Creamsicle Smoothie for Williams-Sonoma Smoothie Week

Last fall, one of my favorite smoothies was my persimmon orange smoothie.  If you have never had a persimmon, you are really missing out.  I first tried them through Harry & David's Fruit of the Month Club when I was a teenager living with my parents.  They instantly became one of my favorite fruits.  I always buy Fuyu persimmons, the ones that are squat like a tomato.  I don't like the heart shaped ones that leave a furry coating in your mouth if you eat them before they are fully ripe.

Costco usually sells Persimmons at this time of the year in bulk, which is great, because they can be a little pricey at my local grocery stores.

When Williams-Sonoma challenged me to create a post on my blog for Smoothie Week featuring the oddest smoothie combination I have ever tried or would attempt to try, I decided to kick up my persimmon orange smoothie with some superfoods, and make it even healthier.  I was going to swap out the orange juice and plain yogurt in my old version for kefir and clementines, but my clementines were just not sweet enough, plus I only had four small persimmons to work with this week, so I couldn't do too much experimenting.    

You can see the chia and flax seeds in my smoothie, but all you can taste is that amazing creamsicle flavor.  

Creamsicle Smoothie

Ingredients

1 large ripe persimmon or 2 small persimmons - sliced and frozen for 30 to 60 minutes

1/2 C plain Greek yogurt 

1 C orange juice

1 tsp chia seeds

1 tsp flaxseed meal

1 tsp orange blossom honey (optional)

Directions

Blend all the ingredients together until smooth

Recipe Notes

I sometimes use my immersion blender to make smoothies, but when using chia and/or flax, I use my NutriBullet to better blend in those ingredients.  If you have a high quality blender, like a Vitamix from Williams-Sonoma, that would work great as well.  

As I purchase more persimmons and some sweet oranges or clementines, I would like to try making this smoothie with fruit and kefir instead of orange juice and yogurt.  It's always nice to have options.  

I used one 5.3 oz container of Stonyfield Organic Greek Plain Yogurt.  Your smoothie will be even colder if you freeze your yogurt for about 30 minutes before making it.  

If you can find some local raw honey, I highly recommend it.  We use Winter Park Honey exclusively now, and their orange blossom honey is one of our favorites.

I had some other ideas floating around in my head for Williams-Sonoma's weird, wild, and crazy smoothie week, but none of them came to fruition in time.  Someday soon, I want to try making an Elvis inspired smoothie with frozen banana, PB2 powdered peanut butter, kefir, and honey, with crumbled maple-candied bacon on top.  Isn't everything better with bacon?  I will probably be adding some chia and flax too, because I try to make my smoothie recipes as healthy as possible.  

What is your favorite weird, wild, or crazy smoothie?  

Blueberry Acai Smoothie

With a numb mouth from getting two of my old fillings replaced this morning, I decided to have a liquid lunch.

This was my first time trying Sambazon acai smoothie packs, which I purchased at Publix.  

Since I wasn't in the mood to go to the grocery store, this smoothie was all about using what I had in the house.  

My NutriBullet has been great for making smoothies, hummus, and even pesto.  It blends everything so smooth.  

I was super excited by how well this smoothie turned out.  It is packed with so many healthy foods, and tasted great too!

Blueberry Acai Smoothie

Ingredients

1 C frozen blueberries
1 C lowfat plain kefir
1 Acai berry smoothie pack (100 g)
1 T raw honey
1/2 T chia seeds
1/2 T flaxseed meal

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a blender or NutriBullet, and blend until smooth.

Recipe Notes

This recipe made enough blueberry acai smoothie to fill one 16 ounce glass.

If you are using unsweetened acai smoothie packets, increase the honey to 2 tablespoons.

My daughters love this smoothie with a 1/2 cup of blueberries. 1/2 cup of raspberries, and a half of a banana.  All the other ingredients remain the same.

Kefir (pronounced kee-fer) is a cultured milk product, like yogurt, that contains tons of probiotics, and is a rich source of a variety of different vitamins and minerals.  You can read more about the health benefits of kefir here.  I purchase it at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, or Publix.  

I used orange blossom raw honey from Winter Park Honey.  This honey is amazing!  We purchase it at The Fresh Market or the Winter Park Farmers' Market, which is held every Saturday.  You can read about the many health benefits of raw honey here, and the possible benefits of local honey for fighting seasonal allergies here.

You can read about the health benefits of chia seeds and flaxseed, two superfoods, here.  Make sure your chia seeds and flaxseed are labeled gluten free.

