Autumn Berry Smoothie

It's that time of year again which means that blackberries are everywhere! I picked a bucketful last week and knew instantly that I had to make something seriously purple with my find and this autumn berry smoothie was it! It's super easy to make - simply blend all of the ingredients below together and enjoy!

Ingredients

MAKES & SMALL GLASSES

2 bananas

2 apples 

2 pears

2 cups blackberries

1 cup apple juice

6 tbsp yogurt (Glenisk Pure Original Blueberry Yogurt is great!)

Half a cup of crushed ice

Easy Peasy Pavlova Bites

If you're looking for something easy to whip up for dessert this Summer, you should definitely try these easy peasy pavlova bites. You can make the base up to a week and a half before the day you plan to serve them which leaves only the assembling for the busy day - super! 

Ingredients 

3 egg whites 

100g caster sugar 

50g icing sugar

For Decoration

250ml fresh whipping cream 

Fresh berries of your choice 

Grated or melted chocolate 

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Method

1) Preheat your oven to 110C / 230F / Gas Mark 1/2, and line a flat baking tray with greaseproof paper.

2) Whisk your egg whites using an electric mixer until the mixture forms a peak when the beater is lifted. 

3) Add half the caster sugar to the mixing bowl and mix again until the mixture forms a peak again when the beater is lifted. 

4) Add the remaining caster sugar to the bowl and once again beat for aprox 5 minutes until the mixture forms a peak again once the beater is lifted. 

5) Fold the icing sugar into the mix using a metal spoon, then fill you piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle with the mix and pipe small amounts of the mix onto your baking tray. 

6) Bake the mini pavlovas for 1.75 hours, then leave to cool before storing in an airtight container. 

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When Decorating...

Whip the fresh cream with a small drop of vanilla extract and again fill your piping bag fitted with the star shaped nozzle with the mix. Pipe the cream onto each of the mini pavlovas and top with berries of your choice. Sprinkle with grated chocolate or drizzle melted chocolate over the pavlovas and dust with icing sugar. 

You can easily use any left over meringues to top a chocolate and fresh cream cake or any cake for that matter! 

Summer Strawberry and Orange Smoothie

Why not start your day with a vitamin packed summer smoothie? 

Smoothies are extremely easy to make and are also a great way to use up fruit that's starting to go that little bit too ripe. I always use a banana, natural yogurt and orange juice base for any smoothie that I make and pretty much add whatever fruit I can get my hands on.

This Strawberry Kiss Summer Smoothie is made up of strawberries, passion fruit, apple, orange juice, banana and natural yogurt.

MAKES 2 LARGE GLASSES

1.5 cups Orange Juice

Half cup of Natural Yogurt

2-3 cups Strawberries (either frozen or fresh)

2 Bananas

3 Apples (peeled and cored)

2 Passion fruit

1 cup of Ice

Simply blend all fruit with the juice and yogurt followed by the ice and enjoy !

Carrot & Passion Fruit Smoothie

I woke up feeling a little under the weather this morning and decided that I needed to make myself some sort of vitamin packed breakfast. I thought of topping porridge with the usual chopped fruit and berries but instead I rooted through the fridge and pulled out a few carrots, pears and passion fruits and decided to whip up a pick-me-up smoothie. Blended carrot didn't sound overly appetizing to me, but, to my surprise this strange creation proved me wrong. This smoothie, packed full of vitamins, left me feeling ready to tackle my final semester assignment mountain.

 I'll just say one thing; don't knock it 'til you try it!

Ingredients 

SERVES 4

2 ripe bananas 

2 pears 

2 carrots

2 passion fruits 

2 cups orange juice

1 cup crushed ice
Mint leaves (to serve)

Method

There's not really much to making this smoothie 
- you pretty much whack everything in the blender, but here goes... 
just in case...

1) Peel and chop all fruit and veg and add to the blender 

2) Add the orange juice and blend on medium speed until smooth

3) Add in the crushed ice, blend again and, hey presto there's your super healthy vitamin packed smoothie - enjoy!

Blueberry & Kiwi Smoothie

I woke up this morning and didn't feel too good so I decided I needed something healthy and packed with vitamins for breckie. I thought about eating plain old fruit and yogurt but I fancied something different... As I walked into the kitchen I saw the smoothie maker looking up at me and I decided that was it ....

I robbed this recipe from a really cool 2013 Diary that my mam got free with Keeling's Strawberries during the week. It features loads of healthy fruit recipes....

INGREDIENTS
(Makes 2 glasses)

250g Blueberries (roughly)
1 large Banana
2 Kiwis
3 large tbsp of Natural Yogurt
100ml Apple Juice or Milk
Small cup of Crushed Ice

1) Peel and roughly chop the banana and kiwis (The easiest way to peel a kiwi is to chop the top off and using a spoon, scoop the kiwi flesh out)
2) Put the chopped kiwi and banana and the blueberries into your smoothie maker or blender and blend
3) Add the yogurt, followed by the apple juice/milk and blend again
4) Add the crushed ice and blend once more
5) Pour and enjoy :)

FACT: This smoothie is packed with vitiamins

 and antioxidents that will 

help boost your immune system.