This week’s 5 Ingredient Friday recipe is inspired by my freezer. Right now it’s jam packed full of fruits and vegetables that I’ve washed up and put into freezer bags. Cherries were on sale a few weeks ago so I bought about 3 lbs of them and I pitted them, washed them, and bagged them up. I also have 2 quart sized freezer bags full of fresh blueberries that came in my CSA box. I love to use fresh fruit in Smoothies. I know that there aren’t any extra sugars in them and it’s usually much cheaper than buying frozen fruit from the grocery store. Another reason I love to use fresh fruit that has been frozen is because it makes the smoothie a lot colder and I don’t need to water it down with ice.

This recipe for a Smoothie can be adapted to whatever fruit you have on hand. I happened to have extra Cherries and Blueberries in my freezer so I used those.  I also use Peaches, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, and even Pineapple when I make Smoothies. It just all depends on what I have in my freezer and what I’ in the mood for.  This recipe that I make serves at least 2 people, if not 3. So you can probably cut this in half if you’re making it for yourself.

• 2 bananas, chopped up (I prefer them to be frozen)
• 1 1/4 cup of orange juice (you can use another flavor here)
• 2 scoops of sherbet (pick your flavor; I use orange flavored)
• 2 cup of cherries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Put 1 cup of orange juice in a blender (My recommendation: Vitamix). Add in your two bananas and blend until the bananas are blended thoroughly with the orange juice. Add in your cherries and blueberries. Blend until the fruit is blended in, adding about 1/4 cup of orange juice.  Add in 2 scoops of sherbet and blend until it’s all incorporated.  Serve.

Cherries

Blueberries

Everything in the Vitamix

All blended together

Add 2 scoops of Sherbet

The finished product!

What’s your favorite Smoothie flavor?