How to keep your smoothies thick!

[Tori]

I never add ice cubes to my smoothies. I find that it waters them down, or it leaves little ice chunks in my drink. Instead, I freeze almost all of my fruit. I have found that splitting a can of pineapple (in 100% pure juice of course!) in two, and then placing it in freezer-loc ziploc bags works great! If you put the pineapple in the bags, remove as much air as possible, and flatten, it takes up less room in the freezer, and is easy to break apart when adding to the blender.

Another great "fruit cube", as I like to call them, lol, is frozen strawberries, or bananas cut into 1 inch chunks and then frozen. Perfect size, and keeps me from having to add ice.

I'm sure a lot of you already do this, but thought I would throw it out there for anyone who hasn't tried it yet. This is really great on those hot days! It's almost like having a big glass of frozen berry yogurt or sorbet. Mmmmm!

[Rachel]

Great tips Tori thank you.
Rachel

[rhernan216]

thanks for the tip...i found that the kids dont like them too thick cause then they take too long to gulp down so i add ice to theirs for convenience and it also makes me feel good knowing they are getting enough water too. Down here in Texas ICE rules!!!!

I like mine thicker so i will use your tip on the frozen fruit. thanks!!!!

[Tori]

You are both very welcome! (:

I like them thick myself, but my son also prefers them a bit thinner. Sometimes I'll pour my nice thick smoothie out in my glass, then add a bit more juice or water to his to thin it down so he can drink it through a straw. LOL!

[smackeythefrog]

This is how I make my smoothies usually. Frozen fruit and soymilk, except bananas. I'm not big on frozen bananas.

[sb125]

I put about a 1/2 cup unsweetend natural applesauce in the mix with frozen fruit & juice/ff milk, it seems to make it nice & thick & filling!  Love smoothies!!! 

[cndy]

I am confused about the the fruit smoothies is it OK to have skim milk or non fat yogurt? I don't like the smoothies icee, I like it thick and creamy. help? confused C.B.

[sb125]

I have noticed that if you add 1/4 or 1/2 cup northern beans to your smoothie, it really thickens is up.  You would be amazed how you can't even taste the beans!  I usually drink the bean smoothies the same day, however, since to me it has a funny smell/taste the next day.
I also posted a pumpkin/carrot smoothie recipe, & the carrot seems to make it quite thick as well.

Happy smoothie making!
steph 

[Ila]

Wow!  Lots of new ideas!  Thanks, folks!

[Forever Young]

Steph,

You are learning.  BEANS really have NO flavor...except what flavoring you put into them.  So, add BEANS, BEANS, BEANS...wherever, whenever.  They fill us up without filling us OUT...and help us to lose weight to boot.  WOW!  What a blessing those little critters are turning out to be huh!

At our house we love the Mashed Betatoes with the Butter beans!  I have cut the recipe to using only one can.  Then I use my generic "Magic Bullet" by Crofton...and...walla...mashed betatoes!

Now I am making myself hungry!

Jeanne

[BookGuy]

Banana chunks are my favorite.... but in the summer my wife and I pick wild blackberries growing wild all over our property.  I just add them in lieu of ice.  I really rely on my morning smoothies, they keep me going until my big lunch.  Thanks for the idea about the frozen bananas... one of the keys to my success.

[niki]

hi charles...i'm so happy to see you post....i had been wondering where you were...i e-mailed you...did you get it?...i used the personal message system of the boards............
  wild blackberries all over your property....lucky you..although this morning, i DID find a few figs on my fig tree and a couple of apples on my jonathan apple tree.....,my ex-husband had planted it like 15 years ago because jonathan is my son's name, but he didn't put it in a sunny spot and i never got any apples...the tree actually grew towards the sun and is really crooked...so much so that i wonder if it'll live when it's so crooked............niki

[BookGuy]

Hey Niki-
No, I never got your emails, but I have tons of old ones to go through. My computer crashed and I lost my password to get in. We have an apple tree, a pear tree & two cherry trees, but all of them are too immature to bear fruit yet. We just planted them within the last year.
I am looking for a really good Turkey chili? Do you have a favorite?

[Queenie]

my ex-husband had planted it like 15 years ago because jonathan is my son's name  ............niki

Niki - I have a son named Jonathan, too!!  Jonathan Andrew.  He's my second child -

My first is Nicholas Aaron & my third is Amanda Jeanne...

Carolyn

[Queenie]

I am looking for a really good Turkey chili? Do you have a favorite?

Charles - There are a bunch of chili recipes on board - just type chili into the search area...  What I've done is just make my regular recipe & just substitue turkey...  I think that most of the things in a regular chili recipe are LDL friendly anyway...

Carolyn

[niki]

hi charles....that's great that you have all those fruit trees...i was going to buy another apple tree and put it in the sun, but never got around to it.......
  i always make chilli using the recipe i got from the boards.....kay had posted it but it was deleted a long time ago.....it was black bean chilli with corn which i love because the corn makes a complete protein with the beans..KAY, why don't you repost that recipe?..
  i don't use turkey..i use ground beef, but the recipe's the same no matter what.....i used to think chilli was so hard....i use the same method that i make bean soup........i either like black beans or the small red beans....if you look for "niki's favorite bean soup" and use only one kind of bean(you pick)and when you saute the vegetables, add ground beef or turkey...you would want to saute the meat until all the water cooks off and all you have left is a little oil...if the meat is that lean that there isn't any, add a little olive oil so that the meat browns a little(better flavor).........niki   

[niki]

Niki - I have a son named Jonathan, too!!  Jonathan Andrew. 

  AND you chose 2 biblical names....so did i.....jonathan jacob...
  so now, YOU in virginia beach should plant a jonathan apple tree........just make sure to put it in the SUN........niki

[BookGuy]

‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‫‬‭‮‪‫‬‭‮҉THANKS NIKI FOR THE TIPS.

[niki]

emoclew er'uoy........ikin