Apricot Blueberry Banana Smoothie

My neighbor always brings me his extras from his garden. Right before we left on a trip he brought me a big bowl of apricots. I knew we would get them eaten and that they wouldn't last until we got home. So I pitted,sliced them and threw them in a ziploc in the freezer. Let me tell you, they make a fantastic smoothie!

Here's what you need:

Apricot Blueberry Banana Smoothie

• 1/2 C frozen apricots


• 1/4 C frozen blueberries


• 1 fresh or frozen banana


• a splash of OJ


• a few cubes of ice

Blend it all up and it tastes like you just went to Jamba Juice! So good!

Crockpot Applesauce

A good friend happened to have an excess of apples and I was happy to take some off her hands. I knew I wanted to make applesauce with them.

Here's what I needed:

Crockpot Applesauce:

• 12 apples peels, cored and in chunks (I can't remember what kind of apples they were!! But they were sweet and crisp reminding me of a honeycrisp)


• 1/2 C water


• 1 TBSP lemon juice


• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon


• 3/4 C brown sugar

Put your apple chunks in your crock and pour everything else on top. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. They are down when you can break up the apples with a wooden spoon. I prefer a chunky applesauce and used a potato smasher to smash the apples once they were done. Store in the refrigerator. Make approximately 4 cups.

Peanut Chocolate Caramel Chex Mix

I was looking for a quick, easy and fun snack to make my kids that did not involve the oven. It's HOT here and I didn't want to add to the temperature. I came across a recipe for PAYDAY Chex Mix and thought I would give it a go, with a few adjustments for my family.

A very Simple recipe:
Peanut Chocolate Caramel Chex Mix

• 8 Cups Rice Chex


• 14 oz bag of Caramels, unwrapped


• 1 TBSP Milk


• 1 1/2 C Roasted Peanuts


• 1/2-3/4 C Chocolate Chips

In a large bowl place Rice Chex and peanuts. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. In a microwave safe bowl place unwrapped caramels and milk. Microwave for 1 minute and stir. Continue in 30 second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds until caramel is smooth. Once smoothly quickly pour over Chex/peanut mixture and stir until coated. Pour in chocolate chips and mix. Spread onto wax paper lined baking sheet and let set up. Enjoy & Eat!