{Spinach and Fruit Smoothie}

I have been making these in the mornings for awhile now and LOVE them, they are so good and refreshing and it makes me happy to get that extra veggie serving in my diet. My husband and kids both loves these too. Try it! I know you will love it too.

All I do is get about 2 cups of fresh baby spinach or kale and pour in enough water to blend it all up. Afterwards I use what ever I have on hand for the fruit, but usually I just buy the big bags of frozen fruit at costco and use about 1 1/2 cups of that. Then I just add some organic vanilla almond milk and blend it all together. Pretty easy eh? And so good, and even better...So good for you :)

{Frozen Hot Chocolate}

If you haven't tried frozen hot chocolate, please do so. I promise you'll be glad you did. So delicious!

• 3 ounces best-quality chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
• 2 teaspoons store bought hot chocolate mix 
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups ice
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Chocolate shavings, for garnish

 Melt chocolate in a small saucepan or in the top of a double broiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar, stirring constantly until blended.

Remove from heat and slowly add 1/2 cup of the milk, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining 1 cup of milk, the chocolate mixture, and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into a glass and top with whipped cram and chocolate shavings.

Adapted from: Paula Deen

{Hazelnut Steamer}

I love hazelnut flavors. This drink could not be easier and is so delicious!

8oz milk
2 Tbs Torani Hazelnut flavored syrup
pinch of cinnamon

Heat the milk on the stove until very warm. Pour into a glass, add hazelnut flavored syrup, stir. Top with a pinch of cinnamon.

{Italian Cream Soda}

This has become our new addiction. They are so good! My sister in law was just visiting us for Christmas and gave us the idea to make them. I love ordering these at restaurants, but they are usually not cheap. I'm so happy I can make these at home anytime I want now :)

8 oz club soda
3 Tbs flavored syrup (I use Torani brand in the coffee section of the grocery store)
2 Tbs half and half
Whipped cream (optional)
Ice

Put the desired amount of ice in the class and fill with club soda. Add in the flavored syrup and half and half and stir. Top with whipped cream if you like.

{Orange Julius}

One of my best friends and I used to make this all the time growing up. It was a favorite for sure. Very refreshing!



















1 Can of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup water
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
about 8-12 ice cubes

Place all in a blender and blend on high until frothy.

{4th of July Pops}

I hope everyone is enjoying their 4th of July weekend! I love this time of year, there is so much to do, and so many yummy things to eat :) I got this recipe out of the Family Fun Magazine and they are so fun and refreshing. This makes 12 popsicles.

2 cups blue Kool-aid (or blue drink)
1 cup whipped cream
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 cups red Kool-aid (or red drink)
12 (5 oz) disposable cups
12 wooden craft sticks

*I have the plastic popsicle makers that I bought from Target, so I used those.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the blue drink into each of the 12 disposable cups. Freeze until partially frozen, about 30-45 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together the whipped cream and yogurt. Equally divide the yogurt mixture among the cups. Add a craft stick to the center of each cup and return to the freezer for another 45 minutes.

Remove from the freezer and pour 1/4 cup of the red drink into each cup, on top of the yogurt mix. Freeze until solid.

Run briefly under warm water to remove the popsicles from the cups.

{Piña Colada Smoothie}

For our honeymoon my husband and I went to Cancun Mexico, and although it feels like a lifetime ago, I think of it often and want to go back as soon as possible! Anyway, they had these Pina Coladas available whenever we wanted them any time of day for free, so we basically drank these ALL day for a week, they were amazing! I wanted to try and recreate them, since we still talk about how delicious they were. Now when I am wishing I were laying on the beach in Cancun drinking one of these, at least I can make one in my kitchen and pretend...
















1 cup cubed fresh pineapple
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup sugar
Crushed ice, to taste

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

{Kale and Berry Smoothie}

My husband and I make one of these almost every morning, it's super healthy and actually fills you up. It's also a very good way to incorporate veggies into your kids diets. Very tasty and refreshing!

















1-2 leafs Kale, torn into pieces
1/2 cup water
1 frozen packet of yoplait's triple berry smoothie mix (we get ours at Costco)
1/2 of a banana
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tsp agave nectar
2 Tbs ground flax seed

Place the kale and water into a blender and blend on high until it turns to a bright green liquid. Add the frozen berries, banana, soy milk, agave nectar and flax seed and mix until everything is combined.

{Grasshopper Milkshake}

We made burgers and milkshakes tonight for dinner! It was sooo good. Seriously, who needs fast food when you can make it right at home :) Here is the VERY simple milkshake recipe.


















4 cups Vanilla Bean Ice-cream
1 1/2 cups milk (We used whole)
6-8 crushed mint oreos


Spoon the ice-cream into a blender, pour in the milk and add the crushed cookies. Blend it all up.
You can adjust the milk and ice-cream depending on how thick you want it. Enjoy!

{Brazilian Lemonade}

This just reminds me of summer and I am REALLY craving summer right now, or just some kind of warmth. This is so tasty and refreshing and whips up in a flash. :)
















2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbs sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
1-2 cups ice

Wash limes and cut off the ends. Slice into 8 wedges and place them in a blender along with sugar, sweetened condensed milk, water and ice. Blend until smooth or pulse about 5 times or so. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove the rinds. Serve over ice.

{Homemade Hot Chocolate}

This drink is perfect! My family loves it, so yummy and chocolatey!! Serve with a huge topping of Whipped Cream and some cinnamon sprinkled on top :)


















1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream


Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add about 2 Tbs of cream to each of the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

{Strawberry Lemonade}

This is the perfect drink for hot summer days. I make this for my family or you could take it to a 4th of July BBQ, its always a hit! :)



















1-1/2 cups sugar
4 cups water
2 cups fresh strawberries, cut off green top.
1 Tbs. finely shredded lemon peel
1 cup lemon juice (4 to 5 lemons)

In a small saucepan combine 1 cup of the sugar and 1 cup of the water; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.
In a blender combine remaining 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, and the strawberries; process until smooth. Transfer to a 2-quart pitcher; add cooled syrup, lemon peel, and lemon juice. Stir to combine. Add ice and serve.

{St. Patrick's Day Punch}

Happy St. Paddy's day!!

1 46oz can pineapple juice, chilled

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

1/2 gallon lime sherbet, softened

2-3 bottles ginger ale, chilled

1 Tbs nutmeg

Pour pineapple juice into a punch bowl. Add the ice cream, sherbet and ginger ale. Mix and sprinkle with nutmeg.