Fruit Smoothie Universe

Found this recipe today and I just had to share it, how about fruit smoothie pancakes, I will definately give this a try and see what kind of cakes you can get out of this but heres the recipe from Susan Reece:

Smoothie in a Pancake
1 cup plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt
1 banana, peeled
½ cup fresh strawberries, cut up
¼ cup fresh blueberries
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t. soda
¼ t. salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten (or ½ cup egg substitute)
1 T. butter
Additional fruit
Combine yogurt and fruit in blender until completely smooth. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in eggs and yogurt
mixture with a wooden spoon. Heat a 12” nonstick skillet or griddle over medium
heat with a portion of the butter. Pour ¼ cup of the batter onto the skillet and
cook until bubbles start to appear on top. Turn the pancakes and cook briefly on
the opposite side until lightly brown. Remove pancakes to a warming plate and
continue process with remaining batter. Serve with added fruit.
Servings: 6

This morning I got up and started to put together my monday morning eye opener which consists of a fruit smoothie with many healthy ingredients, including a large tangelo, but to my dismay I opened the fruit drawer of my fridge and low and behold! no tangelos. In fact I had no fruit whatsoever to choose from in the fruit drawer except a couple of lemons! My first thought was how could this be? I know I had one left for monday and I knew my wife was going to resupply the fruit drawer on monday. Here it is Monday morning and life was already dealing me lemons. I was reminded of that quote  but I’m not sure who the author was but it went like this: “When life deals you lemons, make lemonade”. I don’t know about you but I am not a fan of lemons, in the two plus years that I have been making, drinking, experimenting with fruit smoothies I have never even thought of the lowly lemon as a part of my diet. In desperation and the fact that I am addicted to my citrus in the morning without even thinking about it I picked up one of the lemons and peeled the tough skin back and put half of the lemon in the blender along with my other stuff.  I kinda winced when I went to sip from the glass thinking it would be very sour but truly I got the shock of my life! What a wonderful flavor and the aroma coming from the drink was soothing, It almost felt like I was in an orchard and the sun was coming up…ahhh. Afterwards, I began to do some research on the lemon and found it to be a very versatile fruit with many healthful qualities. I am really rambling here but if you have never tried a lemon in your fruit smoothie regimen I would urge you to give it a try. If you add other fruit to your drinks as I do you will find that the combination will knock out the sourness of the lemon and leave the zest the lemon is known for. I will have more on the health benefits of the lemon in a later post, until then drink to your health!

Healthy Fruit Smoothies and Their Benefits
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Harper]Lisa Harper

We are recommended to have our five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Adhering to this requirement means eating a bowl of salad and having fruit with every meal, a task which most of us find quite daunting. Smoothies provide a great way to make us eat healthy. All we have to do is mix together the servings of fruits and vegetables with some liquid, and drink it.

Because of the ingredients they contain, healthy fruit smoothies are full of vitamins and minerals which are essential for good health. There is no limit to the kind of fruit or fruit combination’s that you can come up with; they can be simple or exotic. The choice largely depends on taste and nutritional needs. Using fresh or frozen ones does not matter much since they still have the same nutrients. People may vary in their tastes but some fruits are more commonly used than others. Three of the most popular are bananas, blueberries and strawberries.

Bananas are great when mixed with nuts or peanut butter. The result is a very creamy drink which is a favorite for many. To make this banana smoothie, you have to mix 2 medium bananas with raw nuts, vanilla stevia and 1 pear with a half cup of water into a blender and blend for 20 seconds. In less than a minute, a healthy beverage can be enjoyed. This drink is full of potassium, a mineral which has been to help in maintaining a healthy circulatory system and is used in the proper functioning of muscles. It also regulates the acid levels in the stomach and lowers the risk of developing stomach ulcers. The fiber content aids in digestion as well.

Blueberries are one of nature’s most powerful antioxidants and their benefits are numerous. This fruit prevents urinary tract infections, prevents macular degeneration of the eyes, slows down aging, promotes brain function, prevents constipation, aids in digestion, prevents and cures cancer and boosts the immune system. This is due to the antibiotic properties of blueberries as well as the carotenoids and flavonoids contained in them, along with vitamins, zinc, phosphorus and selenium. If you want to achieve these benefits, try blending 1 banana and 1 cup of blueberries with vanilla stevia, lemon juice, a cup of water and ice cubes. You can then enjoy your glasses of blueberry-flavored healthy fruits smoothies.

Among the three top fruit ingredients, strawberries are perhaps the most well-known. An easy-to-make smoothie recipe calls for 1 banana, 1cup strawberries, vanilla stevia, a teaspoon of lemon juice, a cup of water and ice cubes. Because strawberry is very versatile, other fruits can be added to this basic mixture. Strawberries are good for the heart. It lowers the level of bad cholesterol and raises the level of the good ones. It regulates blood pressure and keeps it normal. Aside from these properties, the fruit contains antioxidants that combat cell damage. What’s more, it is very low in calories and has no cholesterol and sodium.

