STORY
Because I am not a wealthy girl, I’ve been quite sensitive to the drastic increase in dairy prices. A half gallon carton of organic milk in my area costs $3.99. And I soon noticed that my favorite smoothie was $2.25 instead of $1.50. I know it’s just $.75, but toward the end of the week $.75 a day added up. (That was more than the cost of a burger or a glass of wine!) This seemed unjust to me, and so I made the decision that I could make my own yogurt, and that would make my smoothies a lot cheaper. When I don’t have time to make my own yogurt, I use Stonyfield Farm’s. Either way, I still save enough to enjoy a glass of wine with friends at the end of the week.
RECIPE
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Blend Time: 1 minute
- Total Time: 3 minutes
TOOLS
- 1 tall glass
- 1 small spoon
- 1 blender, or small food processor
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of whole or low fat yogurt (I like Stonyfield Farm or homemade)
1/2 cup frozen berries, defrosted in microwave for about 20 seconds
1 tbsp of slivered, blanched almonds
2 tsp of Demarara sugar (or your favorite type of sugar)
1/2 tsp of good vanilla extract (Do not, I repeat, do not use imitation vanilla. It’s yucky. I swear by Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla from Nielsen-Massey.)
1/4 cup low fat milk, rice milk, or soy milk
METHOD
- In a blender or food processor, combine, 1/2 cup of berries, 1 tbsp of almonds, 2 tsp of sugar, and blend until smooth.
- Add 1 cup of yogurt, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract to berry mixture, and blend until ingredients are combined.
- Serve as a parfait with nuts, muesli or granola, or just drink it as is. It’s your smoothie.
(Photo Credit: Matthew G. Piccolo)