Simple Joy ~ iPhone Photo HDR

HDR On

Original HDR Off

This past weekend brought a lot of joy to this little old lady's soul. I could go on with a long list of joys found in the simplest of occasions, but when considering which simple joy to share with you today, one little unknown feature on my iPhone camera landed on top.

HDR. 

A friend pointed out this button while I was snapping photos of my little boy in a tree on a warm early-fall Saturday. 

HDR. 

One simple tap made a significant change to the quality of my photos on this beautiful bike-riding tree-climbing tailgating early-fall afternoon.

HDR. 

In certain lighting conditions, tapping the HDR button 'On' will work magic to make your photos more accurate to what you see with your bare eyeball.

See that button in the top center of this screenshot? Turn it on sometime. You might find yourself reveling in a little technical joy too.

Pop Quiz:

What does HDR stand for?

A.) High Definition Resolution

B.) Heat Defined Reconstitution

C.) High Dynamic Range

Answer:

The 24th letter of the alphabet if moving backwards from Z to A.

Rice Dream® brand Rice Drink

Our family went through an entire school year eating oatmeal for breakfast every single morning. 

Somewhere around the 342 day mark, the wee ones began refusing my tenderly prepared, hot breakfast filled with love. 

Around day 343 we went back to our old standby. Cold cereal. 

As a result, we've entered into a whole new level of rice milk consumption. 

Our favorite rice milk product is Organic Rice Dream® Original Enriched rice drink. It's smooth with a low key flavor. It doesn't have funny chunky stuff floating around, thank heavens. And it's enriched with the same vitamins and minerals normally found in cow's milk. It's a nice way to get extra calcium, Vitamins A, D and B12 into our dairy-free diet.

They sell it in shelf stable 32 oz boxes that are perfect for taking on trips and going camping. We go through so much of this stuff that the refrigerated 64 oz option found in the dairy section of the grocery store is really convenient and delicious.

Rice Dream® also makes frozen non-dairy deserts—aka ice cream—that are divine. But that's a different post for a different day!

Fish Tacos with Grilled Tropical Fruit Salsa

Another variation on a theme. Fish tacos. Grilled tropical fruit salsa. I ain't ready to say good-bye to summer just yet.

Fish Tacos with Grilled Tropical Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs mild white fish fillets

1/4 watermelon, sliced and grilled

1 pineapple, sliced and grilled

1 mango, sliced and grilled

2 ripe avocados, chopped

3 TBS cilantro, chopped (more or less to taste)

2 TBS light agave nectar

1/8 tsp salt

cajun seasoning

butter (or butter substitute)

12 corn tortillas

The Preparation Method:

Begin heating the grill on high.

Slice watermelon, pineapple and mango. Brush both sides with a light coat of agave nectar. Place on a very hot grill. Grill about five minutes or until fruit is soft and has nice grill marks. Flipping once halfway through.

Turn oven broiler on high.

Wash and pat dry the white fish. Place in a baking dish one layer thick. Sprinkle a heavy dose of cajun seasoning over the top. The more the better with this stuff! Add small bits of butter over the top about four inches apart.

Place under the broiler for approximately 7 minutes, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.

Pull the fruit off the grill. Dice the watermelon, pineapple, mango and avocado. Mix together in a large bowl with 1/8 tsp salt and 3 TBS chopped cilantro. Pour any remaining agave nectar in the mix.

Serve inside warmed corn tortillas. We like to fry each tortilla in a piping hot skillet with a touch of oil to make it slightly brown and very soft. Salting the fried tortilla makes it even better. Enjoy!

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John Mayer Trio - Ain't No Sunshine

Simple Joy ~ Last Day of Summer

Last day of Summer 2011. 

I'll take it laying down on a picnic blanket with my sweetheart by my side.

At least in my dreams that's what I did.

In all actuality, I spent it laying down in bed with a blasted head cold.

The joy is in the dreaming this go around!

Clearly Define Needs vs. Wants

Garage Sale Rules of Engagement

Rule #3: Clearly Define Needs vs. Wants

It's Saturday. Garage sale day. Hooray!

I love garage sale-ing more than I love a lot of other things in life. Garage sale-ing comes in a close fifth to dancing, chocolate, sunshine and laying in bed past 7am.

