Scott and I are in a forever war against clutter in our house, so we really try hard to not bring back more stuff from our trips. A while ago, we established the “one thing” rule for travel, where we would save up our pennies and spend time looking for the “one thing” that would come home with us and represent our trip.
That ended up being a great rule for a couple reasons – first, because we stopped being drawn in by touristy crap and actually bought something that would be a legitimate reminder of our adventures, and two, because we started looking for things other than things to remember our trip by.
My favorite souvenir from any travel is flavor.
And this past trip home to California, the citrus especially stuck with us. That kind of happens when you’re able to walk out the front door, pluck a half dozen ripe oranges off the tree in front, and squeeze fresh orange juice.
That bright orange flavor is amazing, and it’s been featured in a lot of the food I’ve been making at home lately, too!
There’s been a fair bit of fresh orange juice around here {cheers to Wegman’s for carrying the best we can get other than making it ourselves}, but my other favorite use for oranges and orange juice is in smoothies.
I make a lot of smoothies, especially in the winter months. They’re bright, they’re light, they’re nutritious, and you can just throw everything in a blender and you’re set. What’s not to love?
These babies are a hat tip to everyone’s favorite Orange Julius, both the original and the one we enjoyed at Jamba Juice {which, incidentally, started in my home town} but with one little tweak.
There’s no sugar added to this baby.
My husband was sure I was kidding when I told him that, but all I did was add a tablespoon of honey and let the sweetness of the fruit and the yogurt do all the work. You really don’t need more than that – it takes away from the tartness of the citrus and the fruit taste you really want.
So here you go – some of my favorite California flavors whipped into a tasty and light smoothie, the perfect thing to brighten up these winter days.
California Dream Smoothie
Serves 2.
What You’ll Need:
- juice of 2 oranges {about 1/2 cup}
- 1 large banana, quartered and frozen
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup ice cubes
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt {depends on how creamy you want it}
- 1 tbsp honey or agave for sweetness
How to Make It:
1. Add the ice to your blender and process it first to avoid getting ice chunks in your smoothie later!
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth, about 60 seconds.
3. Garnish with an orange wedge or orange zest if desired and enjoy!
How do you guys fight travel clutter?
