Pantry Smoothie

Part of the fun of cooking is finding things around your kitchen and creating a delicious meal with them. It's imagination that has no limits! (okay, you can't add the kitchen sink to a meal...) Here was my liquid breakfast this morning, a collection of simple things in the pantry and fridge.

Pineapple Orange Smoothie

1 can pineapple rings or chunks

1 can of mandarin oranges (or 1 fresh orange)

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 cup plain yogurt

1 1/2 cups ice cubes

Drain the cans and add 1 cup of pineapple (5 rings) or fresh pineapple, if you have it, to the blender. Add the oranges or use a fresh orange. Add the coconut, yogurt, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Garnish with orange and pineapple slices.

A note on organic: 

I don't talk much about organic foods because 1)it's so trendy, 2)it can be so expensive, and 3)we don't get much of a variety of organics at our local grocery stores where I live.
HOWEVER, if you can, buy organic!

If for nothing else, you are looking for the most bang for your buck, so a $1.00 giant cookie and a $1.00 organic apple don't compare. Or a $1.00 bag of potato chips and a $1.00 cucumber. You get so many more nutrients from produce in general, compared to packaged and processed foods, so organic produce is a bargain in that sense. Also, the latest studies I've been reading (from journal articles at the library--I know, nerd-o) have shown significant increases in vitamins and nutrients in USDA certified organic produce as compared to the "regular" produce on the shelves. I have not found a study that didn't find many more nutrients in the organic versus the regular.
So, if you're like me, you don't want to be one of those people in the fiber commercials chomping on apples and carrots all day long...why not eat 3 regular meals with a couple of snacks and get all of your daily needs that way? Okay, that's my two cents. Cha-ching.