Fruit Smoothies: Three Tips

My favorite weekend breakfast treat is a fruit smoothie. Over the years, I have discovered a few helpful techniques:

1. Not all frozen fruit has to come from the store. Last summer, the local strawberry harvest was so bountiful, I asked the farmers market vendor how to freeze them. Easy: cut off the tops; wash, slice if necessary; freeze on a metal tray; and pop them in a freezer bag til needed.
2. Use a good blender. I used a lovely old Vita Mix until recently. The Kitchen Aid blender we had in storage is much quieter and more powerful, getting chunks gone quickly and cleaning up easily.
3. Save some for later. My normal batch uses one whole fresh banana, with non-fat yogurt and two types of frozen fruit. It serves two generously, or three adequately. When I make a batch for just myself, I pour half into a sturdy glass cup that a rubber lid fits onto, and freeze it. About an hour before I want to eat the saved portion, I take it out to defrost, and stir just before drinking it. The frozen version does not make a good dessert, but will return to proper smoothie consistency.

My next trick? Learn to make my own yogurt.