Non-Alcoholic

Pineapple-Mango Yogurt Smoothie

Have you ever had one of those weekends where you just had too much? Too much food? Too much drink? Too much fun? That was the weekend I had last weekend. When my friend in Florida came home to spend Father’s Day with her pop, we decided to take the opportunity to get the girls together and have some fun. From Friday afternoon until the wee hours of Sunday, we partied. And hard. I decided it was probably necessary to get something healthy in my body and pronto!

The Pineapple-Mango Yogurt Smoothie I made was both tasty and filling. Frozen pineapple and mango chunks are blended with non-fat vanilla yogurt, non-fat milk, and a little sugar. As I spent Sunday resting and relaxing, I sipped on this and felt refreshed. I liked it so much, I made another one for breakfast on Monday. What is it about smoothies that somehow just make you feel better?

Pineapple-Mango Yogurt Smoothie (makes 1 smoothie)

1 cup frozen pineapple
1 cup frozen mango
6-ounces non-fat vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons sugar or Splenda
1/2 cup non-fat milk

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. If you prefer to use fresh fruit, simply add 1 cup of crushed ice.

The ingredients:

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

Add more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency.

Peach Lemonade

Yes, I know it is soooooooo super-easy to keep a container of Crystal Light or Country Time in your cabinet, put a scoop in a pitcher with some water and pour yourself a glass of lemonade in a few short minutes. But let’s be honest, lemonade mix doesn’t hold a candle to an ice-cold lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons, does it? This homemade lemonade, Peach Lemonade, might take a little longer than lemonade from a mix but it’s so much better. And on a nice spring day, fresh peaches and freshly squeezed lemonade are a perfect little marriage.

Peaches are simmered in water with sugar, blended, and strained, leaving a perfectly sweet, peachy syrup. Fresh lemon juice is added and voilà! Peach Lemonade! The peach flavor is subtle in this thirst-quenching drink which would be perfect on a warm summer day or spiked with a little vodka or rum. Afterall, when life gives you peaches and lemons, make peach lemonade. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

The ingredients:

Bring water, sugar, and chopped peaches to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes.

Place peach mixture in a blender and let stand for 20 minutes, allowing mixture to cool slightly. Remove center piece of blender lid and place a clean towel over the opening. Blend until smooth and pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Press peach mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving liquid; discard solids.

Stir in lemon juice.

Serve over ice and garnish with a peach wedge.

Additons: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Piña Colada Smoothie

When I was in Clearwater, Florida two weeks ago, I went to the beach one day with my friend Lori while my other two friends went golfing. The beach had a little tiki bar which we ponied up to while we contemplated lunch. After seeing the bartender hand a piña colada to the guy next to us, sinfully rimmed in honey and shredded coconut, we decided to forget our diets and forgo lunch for one of those decadent drinks. As we slowly enjoyed the high-caloried rum cocktail and licked the honey off our fingers, we talked about how a low-caloried Piña Colada Smoothie could easily be made at home, even as a cocktail with a shot of rum. With today being Lori’s birthday, it seemed only fitting that I post this in honor of her and our memories of the tiki bar that sunny day.

I’m weird about my smoothies and prefer them made with frozen fruit instead of ice. Frozen fruit tends to blend easier whereas with ice, I can never get it as smooth as I like. I already had frozen pineapple in my freezer and also had leftover coconut milk from the mahi mahi dish I made last week so all I had to add was a banana. The coconut milk adds the slightest coconut flavor without adding sweetness but if you like more coconut, consider adding in a little shredded coconut (but keep in mind, it will add more calories). A shot of white or coconut rum will make this a low-fat piña colada that you don’t have to feel guilty about.

Piña Colada Smoothie (makes 1 smoothie):

1/2 cup frozen chunk pineapple
1/2 small banana, sliced
1/2 cup light coconut milk

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and a maraschino cherry. To get even more decadent, rim your glass with honey and dip in shredded coconut for a fun presentation (like they did at the tiki hut – it was worth the sticky fingers!).