Fall Flavors Smoothie (with Pumpkin and Baked Cinnamon & Maple Apples)

What do you think of when you hear the words "fall flavors?" If you are anything like me, you probably think of things like pumpkin, apple, and cinnamon. This delicious smoothie is made with all of those wonderful things. Last weekend I made some baked apples with breakfast for Wendy and Greg. I was sure that Wendy would go crazy over the baked apples, since they are made with butter, maple syrup, and cinnamon, but she didn't even touch them. I always feel a little dejected when I spend a lot of time and energy making something that I am convinced Wendy will like and she turns her little nose up at it! I had a lot of leftover baked apple, so I started to get creative with it. One morning I threw them in with a pumpkin smoothie that I make often to sweeten it up a bit, and I loved how it ended up tasting. Wendy saw me drinking the smoothie, begged me for a sip, and she went gaga over it.  Yesterday I made another smoothie with the apples, and Wendy pointed to it and said "I want that." I was happy that she ended up eating those apples after all! If you love fall flavors, you will most likely also love this smoothie! Enjoy.

Recipe for Fall Flavors Smoothie with Baked Cinnamon and Maple Apples

For the smoothie 
INGREDIENTS: 
1 cup of 2% or whole milk
1/4 cup of canned pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. of baked cinnamon and maple apples, chilled (see recipe below)
1/8 tsp. of cinnamon
1 Tbsp. of half and half (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses. Drink with a straw for a totally amazing experience.

For the baked cinnamon and maple apples
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds of apples, cored and chopped into 1/4-inch pieces (I used Gala apples)
2 Tbsp. of pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, melted in microwave
1 tsp. of ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a baking sheet. In a large bowl, combine the apples, syrup, melted butter, and cinnamon. Mix well to coat. Spread the apples out in an even layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Place in oven and cook for about 30 - 35 minutes, making sure you stop to stir the apples about every 5 - 7 minutes. Then remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat plain, stir into Greek yogurt, use in smoothies, or use as a tasty filling to quesadillas!

Original recipe. 

Healthy Peach Smoothie (no dairy, no sugar)

One of my secret pleasures (or not so secret) is stopping by Robeks Juices and Smoothies in Annapolis every once in a while for a tasty smoothie or super healthy juice. The problem with doing this too often is that it can put a huge dent in my wallet. A regular sized smoothie runs around 6 - 7 dollars and the juices cost just as much. Lately, I have been going in for a "Crazy Carrot" juice, which has beets, carrots, celery, and cayenne pepper. I think you can tell why they call it crazy. On the wall at the Robeks store they have been advertising their new almond milk smoothies that are offered for "a limited time only." Instead of trying the smoothie at Robeks, I decided to make one at home. The ingredients for the peach smoothie were listed on the wall as almond milk, peaches, frozen yogurt and dates. I tried it with coconut milk (not coconut milk for cooking, coconut milk for drinking), and the smoothie is AMAZING. The dates make the drink nice and sweet so you don't need any sugar. I added yogurt the first couple times I made them but decided it didn't need it - you can add some if you want to thicken the smoothie. Greg and I have been making them about every other day and we are hooked. The best part about these smoothies is that they only cost about $1.25/smoothie to make. That sure beats paying $7! And, they are healthy. And yummy. They are being offered up at my house for an unlimited time! Enjoy.

Recipe for Healthy Peach Smoothie (no dairy, no sugar)

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup of coconut milk (I use the Silk original pure coconut)
2 ripe peaches (any variety), pitted and chopped
4 - 6 dates (I used Deglet Noor dates)
*Add 1/3 cup of low-fat plain yogurt if you want a thicker smoothie.*

DIRECTIONS:
Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Drink up!

Recipe serves 2. Approximately 180 calories per smoothie. 

Mango Lassi with Coconut

Do you know what a mango lassi is? I might have never known what it was, if I had not been introduced to Indian food. Some close friends and I used to get together at Akbar, a great Indian restaurant in Columbia, MD. Whenever I visit the restaurant, I order a mango lassi with my meal. They are so good!
Traditionally, a lassi beverage is yogurt-based and mixed in with water and spices. A mango lassi is a yogurt-based drink with mango (of course). I have tried a couple times to recreate the mango lassi in my kitchen with not so great results. Not until today that is....

Greg has been out working on our deck since morning, and hopefully he has accomplished something. My point is, he has been outside and I have been in the kitchen, so I have had the chance to make a lot of different recipes. Today I made the batter for coconut macaroons, some tomatillo salsa, some cilantro-peanut sauce, AND a mango-coconut lassi. The lassi was amazing. I added a tablespoon of condensed milk and a tablespoon of coconut to it, and it made the flavor extra tasty (I was making the lassi simultaneously with the coconut macaroon batter). 

I love the thickness and sweetness of the lassi. I almost feel like I'm in a tropical paradise while sipping on it. Almost...

I hope you will also fall in love with the lassi. Enjoy! 

Recipe for Mango Lassi with Coconut 

INGREDIENTS:

3 ripe mangos, chopped

1 1/4 cups of milk

1/3 cup of granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. of condensed milk (if you don't have this on hand, add an extra Tbsp. of sugar)

1 Tbsp. of sweetened shredded flaked coconut

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

Crushed or Cubed Ice

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients EXCEPT for the ice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Place the blender in the fridge for 30 minutes. If desired, pour over ice when ready to sip.

***Original Recipe***

NOTE: When you are ready to drink the mango lassi, you might want to put it back on the blender and mix for a few seconds. This drink is best when it is sipped with a straw - even better when sipped with a bright and colorful straw.