A Simple Summer Drink

Sometimes when we’ve been to the farmers market, we get carried away with buying too much fresh fruit, and we don’t consume it fast enough (although that is a rarity in our house…usually I can’t keep up)

However, when berries are over-ripened, but hasn’t gone bad yet, I usually just throw it in a ziplock bag (I mix up a variety of berries and fruit in one bag.), then freeze it. When I have a full bag (usually the size of a sandwich bag), I make a quick and simple treat.  It’s amazing how some frozen fruit and a little sugar can make something so natural and simple taste like it’s processed (my kids actually prefer this better than the “Strawberry Julius” you get at the store…). 

Frozen Fruit Smoothie

Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 cups of frozen fruit (I like the combination of mango, strawberries, blackberries &

raspberries)

½-1 cup milk ( nonfat or lowfat okay)

½ cup water (optional)

¼ cup vanilla sugar*

                         

·     Using a hand blender, blend the fruit into a puree consistency. Add the sugar, blend, then slowly add the milk (add more for thinner consistency)

  

*To make vanilla sugar, store one vanilla bean, sliced open, with 2 cups of sugar in a sealed container for at least 1 month.  

If you don’t have vanilla sugar, you can substitute it in this smoothie with ¼ cup sugar plus ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.

Enjoy.