Tropical Smoothies: Quick and Easy at Home

Ahh a Tropical smoothie! These yummy drinks are quick and healthy snacks that your whole family can enjoy on a daily basis. The selection of ripe delicious fruits that are available and the creamy taste combine to make an irresistible combination that makes you want to drink them each and every day.

One drawback to enjoying a the wonderful drinks daily is driving to a juice bar, waiting in line to place and order and then paying high prices each and every time. This is very hard to do on a regular basis and you will probably think it is not worth all the work. Also they might add ingredients that you do not want, like extra sugars, to their recipes. It is hard to tell sometimes what is added to healthy drinks when you are in a store. But it actually is quick and easy to make these kind of drinks at home with a blender. If you have a commercial blender, such as a Vitamix, so much the better, but your regular blender will also work to create a thick creamy healthy drink.

So if you are interested in making a Tropical Smoothie at home, here is how create them:

Ingredients:

Use your favorite combination of tropical fruits. I like to blend up mango and bananas for my smoothie drinks. I also recommend using orange juice or cranberry juice for a really great taste.

Other ingredients you can add to your smoothies are honey or agave syrup for some sweetness and ice to keep your smoothie nice and cool. The ice is an important part of the recipe, as the Vitamix blender is so strong and works so fast it can heat up your smoothie.

What to do:

Place all the fruits into your blender and add some ice to keep it nice and cool. To serve 1-2 people I would cut up 1 large banana and two mangos and use about 1 cup of juice. Make sure that the lid is locked on nice and tight. Now blend together for a minute until you get a nice, creamy drink. The amount of blending required will vary by the brand of blender that you have. You may have to make a few smoothies and experiment a bit to see what works for you.

That is it! Pour your finished drink into glasses and enjoy the thick and creamy, yet healthy snack anytime of the day. Naturally you will need to adjust the recipe for your particular tastes and amount of people you are serving.

So now you know how easy it is to make a Tropical Smoothie at home. What I like best, is that you can use up any ripe fruits that you might have and you will know exactly what is in your smoothie. You can also adjust the taste and texture just the way you like it.

A tropical smoothie is a healthy and refreshing treat anytime of the day. A To view pictures of a tasty tropical smoothie, Click on tropical smoothie and go to my blog to view photos of my Tropical Smoothie. Thanks for reading!

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Quick Cheesy Casseroles For Vegetarian Dinners

The holiday season is here and that means busy days and nights. If you're looking for quick and easy dinners, stop right here. Three entrees that depend on cheese, fill the bill to fill your family's tummy. The first is cheesy broccoli and rice. Even children who don't like broccoli like this dish. The second is a spicy enchilada casserole and the third a gourmet take on mac and cheese. All three dishes are vegetarian which means they save you money.

Start off with a preparing a silky cheese sauce.

Combine 1 cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of flour until smooth. Heat in the saucepan until the sauce bubbles and thickens. Add 1/2 cup of your favorite shredded cheese. You'll need one cup of this sauce for every two servings. Since the ingredients below make dishes that serve four, make 2 cups.

Cheesy Broccoli

Cook 2 cups of broccoli in the microwave until it's softened but still crisp. The broccoli will finish cooking in the oven. Combine with 2 cups of cooked rice. Or use instant rice with water as the directions specify. Add 2 cups of the cheese sauce. Stir well.

Top with an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Either freeze this in an air tight container for a dinner you only have to bake later or bake in a 350 F oven for 30 minutes until the dish is bubbly and the cheese melted.

Enchilada Casserole

If you can layer you can make this dish. You won't be using the cheese sauce for this dish. Add 1 teaspoon of cumin and 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to two 15 ounce cans of tomato sauce. Add more cayenne pepper for a hotter kick or add several chopped jalapeno peppers.

Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking dish. Layer in five or six corn tortillas. Add another 1/2 cup of sauce and spread over the tortillas.

Slice one medium onion and layer over the tortillas. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the onions. Finish with 1/2 cup of sauce and another layer of tortillas. Spread the remaining sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Bake 45 minutes in a 350 F oven.

Gourmet Mac and Cheese

Butter the bottom of a casserole dish. Combine 4 cups of cooked macaroni with 2 cups of cheese sauce and 2 cups of frozen defrosted peas. You don't have to cook the peas. Place in the casserole dish. Cover with a layer of breadcrumbs -- about 1 to 1/2 cups and an additional 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Heat at 350 F until the breadcrumbs are brown and the cheese topping melted. This is oh so much better than the boxed stuff.

If going vegetarian isn't your thing. Add 1 cup of chopped chicken to the rice and broccoli, 1 cup of chopped turkey, cooked ground beef or cooked diced pork to the enchilada casserole and 1 cup of cubed ham to the mac and cheese.

Dee Power is the author of several nonfiction books. Her hobbies include gardening and cooking healthy dinner recipes, and sharing her grilling tips. She lives with an Irish Setter and an English Springer Spaniel.

Original article