Reminiscent Recipes: Smashing Summer Smoothie

One of my family’s favorite summertime activities is to pick berries together. 

In May and June, we pick strawberries. In June and July, we pick blackberries. In July and August, we pick blueberries.

I didn’t grow up eating many berries except strawberries. My mom didn’t like them, so we didn’t eat them.

But in my adulthood, berries have become some of my favorite fruits. 

In fact, instead of flowers or another design on our wedding cake, my husband and I opted to a 5-tiered berry-adorned cake for our reception.

My husband and I actually just started picking blackberries last summer. My parents discovered that they have a ton of blackberry bushes all over their land.

They never planted them, and they’ve never been sprayed. They are pure “freaks of nature.” Or I guess we could just say these blackberry bushes were simply God-planned, probably via a bird years and years ago.

It will probably still be years before we take the girls blackberry picking. Picking strawberries and blueberries are easy.

But wild blackberry picking? It’s not for the faint-hearted. Wild blackberry bushes are full of thorns. I have the scratches all over my hands and arms to prove it.

But the fruit of those wounds? Just like life’s victories are so much sweeter after life’s trials, those blackberries taste sweeter than if I had simply shelled out the cash for them at the grocery store.

And I’m ok with blackberry picking just being a “date” between my husband and me for right now—instead of a family event.

He and I are kind of like those blackberry bushes.

Our six years together have had some thorns. We have some “scratches” to prove it.

Sometimes, those thorns still stick it to us.

But our marriage is sweeter for it. And I have hopes it will get even sweeter because of it.

So what does my family like to do with all those berries we pick?

Well, lots of things….but today I’d like to share my recipe for a Smashing Summer Smoothie:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries or blackberries
1/2 cup yogurt (my husband uses ice cream or sorbet instead)
splash of 100% pure fruit juice
1/2 cup ice cubes (unless the berries are frozen)

Toss everything into a blender and blend until you have a smashing summer smoothie!

Optional healthy add-ins: Brewer’s Yeast, ground flax seed, vitamin D drops, powdered probiotics

Does your family like to pick berries? What do you make with your berries?

I'm linking this post up with: Good Cheap Eats

If you liked this post, you may also like my post on Mary Lindsey's Chocolate Cake and Strawberry Crisp.

Do you enjoy reading The Humbled Homemaker?  Subscribe to receive posts:

• via RSS (like Google Reader/Google Friends Connect) here 
• Subscribe for weekly e-mails here
• Subscribe to receive every post (3-4 times/week) via e-mail  here 
• Find me on Facebook here 
• Follow me on Twitter here

I'm linking up with: Living Well Blog Hop
Turning the Table Thursdays
Pennywise Platter Thursdays
Melt in your Mouth Mondays 
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free