Summertime Faves: Stone Fruit Smoothie

I didn’t actually know that they were called stone fruits until a conversation with a co-worker last week, but apricots, peaches, plums, nectarines, and cherries all fall under the category. Basically, if it has a pit, it’s a stone fruit. Summertime is when these soft and juicy bad boys are in season, but only for like the months of July and August. They are one of the many things that mean summer has arrived, for me anyway. That and fireflies, cookouts, and the errant firework a neighborhood boy might set off in the dead of night.

Anyway, my mother bought a ton of stone fruits last weekend, and they got those creative juices flowing! I couldn't resist the temptation of combining some of them to make a smoothie with my Nutribullet. As a mentioned way back when I started Bringing Up Brittany, my parents got me a Nutribullet for my birthday, and I've been hooked on smoothies ever since. I've used stone fruits in other recipes but never combined them, so I was very interested to see if this would turn out incredibly well or horrifyingly awful. Since it turned out to be delicious though, I thought I'd share the recipe!

Stone Fruit Smoothie

You’ll Need…

1 peach, pitted and roughly chopped 

1 nectarine, pitted and roughly chopped

1 cup of cherries, pitted

1 cup of vanilla yogurt

1 banana, peeled

And the Steps…

Add all ingredients to Nutribullet (or blender) and blend until liquid is the desirable thickness. I usually blend for a little under a minute.

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After washing my hands so that I didn't look like I'd murdered somebody (cherry juice looks freakishly like blood...), it was time to try my concoction. It was like drinking a cup of sunshine, I kid you not. I had that sweetness I love from ripe stone fruits but a subtle tartness from the black cherries. This is certainly a recipe I'm going to have to try again before the fruits are out of season!

It was really an easy treat to make and so incredibly refreshing, even at room temperature. But you could probably chill the fruits or add ice on a particular hot day to cool you off.

3 Tasty Fruit Smoothies to Die For

2015 has been all about eating healthier for me.  As I’ve already mentioned (a few times), I’ve been trying to eat more fresh fruits and veggies, and I’ve been succeeding thanks to my Nutribullet.  It was a birthday present from my parents, and it’s made fruits and vegetables really exciting for me.  Instead of buying the same old produce week after week, my family is now keeping a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in the house.  We were pretty much an apple and banana family, but now we have papayas, mangoes, pineapples, and all sorts of berries, just to name a few.  And I’ve really been having fun experimenting with the fruit combinations! 

Since getting my Nutribullet, smoothies have become my go-to breakfast and snack food on the weekend.  I’ve noticed that I don’t snack as much after I’ve had a smoothie, and I’m usually the snack-queen.  They’ve turned out to be a tasty, low-calorie, and proteinaceous alternative to the junk food I usually eat while lounging around the house. 

I figured that since smoothies have been such a hit with me (and my parents) that maybe some of you would be fans too, if you aren’t already.  So, here are a few of my favorite smoothie recipes so far…

PINEAPPLE GINGER SMOOTHIE

Simply blend 1 ½ cups of frozen pineapple, 1 fresh banana, ½ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, a pinch of ground ginger (to taste), and ½ cup of water.  This low-calorie smoothie (about 250 calories) has a bit of a kick to it but was a huge hit with my family.  It’s colorful and zesty with a bit of sweetness to it and made me momentarily forget it was bitter cold outside.  Oh, the mysterious powers of tropical fruits!  If you use fresh pineapple, then I’d suggest adding 6-8 cubes of ice to give your smoothie a refreshing chill.

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Blend 1 cup of fat free milk, ¾ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, ¼ cup of chocolate chips.  This smoothie tastes like dessert, which probably explains why it’s my favorite so far.  At about 510 calories, it is a bit indulgent for someone on a diet but totally worth it.  I felt like I was drinking a cake--yum!  

VERY BERRY SMOOTHIE

Blend ½ cup of non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 cup of frozen strawberries, 1 cup of frozen blueberries, 1 cup of frozen black cherries, 1 banana, and water.  The color of this smoothie was basically the most Instagram-worthy thing ever, and the smoothie was rich, creamy, and sweet.  At about 360 calories, you get a pretty large smoothie if you try to drink it in one go.