Back to School Smoothie

Although the calendar still says it's summer, the relaxed summer schedule is coming to an end  as the first day of school is approaching rapidly for families everywhere.  Even though my boys are no longer in school, I don't think I will ever forget those first of the school year moments of excitement mixed with a little anxiety.

 We often struggled with returning to routine bedtime hours and making sure breakfast was not traded for an extra minute in bed! It's been shown that breakfast is a brain booster and an  important part of the school success equation.   To help ease into the schedule, you may want to offer a Fruity Splash Smoothie as part of the breakfast routine.

You can find more Back to School nutrition tips and nutritious recipes  at DairyMakesSense. 

Fruity Splash Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free milk
5 to 7 large unsweetened frozen strawberries
1 medium banana,cut into chunks
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Pour in glasses.

Servings: 2

Substitution Idea:
For frozen fruit pops, pour leftover smoothie into small plastic cups. Cover cups with plastic wrap; insert stick and freeze.

Summertime Smoothie

By the weather we've been having for the last month in Northwest Arkansas,summer started a month ago!  It's so hot and ohhh...,so dry.While we can't make it rain, we can provide comfort measures to make sure our cows are as comfortable as possible. Fans and sprinklers are already in use to keep the cows cool while they eat and wait to be milked and water tanks provide fresh,clean water in the feed barn and pastures.

Enjoying a nutritious smoothie made with high-quality milk seems a perfect fit for celebrating summer and June Dairy Month. I found this tasty recipe at http://www.milkmustache.com.

PBB&J Smoothie

2 tbsp strawberry preserves
2 tbsp chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 banana
1 cup lowfat or fat free milk

Directions:

In a blender combine all ingredients. Cover and blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Smoothie Blues

Dairy smoothies are a great way to get refreshed from the summer heat and get your daily dairy in a sweet treat. In these last few days of celebrating June Dairy Month and summertime temperatures on the farm and in the city, I think this is the perfect recipe! I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman blog entry of August 5,2009.

Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie

Ingredients

-1 cup plain,unflavored yogurt

-1 cup fruit (your choice-blueberries,peaches,pineapple,etc.)

-1/4 cup milk

-1 dash honey

-ice

Preparation Instructions

Place yogurt,fruit,milk,a handful of ice and honey to taste all into a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste it for sweetness and add more honey if needed.

You can find other smoothie recipes at http://www.midwestdairy.com/ or http://www.dairymakessense.com/.

What is your favorite dairy smoothie recipe? I'd love to hear from you!