These healthy fruit smoothies indeed provide us with what our bodies needs. We must be thankful that being fit is within anybody’s reach, if only we are willing to commit to living a healthy lifestyle. [http://www.healthyhomemadesmoothies.com/popular-fruit-and-smoothie-mixes-and-their-benefits.html]Fruit smoothies are great for breakfast or any time of the day. Learn the basics of smoothie preparation at http://www.healthyhomemadesmoothies.com/smoothie-how-to-the-basics-of-preparation.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Harper http://EzineArticles.com/?Healthy-Fruit-Smoothies-and-Their-Benefits&id=2755459

By Elijiah Rampart

A kitchen blender is an absolute necessity for any serious cook. For every day use, an average duty blender will meet your needs quite well. Consider a heavy duty blender only if you are committed cook, and cooking in the kitchen is your passion. Having a blender in your kitchen is absolute must if you plan on making any type of frozen slush type of drink like a Margarita, or if you want to make a zesty pizza sauce, and especially if you want to make healthy fruit smoothies. The range of foods you can make with your blender is only limited to your creativity and cooking imagination. From creamy soups, to spicy salsa, and specialty desserts, your blender is a must have appliance. Let’s take a look at a few of the basics of kitchen blenders, so you can keep these things in mind the next time you are going to purchase a new blender.

Almost without exception, the more powerful your blender is the more expensive it will be. At a minimum you will want your blender to put out at least 400 watts, and if you can afford it splurge for a 1000 watt monster. The higher the wattage of your blender the more powerful it will bee, and the less likely it will be from seizing up. The lower power blenders will not enable you to puree ice cubes like you want when making icy type treats. Now, about speeds, you want your blender to have a wide range of speeds. Not all foods will require the highest speeds, and some foods need low speeds, and then there are times when you need maximum blending. If you are on a budget, however, you can probably do fine with a three speed blender, one that has speeds of slow, medium, and fast.

Modern blenders really come in many excellent designs, although this is usually where the price breaks occur. If you want a sleek design you are going to pay more money. However, since your blender will most likely be sitting on your counter top, you want to buy on that looks good and fits in with the colors of your kitchen. But if your blender is going to be stored in a cabinet, then you can save some money here by looking at blenders that don’t feature aesthetics as much. One thing is for sure, make sure the blender design is easy to clean, has a wide base for stability, and has some type of small opening where you can add ingredients during blending. Also, make sure the lid fist nice and snug, and has no apparent gaps with the seal. It should make solid contact with the jar all around the perimeter.

When you are out blender shopping, you need to pay close attention to what type of material it is made of. Glass and stainless steel have traditionally been the best materials to use for kitchen blenders. Glass is easy to clean, doesn’t scratch and can be sanitized, and you can see what is going on while blending. Stainless steel has the advantage of being lighter, it is impact resistant so it won’t break when you drop it, and it can be well cleaned as well. If your other kitchen appliances are stainless then you might want to consider using this material for your blender. Either way, you simply can not go wrong if you your choice is glass or stainless steel.

Holidays can be a stressful time with all the activities that come in such a short period of time. Finding time to prepare the right kinds of health inducing foods is not an easy task either. There is an easy way to help relieve that stress and that is the wonderful Smoothie. Adding a fruit smoothie to your daily intake will not only help relieve the stressful holidays but also give you the proper nutrition to keep you energized. By adding a fruit smoothie with it’s tasty nutrient dense goodness you can get the proper vitamins and minerals that will fight off stress related fatigue. Fruits such as oranges, strawberries and blueberries contain magnesium, vitamin C, calcium and folic acid. You can also add supplements such as supergreen powder, maca, bee pollen, flaxseed oil, sunflower seeds or I like to add almond butter to my smoothie. My morning fruit smoothie usually has just about every item I have mentioned above but you make it to your liking and enjoy this holiday season with a delicious fruit smoothie!

Pumpkin is a wonder ful ingredient for a healthy and delicious fruit smoothie you can serve to friends and family during the holiday season. Pumpkin is full of antioxidants and is a healthy alternative to pumpkin pie for those who are in need of a healthy alternative.

1/2 cup pumpkin (canned or homemade)

1 cup plain yogurt or kefir

sweeten to taste with honey or agave nectar, cinnamon and or nectar.

If you are feeling bold you can also add a touch of egg nog to give it that holiday yummy goodness! No matter how you do it, I think you will find wonderful ways to spread holiday goodness without the guilt.

