Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1-2 frozen bananas broken in chunks
1 heaping T. almond butter
1 heaping T. baking cocoa
almond milk

Put bananas, almond butter and cocoa into blender.  Add enough almond milk to reach desired consistency.

Optional: stir in chopped pecan and unsweetened coconut.

Mango Green Smoothie

1 frozen banana broken in chunks
6-7 chunks of frozen mango
1 handful of spinach or kale
apple juice (or a scoop of frozen apple juice and water to desired consistency)

optional to make a protein shake:

add a large spoonful of greek yogurt, 1-1 1/2 scoops vanilla protein powder, 1 t. chia seeds, and/or 1 t. hemp seeds

Put banana, mango, kale or spinach into a blender. Add chia seeds, hemp seeds, and/or Greek yogurt if desired. Add enough apple juice (or frozen apple juice and water) to reach desired consistency and mix until smooth.

* For a berry smoothie, you can substitute frozen mixed berries for the frozen mangos.

Janell's Pink Lemonade

My Aunt Janell is a great cook and I love everything she makes.  I always loved when she made this pink lemonade for parties. 

12 oz. can pink lemonade concentrate
1 1/2 cans of water
4 c. frozen strawberries
2 c. ice cubes
1/3 c. sugar

Blend and serve. 
Servings: 8-10

Lemonade Sparkle

three 2-liter bottles of grapefruit soda (available at Walmart)
two cans white grape juice concentrate
one can pink lemonade concentrate
lots of pebble ice (available from Sonic)

Combine ingredients and serve.

Mango Pina Colada

I've been making these a lot lately as I try to use up my mangos from my Bountiful Basket. This was the first I'd ever used cream of coconut. It's available in the same aisle as alcoholic beverages. Let's just say that I keep making this just so I can lick the spoon after scooping the cream of coconut out of the can. It is SO GOOD! Yum! I'm looking for other recipes using cream of coconut and I found some at the Coco Lopez website. YUM!

1 C chopped mango (about 1 medium mango)
1/3 C or more cream of coconut (NOT coconut milk)
1/2 C pineapple chunks, including some of the juice or syrup
juice from one lime (approx. 2 T)
1 tsp. rum extract (or almond extract is still good if you don't have rum)
crushed ice

Combine chopped mango, pineapple chunks and juice, lime juice, and cream of coconut in blender. While blender is running, add crushed ice until desired consistency is reached.

Pour drink into glasses (3 generous servings).

Recipe from Our Best Bites

RASPBERRY LEMONADE SLUSH

6 c hot water
4 c sugar
1 (12 oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 (46 oz) can pineapple juice
2 (10 oz) packages frozen raspberries
2 liters lemon-lime soda

In a large saucepan, combine hot water and sugar. Stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add lemonade, pineapple juice, and raspberries and stir until well mixed. Pour into large freezer bags or a 5-quart ice cream bucket. Freeze overnight. Serve with desired amount of soda.

Banana Pineapple Slush

This is a recipe from a good friend, Zona Hatch. She is a wonderful cook and a great example in the way she lives her life.

3 bananas
46 oz. can pineapple juice
3 c. sugar
3 c. water

Boil water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Blend bananas with pineapple juice in blender. Add to sugar water and stir. Put in the freezer overnight. Chop up the mixture and put in a glasses. Top off with 7-Up.

WASSAIL

4 c apple cider
2 c cranberry juice
12 oz can apricot nectar
c orange juice
1 c sugar
2 sticks cinnamon
cloves

Heat and simmer 20 minutes (or longer) in large saucepan or crockpot.

Add orange slices just before serving.

HOMEMADE ROOT BEER

5 lb dry ice
5 gal water
5 lb sugar
1 bottle root beer extract

Put all ingredients in a suitable container except ice. Mix well. But ice in 1/2 hour before serving time.