Everyone knows how to make a fruit smoothie, right? But do you know how to make the perfect fruit smoothie?

Here’s are my 5 tips for perfect smoothies:

1. Add the liquids first. This will help blend all the ingredients evenly. Milk, soy milk, almond milk, coconut water, juice, tea and even kombucha or kefir are great base liquids.

2. Fat is your friend. As much as we want to save calories, using nonfat yogurt is NOT the way to go. It leaves the smoothie tasting like you’ve tried to pulverize sand and it’ll be grainy. Use low-fat yogurt instead.

3. Use frozen fruit. Frozen fruit thickens and adds flavor without diluting your smoothie. In the off-season, frozen fruit usually has more flavor than what you’ll find in the market. In season, put your fruit in the freezer for a few hours before popping it into the blender. Always pulse the blender a few times because the fruit can refreeze!

4. For a creamier (and healthier) smoothie, add ripe avocados or bananas. Those darker bananas will be sweeter so don’t worry about a few freckles! Honey, chia and flax seeds are also great thickeners.

5. Add the ice last. If you still want some icy-coldness, make this the last thing you put in the blender. Ice will thicken the smoothie without adding any additional calories.

Oh… and here’s one more important tip: always use the Hamilton Beach® Wave~Action Blender® for the creamiest smoothie!

My good friends at Hamilton Beach® sent me one of these good-looking babies to try out and, I’ve got to tell you, this blender is my go-to for smoothies. The Wave~Action blades continuously force the ingredients from the bottom to the top in a wave, so everything blends perfectly.

If you’ve got a big family, you’ll love the big 48-ounce glass jar (which is dishwasher-safe, by the way). The spout on the dispensing lid makes pouring super easy, with minimal drips. It also comes with a stir-spoon for thicker foods and mixtures.

Here’s the delicious Raspberries and Cream Smoothie I whipped up in the Wave~Action Blender!

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There are ghosts flying around my kitchen.

Halloween starts the deluge of sweet treats and eats in my home,* and I’ve finally come up with the best cutout cookie recipe ever! These are so buttery and delicious, I know this will become my go-to cookie recipe for the holidays. The secret is to use superfine sugar!

Since I was making the cookies from scratch, I turned to Wilton to help me make everything else easier.

I’ve always struggled to get the thickness of these cookies just right, so I really liked using the Rolling Pin Guide Rings. You slip the rings on  either end of the Rolling Pin and roll out the dough to a perfect ⅛-inch thickness.

I used the Royal Icing Mix to give the cookies a smooth, glossy finish. This is such an easy way to make your cookies look like they came from a fancy-do bakery! The finishing touch? The fun Candy Eyeballs and Black Icing Color I used for the mouth. I ordered these items on line, but you can also find them at Michael’s and other craft stores.

So, go ahead and let the ghosts fly in your kitchen! Don’t forget to print or bookmark this cookie recipe… you’re going to love it for all of your holiday cut-out cookies!

*That’s actually a lie. There are always sweet treats and eats in my home because I have a wicked sweet tooth. 

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Asparagus are in season NOW, so here’s a guide to the Top Ten Tips for Buying Green Asparagus!

Print out this handy-dandy guide and take it with you to the farmers market or grocery store to help you find the perfect spears. I’ve also included a pretty terrific recipe for Asparagus with Lemony Breadcrumbs (see below the graphic).

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       Print this recipe.