The Steaming Cup

Club soda is a good addition to a fruit smoothie to keep it light

Sparkling water can make an interesting change in a smoothie. This isn’t as thick as those made with milk or banana. Very refreshing though.

• 1 cup orange sherbet
• 1 cup strawberries
• 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 1/2 cups sparkling water or club soda

Combine sherbet and fruit in a blender and blend until smooth. Stir in sparkling water until thoroughly mixed right before serving.

Peanut butter smoothies are always so decadent tasting, even with just a few spoonfuls.

This peanut butter smoothie isn’t overpowering with the peanut butter. There is just enough to give it a rich nutty taste. You can substitute yogurt for the ice cream if you want to keep it a little healthier.

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream
• 2 tbs smooth peanut butter
• 1 banana, frozen

Break the banana into chunks, and then combine with the other ingredients in a blender. Blend everything until smooth.

Don't ignore the mint in this smoothie recipe. It really makes the melon flavor pop.

This is a really light and refreshing smoothie recipe with extra fruit. You can use plain yogurt if you wish and just add a little extra lemon juice instead.

• 1 1/2 cups diced melon
• 1/2 cup lemon yogurt
• 1 cup green seedless grapes, frozen
• 1 tbs fresh mint, minced
• Fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a bit of lemon juice for added tartness.

Honey is naturally sweet, and a tasty addition to this tofu smoothie

A healthy and non-diary alternative to using milk or yogurt in a smoothie. If you omit the honey, it would even be vegan.

• 2 ripe bananas
• 16 oz soft or silken tofu, drained
• 1/2 cup ice, crushed
• 3 tbs honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Combine ingredients and blend until smooth.

Bananas and coffee do blend together quite nicely

How could I not include a banana smoothie recipe that also included some coffee. This is definitely a morning recipe to help pick you up.

• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup strong coffee, chilled
• 2 bananas
• 6 ice cubes

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

The banana smoothie is the classic way to make one

Yes, a banana smoothie is really simple but knowing the right proportions helps pull it together. Enjoy as a drink or even a breakfast replacement.

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/2 cup non-fat yogurt
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 cup ice, crushed

Combine ingredients in a blender and process it all until smooth.

A single-serve coffee maker will cost you more than a traditional drip machine but they will make you a cup of fresh coffee in seconds (literally) and there is no messy grounds to clean up. If you have been interested in these types of brewers, here are the best ones on the market right now.

A Tassimo coffee brewer

Tassimo

The Tassimo is a very popular model and is without a doubt the most sophisticated one. The pods that fit in the Tassimo (T-discs) have a bar code on the top of each one and the machine reads it before it starts to brew. Once it knows what you are brewing, all the details are taken care of. You get the optimum temperature, brewing time and water pressure with each cup.

The pods are available in many different types of coffee as well as tea and hot chocolate.

Read the rest of this entry »

Evaporated milk is a creamy touch to the spicy flavor

A creamy iced tea, with some spicy hints. An iced tea recipe for all chai fans. Only a couple of spices, but enough to make a delicious impact. This is a delightful recipe for a get-together.

• 6 cups water
• 8 tea bags, black
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 4 tbs sugar
• 4 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp cardamom
• Ice, crushed

Boil the water and steep tea bags with cardamom for 5 minutes. Strain out teabags and let cool. Put ice into 4 glasses, and add tea. Leave about a quarter of the glass empty. To each glass add, 1 tbs sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of milk. Serves 6 to 8.