Super Smoothies

This recipe requires getting creative. The good news is it's hard to mess up. If you're just starting in the kitchen, this is a good place to start. A smoothie makes a great breakfast, snack, accompaniment to a meal, or even a healthy dessert (oxymoron? not after you try this!).

Super Smoothies

2 cups of fruit
6 oz (single serving cup) yogurt
1/2 to 1 cup milk

Mix in a blender and serve.

Now for the fun part--getting creative. For your fruit, pick two of these:

1 Banana
Frozen berries
Frozen Tropical fruit mix (mango, papaya, pineapple, etc)
Cubed fresh melon (cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honeydew, etc)
canned pineapple or mandarin oranges, drained well
even seedless cucumber

Note: if your fruit is frozen before you blend, your smoothie will be thicker and colder without adding a bunch of ice. If you have less ripe or slightly sour fruit, you may need to add a couple tablespoons of sugar or brown sugar. The recipe above is a general ratio. Please don't measure.

Pick any flavor of yogurt you want. It doesn't have to be plain! Try lime, lemon, strawberry, or vanilla. Also, during the summer months try adding a few leaves of fresh basil or mint. This is also a good place to sneak in fiber or protein substitutes.

Last tip: try substituting 1/2 can light coconut milk for the milk. Tasty!

Overall, if you use skim milk and lowfat yogurt, you'll have a low-fat, very refreshing and satisfying drink high in antioxidants and vitamins.

Baked French Toast

When I have leftover or slightly staling bread, I like to make a baked french toast for breakfast. This can also be a fantastic dessert. The biggest thing you can experiment with here is the type of bread you use. Day-old glazed doughnuts are fantastic. Try sourdough for a little bit of a bite. This morning I'm making this with leftover Panettone, an Italian raised fruit cake. You make this the night before and breakfast is ready to go in the oven the second you wake up. It's an impressive gesture for guests, and a great way to use up old bread.

Baked French Toast

6 large (8 medium) eggs
1/2 to 3/4 cup milk or sour cream
1 tsp cinnamon
6 cups 1" bread cubes

Mix together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Put the bread cubes in a pan and pour the egg mixture over the bread. Let refrigerate (covered) overnight for best results, but not necessary. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until set.

Other things that are fantastic to mix or layer in are: 1 package of cream cheese, cubed. 1/2 cup brown sugar. 1 apple, sliced. 1/2 cup raisins, nuts, or other dried fruits. 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin or mashed banana. 1/2 cup frozen berries.

Get creative! The base of this recipe is incredibly simple, and once you figure it out, you can make it a thousand different ways. Serve it drizzled with maple syrup or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. For dessert, top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.