blended up.

About once a year I go through a fruit smoothie phase. It's often in the springtime (see here and here) and it lasts for a month or two before I abandon the frozen stuff and head to the market for something fresh. I'm not sure why I don't remember to enjoy smoothies for more of the year, but there's something about the rediscovery each spring that makes them all the more refreshing.

I've never written a full smoothie post because I guess I've felt like putting a bunch of fruit and juice in a blender doesn't really merit a how-to. Also, the word smoothie kind of grosses me out. But! I thought I would write to encourage you to do a little kitchen appliance sleuthing, just in case you haven't already. The base of our blender threads directly onto a glass mason jar and I have a hunch that yours might too. If you have a blender, test out a standard-sized jar (wide mouth jars will likely be too big) and see for yourself. Blending your smoothie directly into a jar makes for incredibly easy cleanup (and is equally awesome for mixing up quick pestos and garlicky salad dressings). I'm fairly sure I've mentioned this before, but I think it bears repeating...

This morning I used half an avocado, a small handful of frozen raspberries and frozen blueberries, a few tablespoons of yogurt and orange juice to fill my jar. The result was filling, but just a tad heavy on the avocado for my taste. So. Are you smoothie drinkers out there? What have you been blending lately? Tips, tricks, & brilliant ideas welcomed.

PS. We got our glass straws here. We love them, but I'd definitely recommend buying a nylon brush to help clean. ...And if you can't scrub your smoothie straw straight away, at least give it a little rinse. Dried up yogurt in a straw is not fun.

PPS. Update for inquiring minds: we have the Oster Beehive Blender in chrome!

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