My husband has not always loved me for this undying passion of mine. I have been known to walk out the door at 6am on a Saturday morning with a small cup of coffee in hand only to return at 12 noon with a full carload of items we need and can't live another day without.

Over the years I have slowly learned that this method of treasure hunting has not treated our small home well. At the point we find ourselves swimming in things we might use someday, my husband has had to put his foot down. I'll admit that I have struggled showing restraint. Somehow those items which I believe have a true purpose in our home will still find themselves in my car around the 11 o'clock hour.

Recently, with the advent of smart phone technology so readily at my fingertips, I've begun a new method of distinguishing between my needs and my wants. Admittedly, there are times when it gets quite confusing in my head trying to tell the difference.

Take for instance the above pictured vintage Dolly Madison Hand Crank Ice Cream Freezer. I found it at a church yard sale. Clearly someone dug this thing out of the basement. It was cool. It was retro. It needed to by mine.

Here is the conversation I had with myself as I tried to understand the confusion I was feeling in that moment filled with passion and excitement:

"You've been wanting to make homemade ice cream for months now. This is your chance."

"But you have nowhere in your kitchen to store this gigantic contraption."

"True, but I can certainly find something to clear away to make room."


"You know that you won't make hand crank ice cream more than once a year... if you're lucky."


"No way, not true. I'll certainly make it every week if I have such a handy contraption such as this Dolly Madison Hand Crank Ice Cream Freezer in my kitchen."


And on and on I go until I finally decided to text my hubby a picture of the darned thing. "Babe, I need this. I've been wanting one forever. What do you think?"

Three minutes later, the answer is clear. No. Hell no. We can't go back to swimming in things we might use someday.

Agreed. He's right. No. Hell no. Walk away Judith. Walk away.

I'm glad I did. The Dolly Madison Hand Crank Ice Cream Freezer incident was a few weeks ago—and looky-here— low and behold I'm still alive without it. Have I thought about making homemade ice cream between then and now? Yes, yes I have. But it was fleeting. Would I have taken the time to hand crank my ice cream between then and now? Heck no. It was a good decision to leave it for another ambitious soul on that church lawn.

So next time you're out there in the field and feeling confused as you try to distinguish your needs from your wants you may consider asking yourself these three questions:

1) Is there a spot in my home so barren it is virtually begging to be filled with this item?

2) Is there some place I've been meaning to clear out for ages and this item will give me the motivation to do so?

3) Have I been eyeing this item at full price in the retail store and have been waiting for an opportunity like this to procure it for pennies on the dollar?

So get out there this week fellow garage sale lovers... find your treasures and show some restraint. Your housemates will thank you for it.

Jack Daniel's Garlic Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo (Gluten and Dairy Free)

Forgive me if my recent trend of recipes with alcohol is irritating. Last week I made an unofficial plan to try Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey in recipes for every type of meat I could think of. Today's recipe is a chicken marinade. 

Besides, what else would I do with this huge jug of whiskey?

In an attempt to educate myself while cooking I was doing some research on the interwebs about marinating meat with alcohol. I had been under the belief that it was a fine idea to throw some of the hard stuff into a marinade to make the meat more tender. It seems some would disagree stating that the alcohol cooks the exterior of the meat in effect keeping the flavors of the marinade from absorbing fully into the body of the meat. 

I quickly gave up the debate and carried on with my plan of adding the hard stuff to the rest of the ingredients. All I can say is that the chicken turned out very tender and flavorful. I cast my vote in favor of alcohol in marinades.  

Jack Daniel's Garlic Chicken with Fettuccine Alfredo (gluten and dairy free)

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed and butterflied to make thin fillets

1/4 C olive oil or canola oil

1 tsp dry mustard (or prepared mustard if out of dry mustard like I was)

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 tsp white pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

5 large garlic cloves, minced

The Preparation Method:

Gather ingredients.

Whisk together in a bowl. Add butterflied chicken breast fillets. Poke lots of tiny holes in the chicken with a fork. This helps the flavors penetrate the meat even further, just in case the alcohol was making it hard. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour, up to four hours.

When ready for dinner, place the chicken breasts on a very hot grill. Be sure to carefully spoon the minced garlic from the marinade all over the breasts.