Acai and blueberries are rich in antioxidants, and with the ingredients I used, this smoothie packs a whopping 14 grams of fiber.

Cranberry Blueberry Kefir Smoothie

I didn't even know kefir existed until I saw a recipe for a Probiotic Mango Lassi Smoothie on the blog Let's Hang Out.  After making my own variation of a Mango Lassi Smoothie, I was hooked, and decided to make other smoothies with kefir.  

Kefir (pronounced kee-fer) is a cultured milk product, like yogurt, that contains tons of probiotics and is a rich source of a variety of different vitamins and minerals.  You can read more about the health benefits of kefir here.  

I usually make my Cranberry Blueberry Smoothie with plain yogurt and orange juice, but I thought the leftover kefir I had from my Mango Lassi Smoothie would be a nice change of pace.  

We recently purchased a NutriBullet.  It's great for making smoothies!  

Not only did my smoothie taste amazing, but it's also filled with probiotics, superfoods, and other ingredients that are good for your health.

Mango Lassi Smoothie

Ingredients

3/4 C frozen cranberries
3/4 C frozen blueberries
1 C plain unsweetened whole milk kefir
1 T raw honey
1/2 T chia seeds
1/2 T flaxseed meal
Optional -- 1 tsp Penzeys Spices Sweet Ginger Bits or minced ginger

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  I used our NutriBullet.

Recipe Notes

This recipe made enough cranberry blueberry smoothie to fill one 16 ounce glass.

I purchased Lifeway Organic Kefir at Whole Foods, and the sweet ginger bits at Penzeys Spices in Winter Park.

I used Blackberry Twist raw honey from Winter Park Honey.  This honey is amazing!  We purchased it at the Winter Park Farmers' Market, which is held every Saturday.  You can read about the many health benefits of raw honey here, and the possible benefits of local honey for fighting seasonal allergies here.

You can read about the health benefits of chia seeds and flaxseed, two superfoods, here.  Make sure your chia seeds and flaxseed are labeled gluten free.

I have also made this smoothie with raspberries and blueberries.

Mango Lassi Smoothie

I first heard of a Mango Lassi, a chilled mango yogurt drink, at Sanaa at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.  You can view Sanaa's recipe here.  I hadn't made a mango lassi in years, then I saw a recipe for a Probiotic Mango Lassi Smoothie on the blog So Let's Hang Out.  After eating way too much at the Epcot Flower & Garden Show on Saturday, my husband and I decided to split a mango lassi smoothie for dinner.

My husband loved it!  Not only does it taste great, but it's also filled with probiotics, superfoods, and other ingredients that are good for your health.

Mango Lassi Smoothie

Ingredients

2 C frozen mango chunks
2 C plain unsweetened whole milk kefir
2 T raw honey
1 T chia seeds
1 T flaxseed meal
2 tsp Penzeys Spices Sweet Ginger Bits or minced ginger

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  I used our NutriBullet.

Recipe Notes

This recipe made enough mango lassi smoothie to fill two 16 ounce glasses.

I purchased Lifeway Organic Kefir at Whole Foods, and the sweet ginger bits at Penzeys Spices in Winter Park.  You can read more about the health benefits of kefir here.

We used Blackberry Twist raw honey from Winter Park Honey.  This honey is amazing!  We purchased it at the Winter Park Farmers' Market, which is held every Saturday.  You can read about the many health benefits of raw honey here, and the possible benefits of local honey for fighting seasonal allergies here.

You can read about the health benefits of chia seeds and flaxseed, two superfoods, here.  Make sure your chia seeds and flaxseed are labeled gluten free.

Adapted from a recipe on soletshangout.com

March 17, 2015 Update

Today, I made a smaller portion with 1 1/2 C frozen mango, 1 C plain unsweetened lowfat kefir, 1 T raw honey, 1/2 T chia seeds, 1/2 T flaxseed meal, and 1 tsp sweet ginger bits.  It was amazing!  It was so thick, I ate it with a spoon, and it was like I was eating ice cream.

Cranberry Blueberry Smoothie

I have been on a smoothie kick lately because they pack a nutritional punch, and I love to drink them after a good workout.  I posted three smoothie recipes in November, and here's another one for you. 

One key ingredient in all of my smoothies is Stonyfield Organic Smooth & Creamy Lowfat Plain Yogurt.  I like that it is certified gluten free.  It's also a good source of protein, probiotics, and calcium. 

I buy organic frozen blueberries for this smoothie at Publix, and organic frozen cranberries at Whole Foods.  Both are a great source of antioxidants, and cranberries help fight and prevent urinary tract infections. 

