Pink Week: Triple Berry Smoothie

Aside from our panini maker, the blender is the second most-oft used appliance in the house by the kids. (Important to note that none of them have mastered the washing machine or dishwasher....) The boys, especially, make a lot of smoothies. When the bananas on the counter start looking a little sketchy, I peel them and put them in a baggie in the freezer. Maybe everyone does this, but I thought it was a smart idea.

Here's an easy recipe for smoothie + frozen banana:

Triple Berry Smoothie

1 cup frozen or fresh mixed berries
1 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla low fat yogurt
1 medium ripe banana
1 cup ice

Process all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately.

Pink Week: Easy Strawberry Pie

Easy Strawberry Pie

Filling:

1-8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
2-10 ounce pkgs frozen strawberries, thawed
Graham cracker crust

Blend cream cheese and sour cream. Reserve 1/2 cup berries and syrup; add remaining berries to cheese mixture. Pour into graham cracker crust. Freeze until firm. Spoon reserved berries over pie.

Crust:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter well and press firmly into 9’ pie pan. Chill 45 minutes.

Pink Week: Cherry Pudding

Cherries are one of those foods I didn't want to eat when I was little. I finally tried one, under duress...and liked it. My mom remembers this happening at a cherry orchard in Michigan, with a cherry picked straight from the tree. I remember it happening at the lunch buffet at Bonanza with a maraschino. Regardless, I do like cherries today. Here's a little keeper from my Grandma's recipe box...share the love with Cherry Pudding!

Cherry Pudding

2 cups sugar, divided
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup hot water
2 teaspoons baking powder
flour to form batter about like cake dough   
2 cups cherries

Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 tablespoon butter. Add water, flour and baking powder. Pour into greased 8 x 8 baking dish.

Mix 1 cup sugar with cherries and pour over batter. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon melted butter.