How to Make Your Own Smoothies

As an avid smoothie drinker for quite a number of years now, I've had the privilege of amassing a substantial amount of knowledge on this topic, knowledge I've decided to pass on to you! Most of my knowledge has been gained from an extensive amount of field work on the topic - Strawberry Mango Madness, Blueberry Bliss, Low Carb Strawberry, Immune Builder Watermelon, etc. etc. - you name it, I've drunk it!

The word "Smoothie," I learned over time, is apparently a very general term for "anything you can stick in a blender." The options range from ice cream, to protein powder mix, to seaweed, to wheat grass juice, and on and on. I have often wondered to myself "Why hasn't anyone come along and copyrighted the word in an effort to exclude those creations which I wouldn't find worthy of feeding to my dog?" "What ever happened to the sanctity of the good old, enriching, invigorating, energizing, smoothie?" Has this become simply too much to ask for??!!

Well in an attempt to help rectify the madness which I feel has begun to descend upon this world, as well as due to my general good will, which has ennobled me to want to help better today's society, I have decided to publish the Smoothie Guide for Dummies. The purpose of this guide is to:

1. Help you distinguish which ingredients taste good in a smoothie
2. Enable you to determine which ingredients blend well with others
3. Share with you some of my favorite winning combinations
4. Teach you the basic principles necessary for creating your own mouth-watering Smoothie

The 3 Essential Components:

• Fruit
• A base liquid
• Ice

Note: There are those who advocate the use of additional sweeteners (i.e., Sweet n' Low, sugar, turbinido - code word for brown sugar, honey); however, if you'd like to know how to make a smoothie the proper way, such additives most certainly should not be included. These are the only 3 ingredients you need. Should you wish to add yogurt for extra protein, however, such an exception to the rule can be made.

Getting to Know Your Fruit:

The most critical part of the process is determining which fruit to use. Each fruit is extremely unique in its taste and composition, and, therefore, the best smoothies are those which bring out the fruits' assets, while simultaneously disguising their flaws.

So here's what you need to know:

• Certain fruits are rather watery (like melon); therefore, unless you combine them with a denser fruit or yogurt, expect to have a more watery shake.
• Certain fruits are rather sour compared to others (blueberries, blackberries, kiwi); therefore, it's important to pair them up with a sweet base liquid (orange juice, pineapple juice, etc.) and/or a complementary sweet fruit (banana, pineapple, mango, papaya) or two.

It should be noted that fruits are always at their sweetest when they are in season. I therefore, would not advise using fruits that are out of season, as you will generally find that they are over-priced and tasteless.

• It‘s best to use combinations of 2-3 fruits. Any more than that, and each fruit will lose its unique taste. Any less than that, and it will taste like you're slurping on a watery version of the fruit itself (you are)!
• Avoid fruits with difficult to separate seeds and skins (i.e., grapes, pomegranates), as you don't want to find lumps and pieces floating around in your smoothie.
• It's best to freeze the fruits before you use them. Not only does this have the practical advantage of increasing your fruit's shelf life by 10 fold, it enables your smoothie to be ice cold without causing it to be diluted by ice cubes.

Below I've included a short list of some of my favorite fruit combinations:

Banana-date

Strawberry-mango-banana

Pear-pineapple-mango

Cantaloupe-fig

Blueberry-strawberry

Honeydew-mango-banana

Blackberry-pear

Mango-papaya

Determining Your Liquid Base:

For this part, you've also got three basic options:

• Milk (soy or regular)
• Juice (orange, pineapple, lichee, apple)
• Water

In certain recipes, it doesn't make much of a difference which liquid you use; it's simply a matter of personal taste. In other recipes, however, the base liquid may prove to be the determining point between yummy and vile.

So how do you determine what to use when?

• Use fruit juices in combination with those fruits that are less sweet in order to balance out their tartness
• Use water or milk in combo with something that has yogurt, in order to avoid an overwhelming number of flavors
• Use milk, soymilk, and/or yogurt if you're looking to create a meal replacement. They are more filling then juice and contain the added advantage of protein
• Note that water will leave you with a thinner consistency than milk will. This can be an advantage when using dense fruits such as bananas, figs, and dates
• Trial and Error. Learn which combos you like and which ones you don't
• Think about it logically - do you think you'd enjoy eating this particular combination of flavors together?

Choosing a Blender - SSSSSHHHHZZZ

You do not need to splurge on anything particularly expensive. The only necessary criterion is that it can crush ice. You probably even have one stowed away somewhere in your cabinet (your mother- in-law's hand me down, bridal shower reject, Macy's annual sale on homeware...)

If you don't currently own one, various brand name suggestions include - Black and Decker, Sunbeam, Braun, Kitchenaid , Oster and Cuisinart

The Ice

The purpose of the ice is twofold. One, it adds crunchiness. Two, it makes the drink nice and cold. The amount you use is clearly dependent on the size of your smoothie and your personal taste, but I like using a large handful of ice cubes for a single 16 oz smoothie.

The Final Blend

Combine your ingredients. Cover, and blend! Adjust to desired consistency.