Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Hi!  I'm popping in really quickly to share a quick recipe.  Who remembers those orange push up pops with the primary colored dots on the outside?  They remind me of my Grandparents because they always bought them for us when we visited.  It's been years since I've had one and frankly, I'm not sure if they still make them anymore?

When I made this recipe, it reminded me of that long lost orange push-up pop flavor.  The only difference was that it was in the form of a smoothie rather than the classic and fun push-up pop.  Depending on the brand of orange concentrate you use you may need more or less sugar as there are varying levels of "orange peel" bitterness to each brand.

Bottoms up and here's to our childhoods!

Orange Push-Up Smoothies

Ingredients

• 1 can orange juice concentrate, slightly thawed 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cup sugar, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 2 cups ice, or to taste 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients, except for the ice, in a large blender and blend until smooth and creamy, taking care the sugar has dissolved and is well incorporated. If desired, add a splash more water or more milk. Add the ice and blend until smooth. Makes approximately three eight-ounce portions.

Source: Averie Cooks as seen on Delicious Melicious

SRC: Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothie

This month's Secret Recipe Club assignment comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Jennifer at Mother Thyme.  Jennifer had guest posted for me last year with her very popular Cream Cheese Coffee Cake.  It's always fun to get to know a new blog through SRC but sometimes, it's also good to get one you know and follow already because you just know it will be filled with great recipes!   I had already bookmarked her Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies and so it seemed it was destiny that made her my assignment for the month.

What I loved about this recipe was how it tasted just like strawberry cheesecake filling.  With strawberries in season and having bought FOUR POUNDS from Costco, I added twice as much in my smoothies for extra strawberry oomph.  This made mine a bit thick so I had to add a splash of vanilla almond milk to thin it out.  It was awesome and so simple!

Jennifer topped hers with whipped cream and some graham cracker crumbs for the full cheesecake flavor experience.  Looks pretty, too!

Do you have any favorite strawberry recipes?

One Year Ago: Creamed Chard and Spring Onion Pasta and Fresh Strawberry Pie
Two Years Ago: Lemon-Rosemary Turkey Meatballs

Strawberry Cheesecake Smoothies

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup non-fat vanilla yogurt (I used 0% Fage Greek Yogurt and added about 1/2 tsp vanilla)
• 3 ounces light or fat free cream cheese
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1-2 teaspoons agave nectar (I used about a tablespoon of honey)
• Vanilla almond milk or regular milk (optional)

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except for the milk into a blender.  Process until smooth and creamy.  If needed, add milk of choice to thin the smoothie out to your desired consistency.  Serve immediately.

Source: Modified from Mother Thyme

Watermelon Slush

Hello my lovelies!  Remember my extremely talented friend Emily who guestposted this General Tso's Chicken, takes all our Dinner Club photos, and did a Apple Extravaganza bakefest with me last Fall?  Well she and her husband Scott came over recently so we could continue the tradition of the wives creating deliciousness in the kitchen while the husbands did...manly things like watching TV.  But unlike during the Fall, we minimized the use of the oven (because it was hot hot hot!), focused on a theme of using seasonal fruits and veggies, and put the boys to work by manning the grill.

To kick off our Summer Fruit and Veggie Extravaganza, we started with this absolutely refreshing, totally natural and healthy watermelon slush.  The colors were gorgeously vibrant and it quenched our thirst on this hot July day.  It was a wonderful mocktail as is but we won't tell if you add a splash of vodka, tequila, or other favorite liquor to the mix ;).

Four more recipes and another awesome review+giveaway left to share in the next two weeks so stay tuned and keep coming back!

One Year Ago: 5 Minute (Healthy) Chunky Monkey "Ice Cream"
Two Years Ago: Raspberry White Chocolate Swirl Ice Cream
Three Years Ago: Grands! Taco Melts (AKA Homemade Hot Pockets)

Watermelon Slush

Photo Credit: Emily H.

Yields: 4 servings (1 cup each)

Ingredients

• 4 cups watermelon, seeded, diced, and frozen
• 2 limes, juiced
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 3/4 to 1 cup water

Directions

1. Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Serve immediately.

Source: Prevention RD

Metamucil Pineapple-Orange Smash Smoothie

Disclaimer: It's true, I have a real job other than cooking and blogging.  I work for the company that sells Metamucil and at one point in time even worked on that brand.  But, the content posted on this blog are my opinions alone and not those of my employer.  I'm off the clock and right now, I'm just wanting to talk friend-to-friend and share a great recipe and contest with my readers :).

