Giveaways Feb. 20-24th, 2012!
If you're here from Pinterest, Welcome! I hope you'll take a look around and follow along! Thanks for stopping by!
The inspiration for this came via pinterest, my newest obsession. I somehow managed to hold off on joining for quite some time and then finally caved a few weeks ago. I'm HOOKED now!
If you're here from Pinterest, Welcome! I hope you'll take a look around and follow along! Thanks for stopping by!
The inspiration for this came via pinterest, my newest obsession. I somehow managed to hold off on joining for quite some time and then finally caved a few weeks ago. I'm HOOKED now!
I love smoothies, but with them going for $5+ a pop, it's not something I will allow myself to buy often. Insert this quick smoothie recipe and I can have a smoothie anytime I like in a matter of minutes!
Here are my ingredients ready for prep.
I bought pre-frozen strawberries and blueberries because it was a better deal than buying fresh and freezing myself. Also, the strawberries were already sliced so it saves me a little time!
I chose weight watchers vanilla yogurt because, again, it was the best deal. [Also chose to use a magic bullet instead of a big blender b/c a) they are awesome and b)less to clean!]
First I measured 1tbsp scoops of yogurt into a mini muffin tin. I didn't level it off, considering some of the yogurt was going to stick in the measuring cup. Once they were filled, I froze them. [the recipe I found on pinterest used ice trays, but I didn't have any of those on hand so I improvised.]
Next I got to chopping my fresh fruit!
And then arranged them on a silpat mat and popped it in my freezer![You could use a baking sheet if you don't have a silpat! I just chose something that would fit in my freezer & the fact that i could just roll all of the frozen fruit off when I was finished was a plus!] You want your fruit to be pre frozen before you combine them so that they don' freeze together in the packs.
A few hours later when everything was frozen, I laid everything out to prepare to bag my individual "smoothie mixes". If you use muffin tins like I did, let them sit out for a few minutes so they loosen up a bit, then use a spoon and they will pop out like ice cubes. [DON'T dip the bottom of the pan in warm water to loosen them up. I tried that(before i even bothered using a spoon) and they got melty really quick and i had to refreeze them!]
I used just short of a cup and half of fruit for each bag and 3 yogurt cubes.
After they are all bagged up, pop them in the freezer! Next time you want a smoothie, you're ready to go! Just add a little juice or milk and voila! I may try to add a little oatmeal or wheat grass next time to pump it up even more since I'm treating the smoothies as breakfast.
I was able to make 8 smoothies with the amount of fruit I had.
1 bag of strawberries, 1 bag of blueberries, 3 bananas and 2 kiwis. My total cost was $11 including yogurt, which brings my total for each smoothie to a whopping $1.37 & averaging around 200ish calories.
Lacey-1 Smoothie King-0
[all photos via me]
DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist or health professional, I'm simply a girl who likes a quick smoothie! So, unfortunately, I don't know the answer to all of your great questions. I know... bummer. I can only suggest that you google it! That's what i would do! If there is something you think I may know the answer to, I'm happy to try! If you have a question that is health/nutrition related- I can refer you to a great Wellness Coach who I am sure would be happy to help you with your questions!
linking up here:
[all photos via me]
DISCLAIMER: I am not a nutritionist or health professional, I'm simply a girl who likes a quick smoothie! So, unfortunately, I don't know the answer to all of your great questions. I know... bummer. I can only suggest that you google it! That's what i would do! If there is something you think I may know the answer to, I'm happy to try! If you have a question that is health/nutrition related- I can refer you to a great Wellness Coach who I am sure would be happy to help you with your questions!
linking up here:
This is a great idea! I keep meaning to get on making more smoothies but I am always missing the fruit:)
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome idea! I think I am going to try that out!
ReplyDeleteOMG. What a fabulous idea! I usually drink a protein shake for breakfast but I love a good smoothie. I'm soooo doing this! So pinterest has recipes too? I really should jump on the bandwagon.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter was sitting on my lap while I was reading this and she said "Kiwi". It's her favorite fruit!
