Peach Watermelon Smoothie

I promised summer recipes this week and I am not sure you can get more summer than a recipe that involves peaches and watermelon.   You also cannot get much easier than a fresh breakfast in less than 15 minutes.

So many fruits these days are available year round in the stores. But luckily for us there are some items that are not quite as easy to transport long distances. Thus peaches are rarely seen in the depth of winter, even here in the south.

However in between late June and August the peaches are abundant at the local stores and the farmers markets. I prefer to buy any local produce at the farmers markets, but in this case I went straight to the source. We are still enjoying the peaches that we picked ourselves in July. Of course peaches have a short shelf life, so our enjoyment of them now is taking them from the freezer. They still have a great flavor and in the case of a smoothie, in order to get the right consistency you need something frozen.

There are quite a few smoothie recipes out their that incorporate ice to get a smoothie cold and slightly slush like, but as a dietitian and having a background working with puree food, I just cannot do it.  I see no reason to water down anything and decrease the nutritional value.  If I want a icy type item sure, but when it comes to breakfast and trying to get nutrients into my family I will always use frozen fruit.  In the case of this smoothie, I needed very little liquid as I knew the watermelon would provide plenty, but I wanted to add some creaminess so I grabbed the milk container.  Almond milk would also go nicely with this combination of fruit, adding a nutty undertone and keeping it dairy free.

This morning I whipped up this smoothie for us to enjoy.

Peach Watermelon Smoothie

1/4 cup Skim Milk

1 Cup Watermelon, in chunks

1/2 banana

1 1/2 cups frozen peaches

Blend and enjoy.

* Please note this measurements are approximate and yielded about 20 ounces.

 

Monday Mixture

Happy Monday! I hope you had a good weekend. This past week was a little crazy so I enjoyed the weekend though busy it was more relaxing than my week which included a 60 hour trip with 24 hours of that being on the road. I am looking forward to an enjoyable week of hopefully lounging by the pool and taking in the bounty of summer.  It is so hard to go to the farmer’s market and not over buy.  This is my favorite time of year with local produce.

While the family has been enjoying a lot of fresh fruit I was gone for a few nights and decided to make a casserole ahead of time for Mr. Mixture and Little Miss Mixture.  I was hoping to enjoy it upon my return Thursday evening, but they went and ate the same thing two nights in a row.  I guess that is their way of saying they enjoyed it and thank you.

1. What we are eating – (July 6 – July 12)
Sunday – Tomato Pie (adapted from this)
Monday – Nachos with Black Beans, Spinach, Peppers
Tuesday – Noodle Kugel and Fruit
Wednesday – Noodle Kugel and Fruit
Thursday – Tomato Pie, Roasted Beets, Watermelon
Friday – Taco Night
Saturday – Family outing to an outdoor concert, dinner out

2. Meatless Monday  – WOW what a meatless week in our house.  Five out of  Seven nights!  What are you having for Meatless Monday?

3. Taco Night – I was a little bit adventurous with our tacos on Thursday night.  Well not really, but for us it was a change.  The last time we ate tacos Mr. Mixture commented on having hard shell tacos.  I cannot remember the last time I bought hard taco shells.  Little Miss Mixture was oblivious to what that even was as we have been eating soft shell tacos for years, so this time we had these.  We decided eating a hard shell taco is even more of an acquired skill, and one that everyone should learn.  

4.  It is cherry season!  I try and eat local for a lot of things, but some fruits are just not grown in our area.  I also try and eat during peak season to ensure more fresh produce.  Cherries are one of those items that can be enjoyed fresh for about 6-8 weeks throughout the summer.  Most of the cherries the stores receive are from the Northwest and they are only found in abundance during the summer as they have a short growing season.  I am very excited about sharing some of the delicious ways we are enjoying washington state cherries besides just straight from the bowl.

5. Top List – Have you noticed how many top (fill in the blank with #) list there are floating around on the internet.  You could probably find one that your life fits into at somehow regardless of where you grew up, went to school, or what you allow your kids to see and do.  I get sucked into to reading them from time to time.  Here are two that fit my life this week.

 Most Partying University  – Okay I will agree with the quoted freshman.  As a student at SU, you could find something to do every night if you wanted.  Though it get calmer during my time there because a similar list ranked it as # 1 at one time.  Maybe it is getting rowdy again.  I think it might be time to visit the alma mater.

25 Things every kid should do before age 10 –  I liked this list as well as a mom I try and make sure I expose Little Miss Mixture to different things.  I want her childhood to have memories and be well rounded, but call me a prude if you want, but I do not agree with # 3 and # 10.  A bug should be eaten only if it flies into your mouth, and NEVER should it be okay to cut your siblings hair or your own.  Thank you but I am pretty sure most kids will be just fine without these experiences.

6. Mixture – As I mentioned I made a road trip this week, so I had to eat on the road.  As usual I packed food for the trip – banana, peanut butter and jelly, mixture, and water.  With the temperatures being in the upper 80’s to 90’s, I have to have mixture that will withstand the heat, so it was a nuts and dried fruit mixture.  I did take sesame sticks along as well.  How do you eat when traveling?