Real Men Make Smoothies

A teacher by profession, I chose to be a stay at home dad this summer. Dreams of hearing, "Dad, you're the best!" were quickly shattered by reality whining, "Dad, I'm hungry!"

The teacher in me wanted to find recipes for kids to prepare their own snacks. The spouse insisted on healthy snacks. The kids wanted snacks that were good, cold and quick.

To satisfy all these requirements, I started my quest for smoothie recipes. A myriad exists, but I wanted healthy smoothie recipes that the kids could make themselves. Because of lactose intolerance, I also wanted to exclude milk. With the help of the kids, I wound up creating my own concoctions, and hereby share two fruit smoothie recipes.

Since milk isn't used, it's important to use a creamy fruit for the base. For this first recipe, I use bananas. Here's what to do.

First, peel and slice ripe bananas. Arrange them in a single layer on shrink-wrap and freeze. They will freeze in about an hour. Once frozen, they can be used immediately, or placed in a freezer container for future use.

Next, choose the dominant fruit for the smoothie. My kids love strawberries and enjoy helping to cap and slice them. For each serving you'll need ½ - ¾ cup of sliced strawberries, blueberries, or whatever fruit you've chosen.

Now you're ready to make the smoothie. We use a food processor, but a blender will work just fine. First, puree the equivalent of half a banana. When that's smooth, add the second fruit. Within 30 seconds, you'll have a cold, refreshing fruit smoothie that required no milk or ice.

A second fruit smoothie recipe the kids and I came up with uses dates for the thickening agent. Instead of chopping and freezing the dates, you will have to soak them in water for 15-20 minutes before using.

Here's how we make our date-based fruit smoothies. Starting with the dates (2-3 per serving), puree until smooth. Per serving add ½ - ¾ cup of the fruit of your choice. Peeled, sliced apples are especially good in this one. Finally, add shaved ice. You'll have to judge for yourself how much to use. The daughter gets a headache from icy cold, the guys say, "Bring it on!"

We sometimes add a little cinnamon or nutmeg. Trust me, you'll discover dozens of variations, both in the fruit selections (melon, peaches, mangos, etc.) and in the seasoning (vanilla and almond extracts are really good).

Best of all, you'll know your family is enjoying healthy smoothies instead of junk food snacks. When everybody is happy, life is good! Cheers!