Thanks for the great recipe!
You are so smart! I LOVE this idea! I have been on such a smoothie craze lately and I bet this would save so much time in the mornings! Oh man, I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteYum!!!
ReplyDeleteStopping by from TMT Tuesday =]
I love this idea and have been seeing it on pinterest too. But what I love even more is your kiwi/banana yum, so cute!
ReplyDeleteI've been on such a smoothie kick, what a great idea!
ReplyDeleteWell thank you sweet thang! LOVE!!
ReplyDeleteSuch a great idea!! Thanks so much--my sons will thank you too!
ReplyDeleteI found your post via Pinterest! I love making smoothies for my little man so it would be awesome to have everthing on hand and ready to go! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteFabulous idea!
ReplyDeleteFound this on Pinterest -- I'm new to it too & totally addicted! I love the idea of kiwi in a smoothie and will definitely be trying these out!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! The last time I bought a big tub of yogurt for smoothies, the expiration date came before I could use it all! This would definitely solve that problem!
ReplyDeleteIf you freeze yogurt, do you still go by the expiration date? If not what is a good rule of thumb to know when to use it by?
ReplyDeleteThis is so smart I love it! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThis is so smart I love it! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! Totally doing this over the weekend!
ReplyDeleteFabulous idea! Makes me want to chuck my Kitchen Aid out the window and get a magic bullet! Dear Santa...
ReplyDeleteBTW found you via Pinterest. :)
So smart!
ReplyDeleteYou rock! :)
ReplyDeleteVery good idea. I will definitely be trying that! Check out my blog I'm a newbie :) fallwith.us
ReplyDeleteI make these everyday and i love them!!!! The oatmeal addition and a teaspoon of organic almond butter makes them UBER delicious!!!!
ReplyDeleteAfter you have your smoothie bags frozen and you are ready to blend your smoothie, do you have to thaw it out first?
ReplyDeleteA few answers to questions asked in this comment section!
ReplyDelete- If you freeze the yogurt, do you still follow the expiration date? Nope! I follow the same guidelines for freezing milk. It can keep for 3-5 months in the freezer, or 1 year in a deep freezer. I use my packs up within two weeks, so that has never been a concern for me ;)
Do you have to thaw out your smoothie packs before you blend them? No way! Having everything frozen keeps you from having to add ice! Just add juice or milk to get it all moving together in the blender!
i use the frozen fruit already. but i didn't know you could freeze yogurt. That makes it super easy. Can't wait to try it.
ReplyDeleteWow! How have I never thought of this? Makes soo much sense for an easy fast morning!
ReplyDeleteI do this and yes it makes great sense, specially on I got up late this a.m.!!give you a hint any ball/kerr canning jar fits on a blender...........I found it on Pinterest.
ReplyDeleteI found you off of pinterest. I love this idea. Thanks so much and cute blog! =)
ReplyDeleteSee there, joining Pintrest did someone some good... ME! Love this idea and I'm off to the store to pick up fruit and yogurt, THANKS!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea!
ReplyDeleteA good addition would be fresh spinach leaves. The banana and yogurt really cover the taste so you don't even know it's there! Plus an awesome dose of fiber to keep the body working! And maybe a dash of protein powder, just to even it all out. The fructose can really spike blood sugar so having other elements for the body to digest will help prevent the spike/fall sugar effect.
ReplyDeleteMy yogurt and fruit are in the freezer. I was stupidly excited to this. :)
ReplyDeleteI only buy the yoplait ones when they are on sale and I have a coupon. I really do love them so this is a great way to get the same taste and nutrients for about the same cost as when I use coupons. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to thank you and say you're a genius!!!! I just did a mango, pineapple, and yogurt with orange juice. It is delicous.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing!! Can't wait to try it myself!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! Saw this on pinterest. I also have more muffin tins than ice cube trays, plus we have a magic bullet. Have you tried this with store-bought frozen fruit? That might be the route I go. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete-caroline @ c.w.frosting
LOVE this!! I have my yogurt freezing right now. Found you on Pinterest, just like everyone else. Thanks so much for sharing! This will be a lifesaver in the mornings for us!
