Delicious Fruit Smoothie

I have been wanting to incorporate ways to include more fruit in my diet without having to just sit and eat fruit.  One way has been really helpful, in that it also helps eliminate waste.  I normally go grocery shopping every week and stock up on all my fruits and veggies.  By the end of the week, my bananas are browning, my fruit is softening, and it's that time when I have to eat all of it, toss it...or perhaps save it! 

So, as my fruit seems like it has just about a day or two left in it, I will cut it up in some pieces, place it is individual baggies, and pop it in the freezer.  I put them aside to create new combinations of smoothies.  I've come up with some crafty ways to get some tricky fruits in to add them to my mixtures.  Here is my trick and recipe for one of my favorites:

1.  I normally take my bananas and cut them in half before I freeze them.  I use a half a banana for the recipe, and drop it in the blender.

2.  I usually buy the big bag of cuties from my local store.  Well, the skin on the cuties is not that appetizing, even when blended.  So, I came up with juicing the cuties when they were on their last few days.  I put the juice in an ice tray, froze it, and there you have your own frozen orange / cutie juice rather than buying concentrate from the grocery store!!!  So, I use 3-4 "cutie cubes."

3.  I LOVE papayas.  I know it's not a fruit that most people love, or like for that matter, but it adds for a nice taste in this smoothie.  I normally cut up a papaya and freeze about 1/2 of the papaya.  Of that 1/2 a papaya, I use 1/2 of that (so it's really 1/4 of a frozen papaya).

4.  I add about 1/6 of a cup of Kefir milk.

5.  I add about 1/6 of a cup of Soy milk.

6.  I add a splash of water to add some liquid and help the blending process.  (Note, you can add more of the soy milk, but I add water to keep the caloric intake lower)

I start blending, and if it seems a bit dry, add equal parts of the Kefir milk, soy milk and water.  Note, you can add lowfat yogurt instead of the Kefir milk.