In a Tropical Kinda Mood

Trader Joe's Frozen Mango

Is it summer yet? It certainly felt like it this weekend in South Carolina...80 degree mornings, strong sunshine, bike week, beaches, and AC on blast. Back in DC/Bmore things are a bit milder--warming up, but not exactly hot yet. Still, I'm in a tropical kinda mood :) And what screams the tropics better than mangoes, pineapples, coconuts, and bananas?


New smoothie recipes:


Pineapple Mango Smoothie
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp ground chia seeds
1 tsp ground flaxseed

Blend oats, chia seeds, and flaxseed to a fine powder. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Banana Mango Smoothie
1 frozen banana
1½ cups frozen mango chunks
3/4 cup oats
1 cup coconut milk
Blend oats to a fine powder. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

Tip:
- Peel and slice your bananas before freezing them.

A Lesson:
I left a half full blender bottle in my kitchen sink and left for a 6-day vacation. I knew I shouldn't have, but I was in a hurry and didn't really think things through. These things happen. These bottles seal airtight and fruit smoothies ferment. There was an explosion, and the results were all over my kitchen--dried smoothie  everywhere! It took me ages to clean up and I still haven't quite figured out how to get it off the wall without scraping off the paint. So, please, don't leave your sealed smoothies bottle lying around for days. It's gross and not worth the mess. Yikes!