The Pomegranate is an ancient food going back to biblical times but it has recently gained popularity for its health properties. The fruit contains a high antioxidant level and has been attributed to fighting such diseases as high blood pressure, kidney and prostate ailments and also gum disease. I decided to give this fruit a review in the blender as part of my morning smoothie. I must advise you that the route I took to obtain the juice was not the road I would recommend as this is a fruit that does not give up its fruity goodness without a fight! After finding some directions on how to procure the juice from the fruit I proceeded by cutting the top, or crown of the fruit and cutting down the side between the sections. remove the seed clusters from the skin and remove anything that is not a seed and put into blender. At this point I could see there was going to be a problem with skins or outer layer of the seed but I proceeded with the blending operation. once juiced I removed the shell with a strainer and added the juice to the rest of my drink ingredients and BAM! What a refreshing flavor the Pomegranate gives.Very citrus and a slight bitter but I added a touch of almond butter to the mix and it neutralized it quite well. Overall the Pomegranate was an interesting experiment that I had to experience but I would just go buy the darn juice at my local grocer next time and forget the ancient Roman way of getting the juice. You can purchase the juice or you can get it a syrup form but I recommend juice as it has less sugar and you can get all the healthful benefits of the wonderful Pomegranate without all the fuss. My tasty pomegranate recipe is as follows:

1 cup yogurt or Kefir
1 splash of Agave nectar
1 cup of pomegranate aril extract (the juice)
1 cup of mango slices
1 cup of blackberries
1 tbsp of peanutbutter or almond butter

That is how my drink came together but you can mix or match the combinations any way you like, in fact, if you come up with a great pomegranate smoothie recipe, please share your recipe!

If we leave our health up to the politicians, well then we should be worried about a pandemic. All the media hype about these killer flu’s and the subsequent lack of vaccines have left people in a quandry about how to protect themselves from theses viruses. While there’s not a sure fire method to keep you from these illnesses there are things you can do to boost your immune system and help fight it off. getting the right nutrition into your body could help you fight off colds and flu and that’s where the Super Fruit Smoothie comes in.

Certain super fruits such as Goji berries, blueberries, oranges, strawberries, etc. along with a few additions can boost your immune system. These fruits have many essential minerals and vitamins that help defend your body from nasty bugs. One of my cherished smoothies for the winter is detailed below and it has one special ingredient that is not mentioned enough and that is Bee Pollen. Bee pollen is a wonderful super food that is essential to boosting your body’s immune system. So here’s my morning immune system boost super fruit smoothie, I hope you like it as much as I do!

2 Cups of Organic Kefir (or your choice of yogurt, etc.)

2 Organic Bananas

!/2 cup Organic Blueberries

1/2 cup Organic Goji berries (or you can substitute Goji juice)

1/2 cup Organic Strawberries

Bee pollen

Organic Hemp seed oil

Organic Flax seed oil

Agave Nectar to sweeten

You can ice if you like your smoothie thicker and you can also add certain vegetables such as spinach or super greens powder to get that added potency. Any way you try this drink it will give you an added defense against those winter bugs that try to latch on to us and make our lives miserable.

Since the fall of man back in the Garden of  Eden, the apple has just gotten better over time. Now autumn’s finest can be found in literally thousands of recipes all around the planet. It has been baked, burnt, dried, made into cider, applesauce, and many forms of juice and now smoothied!

The health properties of the apple are well documented and it’s nutritional qualities are extraordinary so the old addage “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” can be substantiated. The varieties are also unlimited depending on your taste, you can choose from Braeburn,Granny Smith, fuji, Jonagold, Pippin and the list goes on.

Throwing an apple into the blender to enhance your smoothie comes without great stress as the apple is still relatively inexpensive compared to other fruits and it will add a zing to your fruit smoothies that’s hard to beat. Try the humble apple in your next smoothie and see if you don’t agree!

There are literally thousands of different combinations of

smoothies you can make today but my favorite is the Berry

Smoothie! For taste and satisfaction you can’t beat throwing a

few locally grown or organic berries into the blender along

with your choice of other ingredients and presto!, you have a

drink that is not only healthy but it can also promote healing

or counteract the effects of aging. I know quite a few people

who go into the supermarket and grab one of those so called

“energy drinks” and gulp it down not knowing the damage that

those commercial drinks can do to a body. To me, the best

energy drink begins with the super-berry, also known as the

Blueberry. The blueberry is one of the most potent and life

preserving berries on the planet. Packed full of powerful

antioxidants, the list of benefits are too numerous to count!

Blueberries have high flavenoid and carotenoid and antibiotic

properties as well as being rich in vitamins A, D and C. They

also are high in minerals such as zinc, selenium and

phosphorus. Read the ingredients in a canned energy drink and

see if they can compare. Blueberries also are beneficial in the

prevention of macular degeneration (chronic eye disease),  

urinary tract infections and promotes healthy brain function as

well. Research has shown that blueberries can also inhibit

cancer cells and retard the growth or even stop cancer in it’s

tracks! My wife and I start every day with a sweet berry

smoothie and the main ingredient is the wonderful blueberry.For

true healthy energy try this morning recipe:

1 1/2 cup of plain Kefir or yogurt of choice
1 cup of blueberries
1/2 cup of other fruit of choice
Sweeten with a touch of agave nectar and drink to your health!