Turn once and cook 'til done.

Serve over Fettuccine Alfredo with a side of broccoli. Here's the link to my gluten and dairy free Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo recipe. Yum-yum-a-yum-yum!

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Eli Young Band - Always The Love Songs

Simple Joy ~ Coffee Bubbles

There are some mornings when staring at the bubbles in my coffee brings me great amusement and satisfaction. 

Today was one of those mornings.

Jack and Coke Pot Roast

I'll admit it. Over the past decade of my official homemaking career I have been crowned Queen of Bland and Dry Pot Roasts. 

Yesterday, I shed that title.

It all changed when I welcomed Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola Classic into my kitchen at 7:30 in the morning.

I took this classic drink combination and poured it over a well marbled pork shoulder roast, tossed in a coarsely chopped yellow onion and red bell pepper and called it a day. Ol' Bessie (my dear crockpot) went to work for the next 8-10 hours in The Little White Kitchen and come dinnertime we were all pleasantly surprised that the Queen had been dethroned.

Here's the recipe. It's so easy you might faint.

Jack and Coke Pork Roast

Ingredients:

2-3 pounds pork shoulder roast (look for lots of marbling with fat throughout the roast)

1 can coca-cola classic

1/2 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey

1 large yellow onion, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, chopped

salt, to taste

pepper, to taste

(serve over rice)

The Preparation Method:

Place chopped vegetables in the bottom of crockpot. Lay pork roast over the top. Season roast with salt and pepper. Add the whole can of coca-cola and 1/2 cup Jack Daniels. Cover. Set heat to high. Walk away. Come back 8-10 hours later. 

Test doneness with a fork. The roast should fall apart at a touch. If it's not falling apart, it needs to cook longer.  

When ready, serve meat and vegetables over rice. Here's to moist and flavorful pot roasts!

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Mr. McGraw mentions Coke in this song. Perfect musical accompaniment for the preparation of this quick and easy dinner.

Tim McGraw - Something Like That

Simple Joy ~ Handwashables

When the label reads, Hand Wash, I ignore it. 

I don't ignore the important message and put the item in the machine washer anyhow. Noooooo, I am dar too serious about following the commands on my clothing tags. 

Rather I ignore the article of clothing, leaving it to the bottom of the laundry pile, hoping somehow it will rise out of the pressing weight from above and wash itself. 

These are my hopes. Somehow this has never actually happened. 

Nor has my fairy godmother ever shown up—with bon-bons and ice cream in hand—to manually remove said handwashable item from the depths of the wash basket while I sat on the couch eating those bon-bons and ice cream only to find in an hours time all of my delicate handwashables hanging neatly on the line.

But the other month I found myself heading out of town on a business trip and I needed some clothes, something other than my usual 'mom' gear. I found half a laundry bin with likely candidates. So I got to it and spent a small portion of my evening sudsing and swishing, swishing and rinsing (but not wringing or twisting). Before I knew it I was pleasantly enjoying this much ignored chore.

I'm heading out of town on another business trip and have found myself looking forward to my new favorite household duty. 

Bring on the suds and the swish. I'm in need of some simple joy today!

Gin and Tonic with a Twist of Kiwi and Lime

Fall is fast approaching. Football season is here. Frolicking with loved ones in the crisp September air is a must.

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I don't know a thing about football. Nor do I care to learn the ins and outs of what's happening on that field. It seems complicated to me. First downs, second downs, touchdowns. Typically you'll find me cheering for the boys who are falling behind while commenting on who I think is going to break down in tears back in the locker room.

Despite my atypical approach to viewing major league sports (is that the proper way to refer to professional football or do you only say 'major league' when talking about baseball?), I can't deny my enjoyment of the tailgate party. The burgers, the beer, the bean bag lawn games, kids running around like wild. So much fun for the whole family. 

Tomorrow afternoon we're headed to the home-field opener for our local college team (is that the proper way to refer to the first home game?), not because we have tickets to the game but because friends are gathering to partake in this glorious fall tradition. I look forward to the burgers, the bean bag lawn games and the wild children, but being gluten-free means that I won't be able to enjoy the most important "b" in this equation—the beer.

In lieu of my favorite six-pack of bubbly brew I'll be bringing my favorite souped-up cocktail—the not-so-famous Gin and Tonic with a Twist of Kiwi and Lime. 

