Create Your Own Smoothie

When I was pregnant with my older daughter, Maddie, I swore to my-self I was going to cook and make homemade baby food.  When it was time for Maddie to start solid foods, I ran out and bought a Beaba Babycook.  I even bought food storage containers so I could freeze food.  Well, I ended up using it about once a week for a few months and then it just sat on top of my refrigerator.  When I got pregnant with my second daughter, Pela, I swore again that I would be better about cooking because our pediatrician said that I should feed them what we were eating, just puree it.  I thought about it and then it was time for solids, it still just sat on top of my refrigerator until the girls were introduced to Smoothies.

My girls live for smoothies.  Ever since their first one they ask for one almost everyday.  Even Pela knows the word smoothie now.  I decided that I would start making them for snacks and breakfast.  We usually use 2 greek yogurts and throw any fruit we have at the time in and then I sneak a vegetable like broccoli or spinach (frozen or fresh) in plus a little orange juice (or whatever juice we have in the refrigerator).  The first time I made a smoothie I used a regular blender for them it was a real pain to clean and it took up so much space on our counter.  When I put it back on top of the refrigerator I saw my Beaba Babycook and thought to my self: Next time, I’m using that.  We have used it ever since.  Since the girls started helping me in the kitchen, it is so much easier to bring to their table, where we do most of our projects and preparation.  It is also quieter and Maddie is able to turn the knob to blend the ingredients together.

Today Maddie picked the ingredients for our smoothie.  We were almost out of fruit so we used what we had.  Maddie chose, I measured:

• 3/4 Honey crisp Apple
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup frozen broccoli
• 1/4 cup Tropicana No-Pulp OJ
• 2 Chobani yogurts (1 plain, 1 peach)

I definitely wouldn’t make that recipe again.

My favorite, that the girls liked too, was:

• 5-6 strawberries
• 3/4 banana’s
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/4 Tropicana No-Pulp OJ
• 1/2-1 cup spinach

When we are out and the girls want a smoothie we usually go to the Elixir Juice Bar in the World Financial Center.  The girls like the Skin Smoothie.  I usually ask them to add spinach and separate it into two cups.

Tags: Beaba Babycook, Elixir, Smoothie, Tropicana, Vegetables, World Financial Center