Sometimes I use almond milk instead of orange juice in this smoothie.  When I use unsweetened almond milk, I find that I need to add a touch more honey, because almond milk lacks the natural sweetness of orange juice. 

Cranberry Blueberry Smoothie

Ingredients

3/4 C orange juice or almond milk

3/4 C lowfat plain yogurt

3/4 C organic frozen cranberries

3/4 C organic frozen blueberries

1 T organic raw honey (might need to use more honey if using almond milk)

Directions

Blend the ingredients together until smooth.  I use my stick blender. 

Cranberry Orange Banana Smoothie

I recently saw a recipe for a Cranberry, Orange, and Banana Smoothie in a Williams-Sonoma catalog, and decided I had to make my own, because that combination sounded perfect for a smoothie. 

I found Columbia River Organics frozen cranberries at Whole Foods.  They are labeled gluten free and non GMO. 

The original recipe called for agave, but I prefer to use raw organic honey for its health benefits.  I always use Stonyfield Organic Lowfat Plain Yogurt in my smoothies, because it is certified gluten free and full of good probiotics. 

The original recipe called for twice the banana I used, and an orange instead of orange juice.  I wanted the cranberries to be the star of this smoothie and they were.  It was really delicious and perfect for my post-workout breakfast.  I like to eat smaller meals before and after I work out in the morning.  In total, using the ingredients I did, this smoothie was about 325 calories.  

Cranberry Orange Banana Smoothie

Ingredients

3/4 C orange juice

3/4 C lowfat plain yogurt

3/4 C frozen cranberries

1/2 banana

1 T organic raw honey

Directions

Blend the ingredients together until smooth.  I used my stick blender.  

Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

As part of my goal to eat healthier, I am experimenting with new smoothie recipes.  The first two I created use some of my favorite fall fruits, pomegranate and persimmon.  You can see the recipe for my Persimmon Orange Smoothie here. 

One key ingredient in all of my smoothies is Stonyfield Organic Smooth & Creamy Lowfat Plain Yogurt.  It's organic, certified gluten free, and full of good probiotics. 

I bought kale for the first time in my life after enjoying it in a smoothie at Skyebird in the East End Market. 

I decided to purchase organic frozen fruit for my smoothie experiments. 

Lucky for me, Costco has been stocking pomegranate for a great price and I don't have to do any work. 

My favorite part of this smoothie was the pomegranate garnish.  It gave it such a nice crunch and a great burst of flavor in every sip.  I kept adding more as I drank my smoothie. 

Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

Ingredients

1 C frozen blueberries
1 C orange juice
1/2 C kale (leaves pulled off the stem)
1/2 C plain lowfat yogurt
1/2 banana
pomegranate for garnish

Directions

Blend the blueberries, orange juice, kale, yogurt, and banana together until smooth.  Garnish with pomegranate. 

Persimmon Orange Smoothie

When I was pregnant with my twins, I drank a fruit smoothie for breakfast almost every day for the last five months of my pregnancy.  You can see the recipe for what I called My Favorite Fruit Smoothie here. 

One of my goals this year, now that I am no longer teaching, is to feed myself and my family healthier food. 

Just this week, I visited Skyebird Juice Bar & Experimental Kitchen at the East End Market .  I had this healthy and delicious Skye's Fave smoothie with kale, blueberries, banana, raw almond milk, chia, and strawberries.  All of Skyebird's juices and smoothies are organic and gluten free.  You can read about my visit to Skyebird here.  

After visiting Skyebird, I decided that I had to start making smoothies at home again.  One of the smoothies I had hoped to try at Skybird was the Creamsicle, but their persimmons were not ripe.  Thankfully, I had stocked up on persimmons at Costco, so I set out to make my own version of Skyebird's Creamsicle smoothie at home.  I first tried persimmons through Harry & David's Fruit of the Month Club when I was a teenager living with my parents.  They instantly became one of my favorite fruits.  I always buy Fuyu persimmons, the ones that are squat like a tomato.  I don't like the heart shaped ones that leave a furry coating in your mouth if you eat them before they are fully ripened. 

Skyebird uses almond milk in their Creamsicle smoothie, but I decided to use Stonyfield Organic Smooth & Creamy Lowfat Plain Yogurt.  This is my favorite yogurt for smoothies.  It's organic, certified gluten free, and full of good probiotics. 

I was really happy with how my Persimmon Orange Smoothie turned out.  Now I know why Skyebird calls their version a Creamsicle, because that's what it tasted like.  It was delicious, and so refreshing after my morning workout.

