Oh how I love summer! The heat, the sun, the lake, the flowers, the grass, the trees, the ducks on my lawn, the rain.....etc etc...you get the idea. I also really enjoy an abundance of fresh fruit by itself or blended to create a fruity drink. I love to sip on anything light, watery, and delicious! Here are a few goodies I've whipped up.
Green Pineapple
I had two great pineapples the other day, and was trying to think about what I should do with them. I realized that the answer is simple - enjoy them as they are, which is what I normally do when I have pineapple, because it's not an everyday occurance. Anywho, I enjoyed plenty of it, "au natural" (enough to give me little burns around my mouth), and turned some of it into a green smoothie!
pineapple
spinach
water
mango
lemon juice
Purple Puff
Berries also make fabulous drinks. Around here, a few kinds of berries are abundant in the summer - bluberries, raspberries, and strawberries. We pick and then freeze them for the winter. Right now we're still using up last years crop, but soon it will be time to pick more! I like frozen fruit in a smoothie, for that added frostiness, but feel free to use fresh berries in this recipe. Oh, and sorry, no quantities for any of these recipes, because I always throw in a little of this and a little of that. You can follow my ingredients as a guideline, experimenting to see what tastes good to you.
1- 2 cups amond milk
handful frozen wild blueberries
handful frozn strawberries
handful walnuts
agave to taste
bit of lemon juice
WaterMelon Mint Madness
Yes, you can even "sip" fruit from a spoon too! It doesn't have to be in a glass. Mmmm, watermelon is one of my favourite summer fruits, especially on super hot days. Give this drink a try with other melon such as honeydew or canteloupe! The mint is optional but it tastes great and addes pretty green specs even after it's blended. To accentuate the strawberry flavour, and add eye appeal (great if you are serving to guests), drizzle strawberry sauce on top and garnish with fresh mint (which goes so well with watermlon). Serve in a bowl or a glass.
Lots of watermelon
strawberries
lime juice, to taste
fresh mint, optional
For the strawberry sauce, simply blend strawberries with agave to taste, and a little bit of lemon to bring out the flavours.
Chocolate Decadence
Now, what is any season without a little chocolate? I say, the more, the merrier - but I love to sit outside with a chilled chocolate drink in the summer. A few weeks ago, a friend brought me a case of young coconuts, when she visited from the city. Ever since, I've been making one of these drinks every few days! It's a coconutty-chocolatey take on the "best iced coffee" by Ginger, but I find that this recipe doesn't taste like that. I used to add lots of maca to get that "iced coffee" taste, but this one tastes much more chocolatey. Normally I make these creamy drinks with macadamia or cashews, but the other day I decided to use walnuts, and I'm so glad I did. There is a softeness in the flavour that I really enjoy, plus the nut itself is soft, blending easily into the drink. I blend everything together and then add ice at the end to make it frosty. This is more like the consistency of cream, rather than a thick smoothie. I add about 1 tablespoon each of the cacao and carob, and then just a bit of the other powders, and agave to taste.
1 young coconut
(water and pulp)
large handful walnuts or macadamia nuts
cacao powder
carob powder
agave
lucuma
mesquite
maca
vanilla
ice
I hope these few simple recipes have inspired you to get the blender out and whip up some yummy drinks for your summer fun! 😀
Thanks, your post has me going to go make almond milk now! Have u tried huckleberries? They are amazing! (whispers, I prefer them to blueberries!) Totally purple like that!<br /><br />~Sam
Thanks everyone - enjoy! Summer is the best time for fruity and exotic drinks, I find :)<br /><br />Yard - no i havent tried huckleberries - what do they taste like? you gonna send me some, pretty please? :D
answer is simple - enjoy them as they are, which is what I normally do when I have pineapple, because it's not an everyday occurance. Anywho, I enjoyed plenty of it, "au natural" (enough to give me little burns around my mouth), and turned some of it into a green smoothie! 
Lots of watermelon
10 Comments
OMG, these look amazing - yum, yum. Thanks! :)
Your pictures are so beautiful! I love smoothies! I usually have one everyday and it's nice to get some new ideas to try out.
these look nice and refreshing. I love the purple drink, looks so pretty!
Uh yeah, you're always inspiring my dear. That chocolately delight at the end looks scrumptious. :)
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing! I'm having a small party tomorrow these are perfect!
gorgeous pictures. i am ready for some awesome, yummy drinks after my indulgence in italy. thanks for the recipes.
Thanks, your post has me going to go make almond milk now! Have u tried huckleberries? They are amazing! (whispers, I prefer them to blueberries!) Totally purple like that!<br /><br />~Sam
Thanks everyone - enjoy! Summer is the best time for fruity and exotic drinks, I find :)<br /><br />Yard - no i havent tried huckleberries - what do they taste like? you gonna send me some, pretty please? :D
OMG!!! YUM!!!
Hmm... what are the last four items? I've never heard of them.