A great breakfast smoothie.
1 cup cubed fresh or canned pineapple
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1/3 cup frozen passion fruit concentrate
1/2 cup water
2 ice cubes
1 tablespoon wheat bran or oat bran (optional)

Combine pineapple, banana, yogurt, passion fruit concentrate, water, ice cubes and wheat bran or oat bran.

  Using a blender; cover and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

1/2 cup one percent milk
1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1 cup unsweetened frozen peaches
1 tablespoon honey, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg or a couple of grates of fresh nutmeg
Pinch ground ginger or a couple of grates of fresh ginger Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

8 cups water

4 limes

12 strawberries

2 tablespoons Splenda sugar substitute

Juice limes. Remove strawberry stems and cut each into slices. Mix all ingredients together in a tall pitcher.  Add ice cubes. 

Fall is in the air and so is Halloween.  Are you planning a spook get together?  If so, you will want to serve this delicious punch.

Makes 16 servings

    1/4 cup lemon juice                                            
    1 teaspoon ginger ground                                       
    2 quarts apple cider or apple juice                            
    3 cups water                                                   
    1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate                 
    1 frozen Hand “Ice Ring” (see below, optional)                 

In a large pitcher or glass gallon jar, stir lemon juice and ginger until blended. Add cider, water and orange juice concentrate; stir until well blended. Cover and chill at least 1 hour or until well chilled.

To serve cold, place punch in a large chilled punch bowl. Add ice ring. Serve in punch cups.

To serve hot, place mixture into a 4-quart sauce pot. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a large insulated server, slow cooker or serving pitcher. Serve in heatproof cups or mugs.

Frozen Hand Ice Ring:  Take a plastic glove that you use in serving food, and wash several times.  Gently fill with water and tie closed tightly.  Place in freezer until hand is frozen completely.  When ready to put into punch bowl, take a sharp knife and cut glove off of ice.

For many folks, winter means playing outdoors in the snow, tackling the slopes on a weekend ski trip, participating in an adventurous mountain climb, ice skating on a frozen lake, and many other winter-related activities. I have to admit I love sitting by a fire, sipping a favorite beverage while watching the snow fall. Winter is my favorite time of the year!

Even though Winter is my favorite time of the year, we still need to beware of the dangers of cold weather and plan accordingly. Some things to keep in mind:

Dress in layered clothing and wear some kind of head cover.

Keep pets inside; when necessary to walk them, do so on the grass, not the cold sidewalk.

Protect livestock and other animals with adequate shelter, extra feed and supplemental heat.

Bring potted plants inside.

Cover outdoor plants with burlap or cloth. Cold will penetrate plastic.

Check space heaters for sufficient ventilation and wire condition.

Never place space heaters close to flammable objects, such as drapes or bedding.

Make sure fireplace flues are working properly.

Check extension cords for breaks or fraying.

Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors. They produce deadly carbon monoxide fumes.

Check on the elderly often

I love a hot beverage when coming in from the cold weather. My favorite hot beverage is Chai Tea. It is really easy to make homemade Chai tea. Below is my favorite Chai recipe:

Homemade Chai Tea

2 cups water

2 black tea bags

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

½ cup honey

1 cup milk

In medium saucepan combine water, tea, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, allspice and honey. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cover. Allow to steep for 30 minutes. Remove tea bags. Cover and refrigerate Chai Tea base.

To serve hot: combine equal parts of Chai Tea Base and milk, then heat mixture on stove top or in microwave. To serve cold: combine equal parts of Chai Tea Base and milk over ice cubes.

Another favorite recipe is Spicy Mint Tea.

SPICY MINT TEA

6 cups water

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

4 whole allspice

2 cups fresh mint leaves

Honey- sweeten to taste (optional)

Bring water, cinnamon, cloves and allspice to boil. Boil 1 minute. Stir in mint leaves. Remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Strain into cups. Sweeten with honey if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

Enjoy the winter weather, take care of yourself, your family, animals and enjoy some new traditions of making your own hot beverages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Betty Lynch, author of Back to the Table with My Country Kitchen, and owner of My Country Kitchen, Easy Answers to Bring Your Family Together. You may visit her website at http://www.mycountrykitchen.com