Half Assed Kitchen

Fruit smoothies

It's been so hot here in Seattle, there's nothing much to do but sit in the shade and sip fruit smoothies.

This is one of our favorite recipes. A combination that we make weekly and try to get our kids to guzzle. It's full of good stuff like fruit and yogurt, and it's high notes are infinitely refreshing.

Rating: 1/4 assed (completely simple)

Here's what you need and how you do it

2 cups frozen berries (we like blueberries and/or mixed berries)

1 cup orange juice

1 cup yogurt, plain or a fruity flavor

1 banana

Optional additions:

1 scoop protein powder

1 Tablespoon flax seeds (which is healthy, but makes the smoothie decidedly less...smooth)

Dump it all into a blender and mix well. Makes 3 to 4 six-ounce servings.

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

Refreshing iced tea

To celebrate this past weekend, during which the temps reached an almost unheard of 85 degrees (in May! in Seattle), we're posting our favorite green tea. Which also happens to make the most amazing iced tea.

Dump about 9 of these tea bags into a half-gallon of water (use a glass container), plunk it out in the sun for the afternoon and, voila, you have the most refreshing iced tea with some lemony, fruity (but not overpowering) undertones.

Delicious with a pasta salad and bread (We will NOT type the words "crusty, french" for dinner).

Podalicious

A few weeks ago I was handed a Senseo coffee maker (minus the silver platter and plus shipping). I like it. It's basically a pimped out version of my Black & Decker one-cup brewer, but it makes good coffee. And I totally dig the sleek, gentle arc of the lovely Senseo on my countertop.

The one problem is the pods. The price is prohibitive. And the fact that I have to choke down the equivalent of Folgers every morning is too much for this Seattleite to take.

I Need Coffee offers a nice, illustrated tutorial on making your own pods. I whip a few up every weekend and they are ready Monday–Friday.

It beats measuring out the joe and water and setting the timer on my old clunker every night before bed.