Unlike the game of football, the recipe is not complicated:

1 ripe kiwi, smushed and squashed to release the juices

a cup full of ice

1/3 parts Gin

2/3 parts tonic water

squeeze of lime

Mix it all together. Join me in the enjoyment of this atypical tailgating cocktail! 

Cheers, friends.

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Kenny Chesney - The Boys of Fall

Simple Joy ~ Ten Toys Per Child

Remember last week when I posted about Bubba cutting his own hair while all the children were "quietly coloring" at the kitchen table? Turns out there's more to this story, folks.

Over the weekend a friend sent me this note:

"Maybe he really needed 15 toys! Creativity is an amazing adventure! So cute and so damn funny! At least your sweet little girl did not cut her hair!"

I guess I have more to tell you. Let me back up a little.

The day I wrote that post I spent the morning at coffee with some girlfriends.

I was retelling the story about the five minutes alone, the oh-no they've been way too quiet for far too long realization, and the fact that the older kids didn't stop Bubba from whacking at his luxurious locks.

Over cappuccinos and lattes and cute chubby babies I was also explaining the new M.O. (modus operandi) set forth by my dear husband regarding toys in our home.

Two weeks ago we adopted the Ten Toys Per Child policy.

Let me back up a little further. You see, recently he went on a trip where he stayed in the home of some dear friends. This family of four lives in a very small home. Our home is small. Theirs is smaller. They described a simple rule they keep with their kids that has lead to greater happiness, stronger focus and fuller creativity.

The Rule: Ten Toys Per Child

My hubby came home raving about how great it was being in a home without—please excuse my French—all this sh*t laying around all. He has been an advocate for extracting the massive quantities of—please excuse my French—sh*t that so easily accumulates when you have three little people and two big people living in a home together.

The pack-rat in me said, "Oh no, but we might need it. We can't live without 23 plastic horses, a giant robot, 600 million flash cards and 42 miniature dinosaurs."

The housewife in me said, "Anything to make my job easier and I'll take it."

I hesitantly agreed with the new plan. We presented it to the kids. They jumped on board immediately running to their rooms to fill garage sale bags with their things. Clearly the thousands of precious little plastic thingies laying around here didn't really mean all that much to them after all.

We had a garage sale. They sold everything and kept the money for themselves. (Enter Pokemon cards. But that's a different story for a different day.)

Now that we function in a Ten Toys Per Child house I have to agree that the reduction of clutter has led to greater happiness, stronger focus and fuller creativity for all.

Enter last week's Five Minutes Alone episode: Quietly Coloring at the Dining Room Table.

After the children woke up in the morning, I began quizzing them about the previous night's events trying desperately to understand why no one stopped the baby from cutting his own hair. Quite quickly it was revealed that Bubba wasn't the only one taking liberty with the scissors. Turns out he got the idea from his older sister who got the idea from her older brother. Yes indeed, all three children cut their hair that evening.

Which brings me back to the note my friend sent over the weekend:

"Maybe he really needed 15 toys! Creativity is an amazing adventure! So cute and so damn funny! At least your sweet little girl did not cut her hair!"

Ahhhhh, the simple joy of youthful creativity!

Five Minutes Alone ~ Haircut

This is Bubba.

This is Bubba with his nifty new haircut by mama.

(Notice the sideburns and short bangs. I'll admit, it needed help.)

This is Bubba after he spent Five Minutes Alone with the kids scissors at the dining room table while he and his siblings were "coloring quietly".

This is Lance Corporal Bubba after daddy's attempt to correct the Five Minutes Alone episode with a new high and tight 'do featuring Vanilla Ice flair. 

New Mexican Chorizo Burgers

Twelve years ago I married a New Mexican. I always knew I would. I grew up watching Young Guns and dreaming about the rough and tumble personalities that came with the territory. I thought someday I would name my children Billy, Charley and Chavez. Two girls and a boy. As of today I have two boys and a girl and I didn't name them Billy, Charley or Chavez.

When I visited New Mexico as a tween I was absolutely taken with the flash rain storms and humongous sky. The rain would come down in such unique fashion—the drops spread so far from one another you could dodge them if you were nimble enough—I had never experienced anything like it.

