Apricot-Papaya Smoothie

I like to try new things, especially when they are a great deal. I bought some papaya at the end of summer last year at our local fresh market and was so excited to try it. Papaya you don't eat every day. Papaya is exotic. Have you actually ever had papaya? I tried it, and to be honest, I thought it was gross! It was musty-tasting and smelled wierd. So, instead of immediately throwing it away, I went online to find out what papaya was really supposed to taste like, to see if I had just gotten a bad one. I found out other people said the same thing! However, I also found out that when it is paired with other flavors, like citrus, or honey, the flavor becomes mellow and sweet, light and refreshing. So, I chopped it all up so it wouldn't go bad and stuck it in the freezer where I quickly forgot about it.

Well, thankfully this month I have decided to do a defrost challenge and try to use as much of what's in my freezer as I can. As I was doing inventory, I found the papaya again and decided to give it another try. Thus, the Apricot-Papaya smoothie. Enjoy.

2 cups frozen papaya, cubed
1 banana
*1/2 cup apricot nectar
1/2 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla works)
juice of 1/2 a lime
little dab of honey (if desired)

Place everything in the blender and puree.

NOTES:I like to use frozen fruit for smoothies so I don't have to add any ice. When things like mangoes, or strawberries or papaya go on sale, I stock up and freeze it so I can have it later. I also always have soy milk on hand because my husband is lactose-intolerant and he drinks it, but I would still use it anyway because I really like the flavor and creamy texture it adds to smoothies. You could substitute milk or yogurt for the soy milk.

*I used my own nectar that I bottled, but you can usually find it in the hispanic foods section at your local grocery store.