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.
