Refreshing Smoothies :: Recipes

Summer is in full bloom at my home, and with every breath of air that I take in, I since the scent of summer gracing the air. As I step outside in the mornings, I love to just look about and listen. Every thing is alive with color and song, and it fills my very spirit with joy!

But, as the day's draw on, I feel the temperature rising, and find that our days are heating up fast.

~*~

One of my favorite ways to start days such as these, would be to blend together a refreshing smoothie! Smoothies are so very flavorful, and refreshing on hot summer days. Each and every one has its own, special, and unique flavor. But something that all of those flavors have in common, is that they are all so delicious! *smile* They all are made with luscious fruits, creamy vanilla yogurt, and enriching milk. There are so many different combinations you can try, but I find that when you blend together various kinds of fruit, rather then just one kind, that this makes for the best flavor.

Often times, when I think about a smoothie, and how refreshing and sweet they are on those hot July days, I think about the fruits of the spirit, and how we, as young woman of the Lord, need to be a refreshing reflections of Christ, in the heat of this wicked world.

But how do we become one such as these?? Just as a smoothie becomes sweet from various kinds of delicious fruit, it is the same with us. We need to first acquire the fruits of the spirit, so that we may retain the sweetness of Christ in all the we do.

~*~

Below, I have compiled a few of my favorite smoothie recipes! I pray that as you blend them together, and enjoy their refreshment, you would think on how to become like them. The Lord has given each one of us talents, opertunities, inspiration, and a longing to become a sweet reflection of Himself! But we must always have a perfect blend of the fruits of the spirit first, to become a tool in the Lords Hands.

Blessings,

~Johanna Rose

Banana-Strawberry Smoothie

You will need ::

1/2 cup orange juice, chilled
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, sliced

In blender, combine orange juice, strawberries, and banana and blend until mixture is smooth. Enjoy!
Serves :: 1
Prep :: 5 min

Orange Sunrise

You will need ::

1 cup vanilla soy milk
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 ice cubes

In blender, combine soy milk orange juice concentrate, marmalade, and ice and blend until mixture is smooth and frothy.
Serves :: 1
Prep :: 5 min

Apple-Banana Smoothie

You will need ::

3/4 cup apple juice, chilled

1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate

1/3 cup applesauce
1 cup frozen diced Granny Smith apple
1/2 frozen banana, sliced
pinch ground cardamom

In a blender, combine apple juice, apple juice concentrate, applesauce, diced apple, banana and cardamom. Blend until mixture is smooth.
Serves :: 1-2
Prep :: 10 min {plus freezing}


Double-Peach Smoothie


You will need ::

1 cup peeled, sliced peaches {be sure to use large, juicy ones for best flavor}
1 cup peach juice or nectar, chilled
1/2 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
3 ice cubes

In blender, combine peaches, peach juice, yogurt, and ice. Blend until mixture is smooth and frothy.
Serves :: 2

Prep :: 5 min