Okay now that that's out of the way....yes, you read that correctly.  I'm about to share a recipe that contains Metamucil.  Now, before you go and judge this recipe (like my friend Toni...who I now dedicate this post to...) because it has Metamucil in it I will ask you to be open minded.

Ready?  Is your mind opened?  Okay, here goes nothing then.  Yes, I've heard it all before from consumers.  You're probably thinking "Grandma's laxative" and something along the lines of *ahem*...having digestive problems.  Your experience in the past is a messy, gritty orange powder that when mixed with water turns thick and gloppy.  But it comes in multiple flavors (Orange, Berry, Pink Lemonade) and there's a reason for that thick gelling behavior.  That's what makes it so special and gives it its magical powers (view the video)!  No big deal, it's a fiber supplement and everyone can benefit from added fiber.  Did you know that the average American only gets 15g of fiber but really should be eating 25-38g every day?? 

Did you also know that Metamucil with psyllium fiber can do so much more for your health?  In fact, that's why it's a MultiHealth fiber!  Not only can Metamucil promote your digestive health⁺ but it can also help lower your cholesterol to promote heart health*⁺.  It can do these things in a gluten-free (less than 20 ppm)*, low glycemic index*⁺ product.  Now that's something to get excited about, right?!  By the way, it also comes in single dose sachets so you can take it on-the-go as well as in convenient capsules (with or without added calcium) and delicious fiber wafers (They're kind of like cookies, really.  Note: wafers do not provide the same heart health benefits as the powders and capsules).  Or, if you really just can't stand the gelling/grit and just want to fill your fiber gap, there's Metamucil Clear and Natural for that.

Dr. Oz recently named Metamucil psyllium fiber as one of his 5 Simple Ways to Lower Cholesterol.  As a cardiac doctor, he knows best, right?  Oh and by the way, if you're a fan of Dr. Oz and/or Metamucil, register to win a Heart-to-Heart with Dr. Oz.  You could be the lucky winner of a 3-day trip to NYC to have lunch with Dr. Oz and see a taping of his hit TV show.

Now to this smoothie recipe.  Smoothies are a delicious snack to begin with but adding Metamucil can really boost the nutritional fiber content of a regular cup of juice.  And, since smoothies have a little thickness and texture to them naturally, you can sip and enjoy.  Metamucil provides a number of mixer recipe ideas on their website but you can always add a serving of Metamucil powder to your favorite smoothie recipe.  (Just make sure you're adding at least 8 oz of liquid for every serving of powder.)  For this recipe, I created a hybrid of the Pineapple-Orange Smash and Tropical Fruit Smoothie because I liked the fruits used in the first version but wanted the extra fiber and protein boost from the banana and yogurt.  Bonus: No added sugar!

Personally, the Pink Lemonade flavored powder mixed in water is my favorite way to enjoy Metamucil but every once in a while a smoothie just hits the spot.  It was the perfect post-Jazzercise snack.

So cheers and here's to your health!  Enjoy the recipe and become one of the cool people that can rock the Meta :).  It's okay, fiber is both hip and healthy!

Legal jargon:

* Psyllium fiber, as in Metamucil powders and capsules, is recognized by the FDA to treat occasional constipation and help lower cholesterol. Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 7 grams of soluble fiber per day from psyllium husk may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol. One adult dose of Metamucil has at least 2.1 grams of this soluble fiber. Use as directed. May contain trace amounts of gluten. If you have specific dietary needs, you should consult your doctor before consuming this product. This Metamucil product has a low glycemic index, a measure of the effect of dietary carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. 

⁺THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE.

Metamucil Pineapple-Orange Smash Smoothie
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Ingredients

• 1/3 cup (~3 oz) chopped pineapple
• 1/2 medium peeled banana
• 1/2 cup (4 oz) vanilla low-fat yogurt (used non-fat plain yogurt)
• 1/3 cup (~3 oz) orange juice
• 1/4 cup (~2 oz) pineapple juice
• 1 rounded tablespoon Metamucil Orange Smooth Texture or 1 rounded teaspoon Metamucil Sugar Free Orange Smooth
• Crushed or cubed ice (1/2 cup or 4 oz)

Directions

1.  Blend fruit, yogurt, juices, and ice until ice is crushed. 
2. Add Metamucil and blend until mixed in. Garnish with your favorite tropical fruit!  Drink promptly (it will continue to thicken as it stands).

Nutritional Information (approximate since I modified the recipe - this is for the original Tropical Fruit Smoothie recipe since I think it's closer to that): Calories: 257, Protein: 6.19 g, Fat: 1.73 g, Carbohydrates: 56.57 g, Dietary Fiber: 4.53 g

Source: Modified from Metamucil Mixers