Smoothies

Audrey and I were having fun experimenting with different recipes for smoothies & shakes this summer. Below is a sampling of a few we made. The green one was way healthier than the ice cream shake, but both were delicious. And you really cannot taste the spinach.

GREEN SMOOTHIE
1-2 bananas
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1/2 cup frozen mango
A couple handfuls of spinach
Water & Ice as needed
Add just enough water to blend and enjoy.

BLACKBERRY SHAKES
1 pint fresh blackberries
2-4 tablespoons sugar (depending on berries sweetness)
1 pint vanilla ice cream
12 ounces pomegranate juice
1 cup milk
Combine all but a few blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the sugar has melted and the berries are soft and just starting to break down. Cool. Then put the cooked berries, ice cream, pomegranate juice and milk in a blender and puree until thick and creamy. Pour into tall glasses and garnish with remaining berries.

CDA & Grille from Ipanema

We decided to try out a Brazilian barbecue restaurant that opened recently in Couer d'Alene. It is called Grille From Ipanema and waiters move from table to table bringing different types of meats on skewers, and they slice off portions onto your plate. The meat included 4 types of beef (like top sirloin, garlic steak), 2 types of pork (pork with brown sugar and Brazilian sausage) and 2 types of poultry (marinated chicken and chicken wrapped bacon). There were also grilled vegetables and the best... grilled pineapple! In addition, they have a salad bar that included various cold salads, fresh fruit, warm dishes (like potatoes or pasta) and desserts. Finally, there was this beverage that we ordered, "Brazilian Lemonade". Very tasty & enjoyable time. Below is a recipe I found, but have not tried it yet:

BRAZILIAN LEMONADE
4 juicy limes
1 c. sugar
6 c. cold water
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
Put ingredients in blender, using 3 & 1/2 of the limes (save the rest for garnish). Blend well. Strain through a fine strainer. Serve immediately over ice.

After lunch we definitely needed to walk off our meal!! We headed toward downtown CDA and checked out a fun game store with retro games, fun selections, and old-style ambiance (had a tin ceiling). Then we went to the candy store we had visited in August to show Audrey what she missed : ) She was able to make up for any lost time by selecting a wide assortment of candy. Had to keep to non-chocolate choices as we were afraid it would melt on the car ride home. Fun Day!!

Wassail

I made this for both of the scrapping events. It is rather delicious and makes your house smell fabulous too!

WASSAIL
1 gallon cider
1 can frozen OJ
1 can frozen Lemonade
2/3 c. sugar (can add less)
2 tsp whole cloves
2 tsp allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
Water (3 of the OJ cans worth, more or less)

Put all ingredients in a large pot (or crockpot) and heat. Refrigerate leftovers.