Orange Julius Recipe

To make this  refreshing, healthy summertime snack , you will first need 4 medium oranges.   Give them to the kids and let them roll the oranges around on the counter and between their hands to prep them for juicing.

Juice the oranges (you should get about 1 cup of orange juice).  If little hands are helping, I always put down a kitchen towel – juicing oranges is a messy task for a 4 year-old (or a 30 year-old, for that matter!)

If you like, throw in a chopped peach or a handful of strawberries or a mango for another layer of flavor and nutrition.  Put these in the blender.

To the blender, also add 1 cup of whole milk (or a nut milk would be yummy if you don’t do dairy, but you might want to decrease it to 3/4 cup),

one tsp pure vanilla extract,

and a scant 1/2 cup organic, unbleached sugar (or  4 Tbsp honey)  (and our oranges were very sweet, I could have cut this back even more).

Puree for 20 sec, then add

ice! Just have the kids drop them in a cube at a time until it’s a thickness that you all like.

Enjoy! (I know my kids did – Tum Tum kept signing to his sisters for sips! )

Don’t forget to check out my giveaway post! Thanks!

Larksong’s Orange Julius

4 medium oranges, washed and juiced to yield about 1 cup orange juice

1 peach or mango, chopped, or one handful of strawberries (optional)

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

scant 1/2 cup sugar or 4 tbsp honey, to taste

ice cubes

Directions – Place all ingredients in the blender for 20-30 seconds, then add ice cubes one a time until desired consistency.   (Extra good with a bit of whipped cream on top.)