Persimmon Orange Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 C orange juice
1/2 C lowfat plain yogurt
1 large ripe persimmon

Directions

Wash your persimmon and remove the leafy part at the top before chopping it into large chunks.  Blend the three ingredients together until smooth.  I used my stick/immersion blender, one of my favorite kitchen appliances.  

Skyebird -- East End Market

My daughters and I visited the End End Market on Corrine Drive when it first opened a week and a half ago.  We didn't stay long because of the opening weekend crowds, and my daughters were whining that they wanted to have lunch at home.  I decided that I had to drop in again after reading Celiac in Orlando's blog post on the East End Market.  You can read it here. 

Today, I stopped at Skyebird Juice Bar & Experimental Kitchen to try one of their smoothies.  The Creamsicle immediately caught my eye because it contains persimmon, one of my favorite fruits. 

Skyebird has a great selection of cold pressed organic juices.  I almost tried the Tropical Kale with kale, pineapple, cucumber, and ginger when I realized that the creamsicle was not available today because the persimmons were still ripening. 

Krystal, the owner of Skyebird, recommended Skye's Fave smoothie with strawberries, and told me that all of their juices and smoothies are organic and gluten free.   

Skye's Fave contains kale, blueberries, banana, raw almond milk, and chia.  It was such a beautiful color, and so refreshing and delicious!  

If you take your mason jar home, wash it, and bring it back, you can save 50 cents the next time you visit Skyebird.  Mine is chilling with my persimmons. 

I also stopped at Fatto in casa in the East End Market to check out their gluten free cookie selection.  They sell three different cookies that do not contain any gluten ingredients, like the pine nut cookies you see in the picture.  They contain almond paste, pine nuts, egg whites, and sugar.  They are made in a facility with wheat, so there may be a danger of cross contamination. 

I will definitely be visiting East End Market again soon.  It's just a couple of blocks from Baldwin Park, and I am looking forward to trying the Creamsicle smoothie at Skyebird the next time I go back. 

November 12, 2013 Update

The Creamsicle Smoothie is delicious!  

January 15, 2014 Update

I stopped in at Skyebird this morning to try one of their organic juices.  

As you can see from their menu, there was a lot to chose from.  

I ended up ordering the 16 oz Immune Roots with sweet potato, carrot, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and almond milk.  I really enjoyed it, and it makes me want a juicer for my home even more than I already do!  I'm patiently waiting for my birthday.  

I noticed that Skyebird now has a raw zucchini pasta and a salad in a jar.

When I asked about them, I was shown these jars and told that you tip them upside down to spread the sauce/dressing.  I look forward to trying them.  

I asked if Skyebird had any menu items with gluten, and was told by the chef that everything is gluten free.

Banana Berry Mango Smoothie

After our 12 day eating extravaganza in California, I decided that we were going to have a healthy eating week.  Well, as healthy as this family gets.  I still need my regular visits to Le Macaron in Winter Park, and I can't go long without chocolate. 

I've had this flourless chocolate cake with toasted marshmallows on my mind since I had it last week in Temecula.  I am determined to recreate it.  I'll keep you posted!  

OK.....refocus on healthy!  

My daughters can be a bit fussy about breakfast. Their first reaction when I make something new is usually , "I don't like that," unless of course I'm making donuts or something with chocolate. Thankfully, they enthusiastically ate the scones I made yesterday.  

This morning, I suggested a fruit smoothie, which they've had before, and they both said yes, a rare moment in my house.  

When I was pregnant with my twins, I drank a full recipe of this fruit smoothie with whole milk yogurt every morning for at least the last 5 months. It was a great, healthy way to start my day.  

Banana Berry Mango Smoothie

Ingredients

1 banana -- preferably cold

1 1/2 C frozen berries without sugar (I love the Costco frozen berry mix with raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

3/4 C frozen mango

3/4 C plain yogurt 

16 ounces of orange juice

2 tsp of sugar or 1 T honey

Directions

I used my stick blender, but you can blend all the ingredients together in a regular blender.  

I always use Stonyfield plain yogurt in my fruit smoothies because it's organic, certified gluten free, and full of healthy probiotics. 

The frozen fruit I used this morning -- 3/4 C of each

My preferred berry blend for smoothies.  I buy it at Costco.  

My All-Clad cooking utensil holder has been repurposed!  

I love my stick blender -- best kitchen appliance I've bought in years, though, the donut maker is kind of fun too!  I buy all my small appliances from amazon.com.

This recipe will fill up a 16 ounce glass 2 1/2 times.  

Happy Monday!  Enjoy!