Tip of the Day – Making an Orange Julius

Around the Minion cottage (cottage sounds better than “mobile home” ok?), we love ways to cool off in the toasty summer weather.  One of our favorite ways is making these yummy treats.  (Does anyone else thing the name “Orange Julius” is really odd?  Yep, me too.) 

Ingredients:

1 can of orange juice concentrate – any kind will do: Minute Maid, off-brand, whatever. Just pop it out of the freezer and into the recipe:

1 cup of milk – 2%, whole, skim, whatever floats your boat….or your smoothies:

1 cup of water – this is pretty self-explanatory, but in case you need a picture…

  

Sugar.  No measurements here, just as much as you think it needs (I use a little over 1/4 cup), but please, Please, PLEASE! don’t use Splenda!! Thank you.

Vanilla – No measuring here either, but I do, as Rachael Ray might say, “once around the ‘pan’":

   

And 6 or seven ice cubes:

 

Now, combine all those yummy-ful things into the nearest blender and, well, blend.  I spin it around until that horrible ice-crunching sound is done. Then I taste it and make sure I have enough sugar.  It is disgustingly nasty without enough sugar, so this is important.  Ok, maybe not that bad, but definitely not as sweet and in my humble opinion that’s the best part.  I’m just sayin’.

The finished product:

This serves 4 people*, and still tastes great the next day.  We made a batch up Saturday night, each drank a glass, and had enough for both of us the next morning.

*Disclaimer: It serves 4 people if you feel like sharing with anyone.

What is your favorite summer drink to blend up?

Momentary Thoughts -- Summer and Star Trek

1. Is anyone else in disbelief that is is the 7th day of AUGUST?  I am.

2. August and “boiling hot weather” should be synonyms in the thesaurus.  I live in North Carolina- I know of what I speak. 

3. Does anyone still own a real, live, non-digitized thesaurus???  I don’t.

4. On second thought, does anyone own a real, live, non-digitized anything anymore??  It’s like an illness in our house- I’m serious.  My husband and I just got iPhones that we use as iPods (long story, but we are lovin’ it), and we are turning into Star Trek-y beings- we use them for alarm clocks, reading books (I heart Kindle), listening to music, emailing, sermon note taking, blog checking, text messaging, skyping, Facebooking, schedule keeping, and so much more. 

5. I will admit, I almost had to look up “Star Trek” to make sure I spelled it correctly.  But…I still remember watching it on TV, so I’m not that young, people, ok??

6. I am 22 and a half.  Yes, I celebrate half birthdays, and I will for the rest of my life (my mother doesn’t believe me).

7. I married into a family that has been known to celebrate half birthdays.  Isn’t that nifty?

8. That being said, I got no cake or presents on my half birthday.  I blame the only other breathing one in our house for this error.  *ahem*

9. Seeing that it’s Saturday, I should find something to do that doesn’t involve my addiction iPhone.  (See #4)  I should take a walk and get some fresh air.

10. It’s too hot. (See #2)

11. Maybe I can use my iPhone to check the temperature and see if it’s too hot.  On second thought, maybe I’ll find the directions for our ice cream maker that we’ve never used and make some

What are you all doing on this blazing hot warm August Saturday??