Berry-Oat Breakfast Smoothie

Oh my goodness, I know I have been MIA for the past two weeks. Things have been crazy around here with school starting. My oldest is starting kindergarten and I'm kind of freaking out about it-ahhh! Plus, my computer is being worked on so I have to steal my husband's mac when he's not looking for only tidbits of time here and there. Hopefully I'll get it back soon and I can start kicking out regular posts again! But for now, enjoy this breakfast smoothie, perfect for the start of school.

We have been rockin' these smoothies lately and my girls especially love them. The first one that I made was just strawberry though, so they probably loved it FIRST because it was pink and only SECOND because it tasted good. Regardless of why they like it, I'm glad they do and happy they drink it. At least I know they're getting good nutrition at least ONE meal a day.

This would be a perfect meal to tuck away in your breakfast arsenal for those crazy school mornings. Quick. Easy. Delicious! It only take a few minutes to throw together and is loaded with healthful ingredients that are sure to send everyone off to a great start for the day!


Berry-Oat Breakfast Smoothie
1 cup ice
1/2 cup frozen berries (single berries or a mix)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 banana
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 Tbsp. honey
1 cup water (or other liquid such as almond milk, coconut water, low-sugar juice)

Put everything in a blender and blend until completely smooth.


SOURCE: Martha Stewart

Hot Chocolate Mix

If giving neighbor gifts around the holidays is your thing, than you might not want to let go of this recipe. Your neighbors will love you! Make sure you keep some for yourself though because it will knock your socks off how delicious it is. It is so rich and chocolaty and you can use whatever kind of milk you want. That's a bonus in our house since we drink two different kinds of milk around here.

...and can I just put in a little plug for my canning jars? I love them, they are so versatile! I use them for home canning but I also store anything and everything in them. They are also great for gift-giving things like soup mix, cookie mix and, of course, this hot chocolate mix.

Hot Chocolate Mix
4 cups granulated sugar
1½ lbs. good quality semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 oz. good quality dark or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups cocoa powder

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine the sugar, semisweet and bittersweet chocolate, and cocoa powder. Process in 4-second pulses until the chocolate is very finely ground and the mixture is well combined. Store the mix in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Serving Instructions:
Combine 2 tablespoons hot chocolate mix with 8 oz. of very warm milk and stir to combine until well blended.


SOURCE:Annie's Eats


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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.

Horchata

1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 quart warm water
1/2 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
Whole cinnamon sticks, optional, for serving

In a blender, combine the rice and warm water. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until the rice breaks up but does not form a powder. Let the rice mixture stand in the refrigerator for 6 hours or up to overnight.

Strain the rice mixture into a container through a fine-mesh sieve or several layers of cheesecloth to remove the rice solids.

Pour the rice water into a blender and add the milk, vanilla and almond extracts, cinnamon, and sugar. Blend for 1 minute until well combined and smooth. Serve the horchata over ice with cinnamon sticks as stirrers.

NOTES:Recipe curtesy of Ingrid Hoffman from Food Network.