Some of the best gifts are things you really want, but can’t justify buying for yourself, right? I recently won a Vitamix blender at my company’s Christmas party, and if you know anything about me, you know that I couldn’t easily justify buying a $500 blender.

But wow, this thing is really something. I totally get the Vitamix craze and I LOVE it.

In the spirit of newly receiving a ridiculously powerful blender, I decided it was time. Smoothie time. One challenge I have living with several girls in an old house is refrigerator space. So the thought of buying a ton of fruit and having no place to store it doesn’t work for me. Also, because I’m slightly protective over my new blender child, I’m not going to leave it out for public use.

How to Drink Fresh Smoothies Without Fresh Fruit

That means I had to find a solution to have fresh smoothies, but not on a daily basis. So I cleaned out a space in our community freezer and claimed a shelf for frozen fruit. Frozen fruit is perfect for smoothies, and if you’re in the same boat that I am, space-and-time wise, this is a great solution for fresh smoothies every once in a while.

The trick is to chop the fruit just small enough to be able to grab and throw in a blender. Instead of freezing full bananas, chop them in half or thirds so you don’t have to commit to a full banana when you just want a little. Chop slices of lemon, lime, and orange. With other fruit like blueberries or strawberries, you can just toss them right into a freezer bag. I don’t even take the green stems off of the strawberries.

Quick tip: A really great addition to fruit smoothies is vanilla. Just need the slightest bit to deepen the flavor!

Last night I decided to finish off an opened can of pumpkin and attempt a smoothie that tasted like Thanksgiving. Just one of those days I wanted “comfort” food but didn’t want to sacrifice calories. The measurements aren’t exact, but don’t worry, you can’t really go wrong. Just keep adjusting till it tastes good. Oh, and you don’t need a Vitamix to have great smoothies!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

2 Servings

• Scoop of canned pumpkin
• Handful of frozen mini carrots
• 1/2 frozen banana
• About ½ cup coconut or almond or regular milk
• Splash of orange juice
• About 1 t. pumpkin pie spice
• Chunk of fresh turmeric if you have it
• About ½ t. vanilla
• Scoop of ice
• 2 Packets of Stevia or your preferred sweetener
• Whipped cream on top, of course