ReplyDeleteSarah
http://www.mommade.org
Thanks for this idea. I made the bags yesterday and just made my first smoothie. I used almond soymilk. It took awhile to blend because of it being frozon (I kept having to stop and rearrange everything so it would "go" again). Would the Bullet be better in this case? Also, I like the idea of oatmeal & sorry if this is a dumb question, but do you just put uncooked oatmeal in with the smoothie stuff or is it cooked? Thanks!
ReplyDeletePlease leave me an email address to reach you at if you ask a question! I've tried to email quite a few of you answers, but can't(sad face) b/c your accounts are set up to be "no reply bloggers" Here is a post on how to fix that!
ReplyDeletehttp://laceyinloveblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/nobody-likes-no-reply-blogger.html
I am wondering if you can take it one step further.
ReplyDeleteCut up all the fruit, freeze. Then measure your yogurt and place the fruit in the yogurt and freeze together.
Then pop out everything all at once?
Great idea, but I am trying to go dairy free. Can you freeze soy or almond milk?
ReplyDeleteYou can get coconut milk yogurt (dairy free) or almond milk yogurt (also dairy free). I wouldn't freeze the milk as you need some liquid to help blend it all together.
DeleteGREAT IDEA---I do this a lot mainly in the summer when fruit is so abundant and cheaper - but I have never frozen the yogurt. I add a scoop of Juice Plus Complete all plant based protein powder and I have a complete meal. Good to add fresh spinach as well. It will change the color but not the flavor. I will also use this idea when I do my smoothie classes!
ReplyDeleteTammy Carrithers
Holistic Nutritional Counselor
This is a fantastic idea! I am always looking for ideas to help busy, budgeting people eat better - and this is quite a nugget! Great pix, great info.
ReplyDeleteTiffany Youngren
Transfer of Health
Healthy Living and Recipes
Just did this with doubling the recipe! I ended up with about 15 bags. I used wax paper in a cake pan and just dropped the yogurt on there to freeze. It was so easy to peel the yogurt off the paper after it was frozen. I can't wait till tomorrow to try one for breakfast!
ReplyDeleteWhat about using fresh fruit? Can you just freeze them in packs and then pop them into the bullet or blender whenever you're ready?
ReplyDeleteAlton Brown calls his smoothies "purple breakfast" or something similar. His recipes are like 32 oz, but it's so good for you & filling.
ReplyDeleteI found this idea on Pinterest and used it in my blog post for today! Thanks for the awesome idea.
ReplyDeleteSaw this on Pinterest--surprise! Great idea here with so many combinations You'll never get tired of them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHey, I know this was posted awhile ago and I think it is an amazing idea. I have just one question : When you make up your bags do you just put one thing of yogurt from the muffin tin, so essentially you could make 12 bags of smoothie mixes? And if you use ice cube trays you use 3 ice cubes of yogurt??
ReplyDeleteThanks :)
I used to make pre-measured frozen yogurt with my dog's omega-3 mixed in. I'd line a mini muffin pan with press'n seal before filling them and then cover the whole thing with another piece of press'n seal to cover it all. It made it really easy to pop them out, didn't need to let the tray sit out for them to all soften when we only need one at a time.
ReplyDeleteI don't even worry about scooping. I buy individual sized yogurts and freeze them in their tubs. Run outside in hot water and then squirt in to bags. Also, I take a liquid vitamin, so I put that in with some protein powder
ReplyDeleteWould Greek yogurt work with this?
ReplyDeleteI use Greek yogurt with mine.
ReplyDeleteI know it works for other stuff but I'm not sure if it would work for this...have you tried spraying the bottom of your muffin pans with Pam to see if the frozen yogurt pops out? Just a thought...also, I'm going to make these today...thanks for the idea.
ReplyDeleteI put my Greek yogurt in silicone muffin cups and they just pop right out.
ReplyDeleteI.m so gonna try this,I always buy fresh fruit and add a little bit of juice &, protein powder& blend it.But I don't freeze my fruit,I make one smmothie at a time.
