Shake It Up With Smoothies

It’s that time of year again when everyone wants to be outside, running around playing games, mowing the yard, tending to new plantings or just relaxing on a patio or deck. These refreshing and tasty smoothies hit the spot for all such occasions. They cool you down quickly and offer fruity flavors that are nearly irresistible.

Not only are these frozen drinks yummy, they contain good-for-you ingredients that can help boost your immunity. One of the ingredients, vinegar, may surprise you. Vinegar is not known for its sweetness. However, vinegar helps punch up the flavor in one of these cool drinks and can support good digestion, weight range maintenance and healthy glucose levels. In fact, some experts recommend consuming one ounce of apple cider vinegar each day as a shot or part of a recipe.

Another ingredient, blueberries, is a superfood packed with antioxidants and high in potassium and vitamin C. The recipe here calls for a half cup of frozen blueberries and fresh blueberries for garnish. You can also use fresh blueberries for the entire smoothie. Just add a little ice when blending.

Generally, North Carolina’s blueberry season ranges from early June to early August. You’ll see locally grown blueberries in stores and markets then, and maybe even late May. If you or your children would like to pick your own blueberries, you can search for local farms near you by county or region.

Fresh or frozen, both recipes take just a few minutes to prepare and leave everyone feeling re-energized. You can find more recipes using vinegar and additional smoothie recipes.