For Christmas I requested one appliance on my Christmas list – an immersion blender. Since I opened the box on Christmas, I have kept it working making various things like sauces and smoothies. Mostly smoothies.

My main go-to smoothie has been this one which uses frozen bananas, vanilla and almond extracts, and milk. I substitute low-fat soy milk and add a bit of liquid honey for some added sweetness. Yummy.

For variations, I’ve added cocoa powder (not bad but not enough chocolate taste), as well as frozen and/or fresh fruit (berries work great). I found that you don’t need ice cream as long as you froth the smoothie enough. Healthier than a milkshake, and cheaper than going to Dairy Queen.