Besides their love for gun slinging and rabble rousing, one thing I learned quickly about New Mexicans is their love for roasted hatch green chilies and hot salsa. I have come to love roasted hatch green chilies and hot salsa too—admittedly it has taken me some time—and keeping in mind that 'hot' is a relative term. 

This week I created a New Mexican Chorizo Burger for my family to inspire that Billy the Kid spirit at the dinner table. (And give me a reason to play Jon Bon Jovi's Blaze of Glory tape as our background music.)

New Mexican Chorizo Burgers

Serves: 6

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef

1/2 pound chorizo sausage

1 large yellow onion

4 TBS olive oil (maybe more)

6 full roasted hatch green chilies or 1 small can roasted hatch green chilies

2 ripe avocados

6 hamburger buns (gluten free)

1 cup mayonnaise 

3 TBS salsa

3 pinches salt

Preparation Method:

Combine 1 pound ground beef and 1/2 pound mexican chorizo sausage. Mix really well so the two meats are one in the same. Shape into patties. A thin patty is better than a thick patty for this burger. A quarter inch thick would be a good starting place. As with any burger they will thicken up on the grill. There are a lot of toppings for the finished burger. We want to create space, plenty of space.

Get 'em going on the grill. Cook approximately 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

In the meantime, prepare the rest of the toppings.

Slice the onions thinly in half ringlets. Heat 4 TBS olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute until caramelized.

Keep stirring so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan or become burnt. Add more oil if necessary to achieve this golden brown crispy goodness.

Crack open your hatch green chilies. Fresh (or frozen) chilies are preferred. They can usually be found in your grocers freezer, unless you go to a store that doesn't carry them like we did on this particular day. If you can't find them, the canned chilies will do but will deeply impact the end result. I suggest you go to great lengths to find the fresh ones, my friends. Unless you're running late like we were on this particular day, then the canned ones will have to do.

Grab your hamburger buns. This was the first time we tried gluten free hamburger buns and we were pretty satisfied. You should have seen the look on the kids faces when they saw a burger with a BUN! What a novelty in our gluten free house.

Prepare the special sauce for the buns. Combine 1 cup mayonnaise, 3 TBS of your favorite salsa and 3 pinches of salt. Mix well. Spread generously on both sides of the bun.

Stack 'em up. Sauce on the bottom, green chilies below the burger, avocado slices and caramelized onions on top.

Enjoy! And don't forget to turn on your Jon Bon Jovi tape.

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Jon Bon Jovi - Blaze of Glory

Simple Joy ~ Wilderness

My sweet hubby and I had the good fortune of going out on a date this weekend. We wanted to do something different than our usual dinner and a movie. We both agreed that wide open spaces would do us good. So we spent the evening in the wilderness watching the sun set, jumping fish and the peaceful lake water. I could have spent the whole night out there. That is, until my sweet husband made mention of the possibility of lurking mountain lions just above us on the rocks. Then it was time to go home.

Crispy Onion Hot Dog Sandwiches

"It's hot dog night... again."

Usually when I make this announcement, all the adults on the premises growl with disappointment. Here in The Little White Kitchen I have a rule I follow closely—I cook one dinner for all the peoples. It is against my policy to prepare multiple options for all the peoples of the house. The rule is simple—if you don't like what I've made, don't eat. Thankfully there will be breakfast in the morning.

On hot dog night the rule still stands. Typically the children have no problem my meal selection. The adults, on the other hand, were getting a bit tired of the boring-yet-functional hot dog with no bun routine.

To make this night something everyone could look forward to I added a few embellishments to the routine. All peoples over three foot tall were very pleased with my twist on this classic kids dinner.

Crispy Onion Hot Dog Sandwiches


serves: 4
prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 all beef kosher hot dogs
8 slices gluten free bread
1 cup coleslaw topper (One batch = 1/2 head green cabbage, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 TBS rice vinegar, 1/2 tsp celery seed, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp sugar)
1 large onion, sliced
2 TBS vegetable oil
2 TBS ketchup
2 TBS mayonnaise
1/8 tsp sugar

The Preparation Method:

Cook hot dogs on the grill.

While the dogs are cooking, fry onion slices in 2 TBS vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Continue frying until onions are golden and crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.