ReplyDeleteThe silicone cups work awesome if you.have them. Tis the best thing to have available in the am!
ReplyDeleteAnd did you know that Kiwi is good for hurrying the healing of canker sores?
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome idea... something to make it quicker for you... I've a couple of these that I use for baby food and stuff but they'd be perfect for freezing the yogurt (and so much easier!)
ReplyDeletehttp://www.qubies.com/
I use the things for home made popsicles. Fill them with smoothies, pop the plastic sticks in them and put them in the freezer. They make great snacks. Like ice cream, but healthy.
ReplyDeleteWhat about put a cupcake liner to freeze the yougurt? Then pop it out bag them in a freezer bag?
ReplyDeleteThanks Pattie
Wouldn't it just work to stuff all the bags and throw in a spoonful of yogurt and then freeze? It is all going to be blended anyways... Or is that just me?
ReplyDeleteGreat Idea!! These will be great for quick breakfasts. I can also have the kids pick their own mixes of fruit and it still won't be a huge fight if everybody wants something different.
ReplyDeleteLove this idea :0) Got the mid 40's need to stay in shape feeling going.. This could help Thx!
ReplyDeleteOur smoothies probably taste the same. I always pick up extra fruit (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, mangoes) etc when it's on sale and cut it up and freeze it right away on trays. Then I dump all of it in a huge ziploc bag and keep that in the freezer. I buy natural frozen yogourt (in the ice cream section) and fill up the blender with a few scoops of that, milk/juice, and toss in a few handfuls of fruit. With six of us in the house, I just like making one huge blender full at once and then everyone gets one. I like the idea of individual smoothies, but really, in this house, I can never drink that by myself!
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know if you can freeze spinach leaves with the fruit or can it only be put in fresh?
ReplyDeleteLacey, I found your smoothie idea on pinterest and gave it a try tonight. Genius! I included a paragraph about it in my blog tonight and added a link to your blog to give you credit. Hope that is okay with you!
ReplyDeleteThey prep is in the freezer now so excited to have "fresh" smoothies on hand at all times. :) that is until they're all gone and all for under $7.00 plus I made 36 yugurt cubes instead of 24 so I have some extra for other uses :)
ReplyDeleteAnyone know mabye about the point value if your doing weight watchers?
ReplyDeleteFor weight watchers, I would guess that you just add up the points associated with each ingredient.
ReplyDeleteI am now a smoothie addict! Came home from work the other night and made a smoothie instead of ice cream- yea! I also add some powdered Benefiber and almonds to mine. One more bonus- I just found huge bags of frozen sliced strawberries and blueberries at Sam's Club- oober cheap!
ReplyDeleteMy mom has a huge garden with lots of spinach so she freezes all that she doesn't eat fresh and then uses it for smoothies. You would never know that it was frozen! I am sure you could just add the spinach to your fruit or just freeze it in it's own bag because it breaks apart easily when frozen.
ReplyDeleteSmoothies are standard breakfast fare in our home, and this would speed it up a lot.
ReplyDeleteYep, spinach should freeze well. But I find that in our bullet it works best if it's in and blended with some liquid before the rest of the smoothie parts go in.
Try adding almonds. Yeah, there are always a few chunks left at the end that don't get blended in, but ohwow, yummy.
Fantastic idea!
ReplyDeleteSO going to try this! Great idea
ReplyDeleteBrilliant idea - cost effective and time saving. Also means nothing goes to waste. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteFound this on pinterest and followed the link back here. We do a LOT of smoothies (had one tonight!), and I love this. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is brilliant! I have a few left over pieces of fruit I need to use up before they go bad and this is a great way to do that. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI definitely am going to try this. I hate spending close to $5 for the pre-packaged smoothies that are found in the freezer section. Thanks so much for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely trying this!!
ReplyDeleteGoing to do this!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea! It would make making smoothies so much quicker and I'd probably be more prone to make them! Thanks!
ReplyDeletehow much milk/juice do you add? and which do you use, milk or juice?
