Being the somewhat practical person I am (insert incredulous snort here), I was going to title these Very Berry Smoothies. However, kiddo pointed out to me that this is really hers and my mother’s recipe, and she should get to name the recipe. So I agreed. And therefore, we at Full Fork give you my kiddo’s (aka the Infrequent Miniature Cooking Assistant) Fun Smoothies. Because smoothies are fun. We slurp them and they are delicious and this is fact.

If there’s one thing that is absolutely indisputable about my kiddo, it’s that she’s a sweetheart, but she’s a mighty picky eater sweetheart. Somehow, though, my mother got her hooked on smoothies. Atta girl, mom. Maybe if we juice some carrots next? No? I didn’t think so, either. Lemme just go throw out the carrot juice…

I recently bought myself a new KitchenAid Diamond Vortex blender. I know, silly name - but amazing results! When I started making smoothies more for kiddo and myself at home recently my old blender, trooper though it was, began smelling like burning tires whenever I used it. I’d had it for a while. Can’t say enough good about the new one. True, I’ve only blended smoothie ingredients plus ice in it so far, but it chews that ice up like it’s butter.

As for the smoothies, I usually put in some low-fat vanilla flavored yogurt first and some milk. Kiddo insists on Dannon Light & Fit brand yogurt. It’s not bad at all and since it’s already sweetened, I don’t need to add too much sweetener.

The first fruit goodness to go in are several delicious, fresh strawberries.

Next, grab some blueberries from the freezer and throw in a couple handfuls of those. I suppose you can use fresh if you prefer, but I’ve always used the frozen since blueberries are limited seasonally.

As for that added sweetener, I use Splenda. You can use other artificial sweeteners if you have a preference. Honey could also work. I try to avoid straight, white sugar, though.

The secret ingredient? Cinnamon. Which I’d never thought to use all by my lonesome since the stuff can give me heartburn sometimes. In these smoothies, though, it adds to the flavor and I’ve not had any adverse effects personally. Kiddo loves a lot in her smoothie, so this is a “to taste” ingredient.

And then you need about a cup or so of ice - but don’t forget a banana! I almost did this time. Since we started making smoothies more, I haven’t wasted one banana. If you do think they might go bad before you can use them, they freeze well. They won’t look pretty frozen, but they will taste just as good in this smoothie.

Depending on how much ice you use (and banana), this can be a nice, thick smoothie, which is how we prefer them. The ice cools them off nicely in this early hot weather we’re having, too. Don’t wait - serve them up right away and get to slurping!

Kiddo often asks for one of these as a dessert, and that I am all for. She gets a decent amount of fruit and dairy in them, and she absolutely loves them. Perfect for any time of day, these are refreshing, tasty and, most importantly, fun!

Kiddo’s Fun Smoothies

from Full Fork Ahead

Prep Time: 10 minutes Assembly Time: 5 minutes Level: Easy Makes: about 3 8oz. smoothies

• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup low-fat milk
• 8 large, fresh and ripe strawberries, whole
• 1/2 a cup frozen blueberries
• 2 medium peeled bananas, broken into smaller pieces
• 4-6 individual packets Splenda, to taste
• several dashes ground cinnamon, to taste
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups ice

Place the yogurt and milk in the blender first, then the whole strawberries, blueberries, bananas, Splenda and cinnamon. Add the ice last. Process in covered blender until thick and smooth. Test for taste, adding any necessary sweetener or cinnamon, or ice to thicken more; process again till smooth and fully combined. Serve and enjoy.

Notes:

Start off with less milk first so that the smoothies aren’t too runny. It’s easier to add in more later if they’re too thick.

You can also use frozen strawberries, but these smoothies taste the best with fresh ones when they can be purchased. How much your blender full yields depends on how much fruit and even ice you use. Personal taste preferences for amounts of any of the bigger ingredients might mean more or less than the amount we got. The more we make these, the easier it gets to not even measure anything out.

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