masks the beet taste really well. I realize that beets are super good for our skin and overall health but to me, they taste like dirty socks and I just can't do it. This was/is the only recipe i've tried where I honestly couldn't taste them. (**oh and one more thing before we go: for the kiddos I've found that adding Brown Cow Organic Yogurts works wonnnnnders! They have a cherry-vanilla flavor that makes my daughter think that I've put ice cream into her smoothie....Score one for team-mom;)

❤, b