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! Smoothies are awesome. Fresh fruit might work well too. http://www.harvestcrate.com
ReplyDeleteSuch great idea! And oh yes I'm hooked on pinterest also!!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI found this on pinterest about a month and a half ago and have been making smoothies daily ever since. Thanks for the great idea!
ReplyDeleteI am such a smoothie freak. Can't go a day without one..Am proud to say that I have lost 50 lbs. too. Smoothies have been a great help in my losing the weight.Thanks for this great idea, friend..
ReplyDeleteI haven't had a smoothie in a while, but used to make them every day when I was pregnant. I needed a huge blast of protein every morning or I'd get really sick, so I added vanilla whey powder. Also spinach doesn't even change the flavor but adds good stuff.
ReplyDeleteJust some other ideas, though your recipe is fantastic as-is.
I think I might need to get back on the smoothie track!
Super awesome! I am going to start doing this once I go shopping this week. I need the protein and other vitamins so hopefully I will be able to keep these down!
ReplyDeleteAdd some protein powder, some fiber and a 1/4 cup of oatmeal (dry) and you have a great balanced breakfast...and you can lose weight too!
ReplyDeleteThis is an absolutely awesome idea! Thank you so much for sharing this with "me". I love smoothies and this is going to make preparing them so much simpler and faster! Thanks sgain!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea, I may have to borrow. One thing to think about if you really want to pump them up. Turn them into green smoothies by adding a handful of spinach and a scoop of whey protein powder. Ups the cals by about 90, but lasts as breakfast much longer. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI love the Activia yogurts and always buy the big pack from Sam's Club because it's the better purchase. However, I'm not all that crazy about the vanilla yogurts in the pack. Thanks so much for the amazing idea on how to use these! I love making fruit shakes with my protein mix already. Now I'll just add my frozen vanilla to the mix ;) Thank you so much for the great idea!
ReplyDeleteI love buying the Activia yogurt packs from Sam's Club, but not too crazy about the vanilla yogurts in the pack. Thanks for the amazing idea on how to use the vanilla yogurts. I already make fruit protein shakes for breakfast. Now I'll just add the frozen vanilla yogurts to the mix to spruce it up! Btw...I'll be adding some spinach to the mix too! That too, was a great idea! I can't wait! ;)
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm so excited about this! I always buy too many berries when they go on sale and don't know what to do to save them- I'll just freeze some smoothie packs! Now I have to go buy a blender...
ReplyDeleteThis is soooo cool make some to give my kids to school!
ReplyDeleteGround flax seed adds a nutty flavor plus lots of nutrition! You can toast the flax seed before you grind them.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! So easy. I am now following you on Pinterest so don't mind me, I will just be repinning you nonstop=)
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Great idea. I'm going to alter for our Paleo diet with items we use.
ReplyDeletethanks!
Love this idea. What other fruit combinations without bananas would you suggest? Also, is there a fruit combination that would work well with cranberry juice. Thanks for any suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI worked in a yogurt store that made smoothies - with cranberry juice, try strawberries and raspberries. Also, that recipe except half cranberry juice/half apple juice. And to leave banana out of any of them, just up the other ingredients to compensate :-) Pineapple juice with peaches was a huge seller, too.
DeleteI worked in a yogurt store that made smoothies... with cranberry juice (or, half cranberry, half apple - YUM), try raspberries and strawberries. If you want to leave banana out of anything, just up the amount of the other ingredients. We were taught that that was a no-no, but I'm allergic to bananas, sooo...!! Also, pineapple juice with peaches was a huge seller, as was pineapple juice with strawberry. :-)
Deletegreat tip! I also like spinach and dried oats in my smoothies (you can't taste it when it's all blended!)
ReplyDeleteCan you give me some variations to use for lactose intolerant people? thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!!! Just saw this on pintrest. Totally going to do it - thanks so much you are going to save me lots of nice wonderful twenty dollar bills. To take my family to get smoothies usually is a once a month treat because its like $20 for the three of us. Crazy huh. Great pictures too :)
ReplyDeleteWOW, this sure beats opening 5-6 packets of frozen stuff to make 1 smoothie LOL. And why did I never think to slice the strawberries b e f o r e freezing them? I'm always left with little lumps of sb in my smoothie :-/. Thanks a bundle!!
