Monday, August 2, 2010

Isn't That Just Peachy!

Hello friends, I hope all of you had a lovely weekend. The weather here in Virginia was just gorgeous. Not too hot, breezy and just enough sun. My man asked me what I wanted to do on Sunday and I told him I was craving some juicy Virginia peaches! So off we went, bright and early on the quest for the perfect peach.
We decided to head north on Rt. 211 towards the Blue Ridge Mountains. The drive is always a very pretty one and I was not disappointed....it was so beautiful.
Virginia has some of the prettiest farm houses...I fall in love every time.
But we are looking for peaches folks, not stone houses....on we go!
After stopping at a few orchards and being disappointed by overripe and tiny peaches, we finally got lucky.
We found Roy of Roy's Orchards on Old Hollow Rd, in Sperryville.
That's Roy inspecting his peach crop, which by the way will be a bumper crop this year because of those massive snowstorms we had last winter. See....that snow had a purpose!
Just look at these fabulous looking peaches!!! 
Perfect color with just the right amount of soft fuzz on the outside.
Juicy and sweet!
We bought 23 lbs for only $15.00. Now before you think you can get a better deal at your local grocery store, remember these are fresh picked and locally grown. I know where these beauties came from. My local store sell peaches for 99 cents a pound, but they are shipped in from four states away! I'll take the local produce any day.
I thought since I had so many lovely peaches I would share my favorite smoothie recipe. Let's make a Peach and Strawberry Smoothie!
You will need a blender, peaches, strawberries (frozen from June crop) , sweetener and milk. Because I have been advised by my doctor to avoid all excess sugar (who knew adrenal glands could be exhausted??), I am using unsweetened almond milk and a Stevia sweetener (Ideal brand). Did you know they made milk from almonds???? This stuff is wonderful for those of you who do not tolerate cow's milk. It's only 40 calories a cup, 0 sugar (did you know milk has a lot of sugar!) has vitamins A, D & E. Next time you are in a grocery store read the label on this stuff...it's so good for you.
Back to the smoothie...........
No real measuring needed, just cut up your fruit and add it to the milk in the blender. Add as much sweetener as you like. I read that you should start your day with some protein to kick start your metabolism, so I add a tablespoon of flax seeds (another miracle food). Don't worry, they are teeny tiny and blend in beautifully. Hit the liquefy button and let her go.........
Find the prettiest glass you have and fill it to the top.
Garnish with a slice of peach and enjoy a delicious and very healthy breakfast or midday snack. 
Your kids will love these and you can let them get creative with other fruits. If you like them even creamier add some fat free half and half...still very low in sugar and no added fat.
Now go find a local orchard and bring home some of natures goodness.
Until next time...be kind and stay creative.
I'll be linking up with Jennifer at Hope Studios on for Tutorial Tuesday..come visit and learn something.

14 comments:

Kelly Ann said...

yummy looking peaches...Andrew loves peaches, might have to head down 211....

Travelbugmom said...

Yum Yum Yum!!

Marie said...

That was delicious - may I please have a second one. Mmmmmmmmmm!

Lovely photos and even better recipe. I'm off to find almond milk.

Hugs - Marie

Annette said...

I haven't made a smoothie in quite some time and yours looks really good to me right now! I've been reading more and more about almond milk...guess I need to try it!

Marion said...

That first pic looks just like Scotland - except we can't grow peaches :(

Gretel said...

Is it that peachy time of year again? I am drumming my heels with greed and frustration, trying to imagine what that tastes like! (Almond milk is not widely available over here, in fact, I've never even heard of it!)Lovely farmhouse, looks like England. :)

Anonymous said...

Those peaches look so delicious, my mouth is watering after looking at them. :) I too prefer local grown fruits and veggies when I can get them.

Virginia is a very pretty state. I lived in Petersburg for awhile, my son was born at Ft. Lee.

I am glad you had nice weather over the weekend to enjoy. It was in the triple digits here all weekend and still is. Hugs

Kathleen Grace said...

I was just hinking of peaches today and wondering if there were any orchards around that had them! The smoothie looks so good, now I'm craving these!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous peaches!!! Love them :D
I'm going to look for Almond Milk...thanx for the informative post...
pass me the smoothie please...

~victoria~

Kim @ Everything Etsy said...

How fun! I love peaches or any other kind of fresh fruit! It's always fun to pick them yourself! :)

~Kim

Sweet Birdy Love said...

Oh Janet, I can almost smell and taste those peaches. They would have to be one of my favourite summer fruits along with nectarines.
We have our own little orchard behind "Cluckingham Palace" and there's nothing better in summer than to go for a walk and pick a beautiful juicy peach and eat it still warm from the sunshine. Let the juice dribble down your chin and then pick another one and while you are at it, check on the nectarines to see how they are ripening. Thanks for reminding me there are some good things about summer!!

Blogs said...

oh your gooood.....:) this is fabulous!!!!!

Wendy said...

YUMMY! My kids LOVE smoothies and I LOVE peaches!

Unknown said...

Hi Janet,
thanks for asking about my Barn Chick party. It is just an idea that O had that bloggeres could take pictures of barns near them and we would all post them on Friday and link on my blog. wanna join us? love to have you.

Karen