While onions are frying make the special sauce. Mix together 2 TBS ketchup, 2 TBS mayonnaise and 1/8 tsp sugar. Set aside.

When all pieces are ready it's time to assemble the sandwiches. Toasted bread. Special sauce on each slice. Hot dogs split down the center, arranged flat side down on the bread. Layer a hearty helping of crispy onions over the dogs. And a thin layer of Coleslaw Topper over the onions. Smush it all together and dig in!

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I LOVE this jam. I'd never seen the video before today, even tough I've listened to the song about a million times. It makes me love the song and Erykah Badu even more.

Erykah Badu - On & On

Simple Joy ~ Popsicles

Oh the joy of icy cold popsicles on a blazing hot day! 

Little kids are the best at making the most of all the popsicle has to offer because they don't give a care. 

They dig-in without any regard for drips, drops, slurps and burps making the popsicle experience all the more enjoyable.

I've been taking notes and striving to embody more of that spirit lately. Next time you see me I might just be wearing my popsicle like Bubba is here.

Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing by Newman's Own

When the craving for a delicious salad dressing strikes, I always turn to Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette. It is fabulous on nearly every type of salad I can dream up. Balsamic Glazed Steak Salad, Chicken Salad Salad, Tuna Salad Salad, Egg Salad Salad... you get the idea.

I put my trust in this product because it is gluten, dairy and corn free! This is a rarity among prepared salad dressings. Most dressings on the grocery market shelves these days contain high fructose corn syrup. The absence of that strange oddity known as hfcs in this dressing makes me want to do backflips. Hooray for Newman's Own! 

And besides, the Newman's Own Foundation donates all profits to charity. Since 1982, Over $300 million has been given to thousands of charities. Hooray!

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This is not a paid advertisement. I like Paul Newman in Cool Hand Luke. I like Paul Newman in Road to Perdition. I like Paul Newman all up on my salad.

Please note that companies can change their ingredients at will. If working with a severe food allergy always double check the ingredient list before consuming this product. 

Creamsicle Smoothies (Dairy Free)

It's been hot. Real hot.

Hotness has a way of getting me dreaming of Creamsicles. 

Creamsicles make me think of the zoo. 

The zoo makes me think of my mother taking my brother and I to see the monkeys every week on Tuesdays throughout the summer (Tuesday was free day). 

Weekly free days at the zoo makes me think of growing up in the eighties (they don't do weekly free days any more). 

Growing up in the eighties makes me think of Creamsicles (and Def Leppard). 

And thinking about Creamsicles makes me want to eat one right now.

Despite the fact that National Creamsicle Day was last Sunday, August 14th, sadly for me, I dare not indulge in a popsicle with such a divine creamy center encapsulated by orange flavored ice. Dairy, even in its cheapest of forms, does not do well for my body.

All summer long I've had a strong urge to recreate everything I remembered a Creamsicle to be. Considering how many smoothies we've been having lately, I decided to recreate the flavor in smoothie form. 

Finally, I can properly transport myself into my dear memories of watching the monkeys at the zoo on a hot Tuesday afternoon in the mid-eighties with a Creamsicle dripping down my chubby little hand.

Creamsicle Smoothies

serves: 4

prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Vanilla Almond Milk (I love the Almond Breeze brand)

1 1/2 cups orange juice, use the frozen concentrate and dilute only by half the recommended water*

4 frozen ripe bananas

*(Usually the can of frozen orange juice asks for three cans of water to dilute the concentrate. For this recipe, dilute the frozen concentrate with only 1 1/2 cups of water instead. This is an important consideration. It won't taste quite right with fully diluted orange juice. It needs to be strong to get the full Creamsicle effect.)

The Preparation Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for a couple minutes until the smoothie is smooth as silk.

Go ahead now, transport yourself back into all those sweet memories of yourself indulging in summer's finest!

Note: Frozen bananas make this drink perfectly cold and smooth. Using fresh bananas will result in the drink you see modeled here by Bubba.

More frothy and less thick. 

Another note: Pay no mind to the dirt and grime on the hands of this little man. Here he's modeling the ever popular "rough-and-active-little-boy-on-a-mid-summer's-day" look. 

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Def Leppard - Hysteria