ReplyDeleteFound this on Pinterest AGES ago but never got around to trying it. I've been having a hard time with breakfast since I got pregnant and random found this post in my bookmarks yesterday. I decided to try it out, and love it! I found in my Wal-Mart freezer section not only frozen sliced strawberries, but ones with sliced banana mixed in! Got two bags if those, the yogurt, and kiwis. I had some frozen raspberries and a bag of frozen mixed berries still at home (I took the whole strawberries out of the mixed bag) so I decided to use those first. I just stuck the kiwi pieces in the muffin tin with the yogurt because my freezer is tiny, and made my packs this morning. I also added spinach. LOVE IT! I would say if you don't mind the seeds the rasp- and black berries are great, but if you don't like the seeds stick with blueberries. I will next time. Now, to figure out if there's a protein powder I can get that's "safe" for pregnant women.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea. I love this.
ReplyDeleteIf you soak your oatmeal overnight on your milk it is less gritty....just thought I wold share my tidbit of knowledge! Going to make smoothie pack now!!
ReplyDeleteOk, so I have some questions as well that have been mentioned above but I haven't seen a response to...can you freeze the fruit then add to the yogurt & freeze together say in a baggie? If you use a muffin tin do you just use one of those & 3 if you use an ice tray? When you add juice before blending, how much do you recommend using? brittneynicole7@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI've been mashing and freezing banana in cubes for ages and also using the store bought frozen fruit. I've even blended soft bananas with peanut butter and a little milk and frozen these in ice cube trays for smoothies. But I never thought of combining the whole lot! Thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteLovely! Will also help me use up the tub of yogurt before it goes bad...
ReplyDeleteLove this idea... I have no idea why I didnt think of it sooner! I appreciate your creative, easy, and quick ideas! Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteAs an ER nurse, my patients dictate if I get to eat or not. This is an excellent way to grab a quick energy boost in the break room. Thanks
ReplyDeleteTim
Thanks for this awesome idea! Im a new mom whos breastfeeding and currently buying my smoothies from smoothie king. Im so going to try this now that i know its a money and time saver!
DeleteThis is the best most useful pin I come across. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of freezing it all separately and then combining it.. Genius!
ReplyDeleteWhat a FUN blog + best smoothie idea. Found u on Pinterest (eye candy ;-)
ReplyDeleteSometimes we forget good ideas! TY4 this post & all for comments.
I used to (+ will again) get bananas on sale as they at a great point for freezing. Peel, squash a bit into freezer bags. Can usually get 3 in each w/no prob to break off what I need.
NOW w/all these great ideas- I will have B'fast READY as tooo hard to THINK in AM ;-)
I often buy super ripe bananas (at a discount) cut and freeze them add a little protein powder, other fruit, or cocoa powder and just add milk the next morning. These are soooo good and the frozen banana really thickens them up!
ReplyDeleteHi hun. Just wanted to let you know that I featured this on my blog today. I would love it if you could go and check it out :)
ReplyDeletehttp://mammymade.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/mint-stuff-ive-seen-29.html
- Adele @ Mammy Made
Great idea, big time saver! Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteIt could just be me, but your Pinterest follow me here link did not work for me
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recipe! I have an awesome tip I wanted to share! I wake up really early and cant use the blender in the morning so I blend these up, freeze the amount I can fit into a travel cup, and lay flat in my freezer. The night before I want one, I just pull it out of the freezer and pop it in the fridge. In the morning it is slushy and I put it int the travel cup and go. U may have to adjust the time u need to thaw but it works great!!
ReplyDeleteThe part about pre-freezing before putting the fruit into the pack is genius! I wouldn't have even thought about that! Great work! Trying this as soon as I can get my hands on some produce!! :) thanks!
ReplyDeleteFantastic idea!!!! Thank you for sharing :)
ReplyDelete