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Thanks to JCPenney for making this post possible. As always my comments, opinions, and love for fruit and summer smoothies is my own.
I've mentioned many times how much I love smoothies. I grew up drinking them in Mexico and enjoyed so many different flavor combinations. I would have to say strawberry, mango and guayaba were my favorites.
My family are huge fans, too, and I've wanted to put together a smoothie bar for them for some time now. Summer seemed like the perfect time, because of the wonderful variety of fruits available, and the warm afternoons that just seem to invite a cool, sweet smoothie.
Tips for a Summer Smoothie Bar
1. Make sure you have a good blender.
The greatest challenge when planning my smoothie bar was my blender. While mine worked perfectly for making salsas, hummus, or pesto, it definitely was not good enough for smoothies. What I look for in my smoothies is a very smooth consistency, without chunks of ice or fruit. I decided I should buy a new blender to bring my smoothie bar to life.
At the beginning of the year, I was at JCPenney and found everything I needed all in one place for a Three Kings Day party. So I opened my computer JCPenny.com and was amazed to see so many options for blenders and juicers. I finally decided on the Ninja® Master Prep which had great reviews from other JCPenney customers and seemed the perfect size for my kitchen. It was the right price, too. The icing on the cake was I bought it right then online and JCPenney sent it directly to my home in just a few days. It was one of the fastest, easiest, and most efficient purchases I've ever made.
2. Make sure you have different types of glasses
This seems so simple, but it's easy to overlook. It's important to have different glass sizes and types to give your guests their smoothies the way they want. Some prefer large glasses, some small. And if you have kids, I've notice they like plastic cups.
3. Make sure to look for fruit in season
Summer, fortunately, gives us an incredible variety of fruit in season to choose from.
4. Don't forget the frozen and refrigerated aisle at your store
Some fruits blend better if they're frozen like strawberries, blueberries, and mangoes. Look for your favorites. The great thing is if you have some leftover, you can save them for later in the freezer.
5. Don't forget the ice.
Put it on the list! I buy it last, of course, so it doesn't melt while I'm doing the rest of my shopping. But I always forget it if I don't write it on my list! Ice is important to successful smoothies.
6. Look for options to accompany your smoothie
Yogurt, coconut milk, juice, and milk are great additions to smoothies, just to name a few.
7. Have a large table available
It's a good idea to have a large table available to lay out all your smoothie ingredient options in one place. Let each of your guests create her own combination. That's the best kind of smoothie.
Let's celebrate!
Flavors and Combinations
And since there is no such thing as a smoothie bar without smoothies, here are a few suggestions, including my husband's favorite, for tasty combinations.
Berry and Banana Smoothie (My Hubby's Favorite)
Makes 4 cups
- 1 cup frozen berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)
- 1 cup orange juice
- 3 ripe bananas
- 1 1/2 cups ice
Mix it all together with a powerful blender, like my new Ninja. If you would like it to be sweeter, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or honey. Serve immediately.
Other Popular Combinations
- Fresh or frozen pineapple in pieces, mango nectar, banana and ice
- Fresh or frozen strawberries, milk, ice and sugar or honey
- Guanábana nectar, milk, vanilla, ice, and honey
- Frozen strawberries, bananas, vanilla yogurt and ice
- Apples, honey, fresh, grated ginger, ice
- Raspberries, chocolate, and milk or chocolate ice cream, and ice
- Orange juice, vanilla ice cream, and ice
- Milk, coffee, vanilla extract, dulce de leche, and ice
What's your favorite smoothie?
If you want to put together your own smoothie bar, I invite you to check out the possibilities at JCPenney and follow #SoWorthIt to see what others are doing this summer.
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