Easy Berry Smoothie for Camping

Starting with frozen berries, this summer time delight is a treat!

It's those lazy, hazy summer days in Iowa... You know, the kind where everyone is craving ice cream, iced tea, lemonade and such.  I've been longing for something with berries in it and came up with this simple recipe that can be made when camping.  You don't need ice.  Just start with a bag of frozen berries!  I used an Aldi brand mix of raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries, along with some low sugar yogurt and a bit of G2 (low calorie) Gatorade.  The result was a tasty antioxidant and protein packed treat.  Enjoy!

No pretty fufu glass here... I was in a hurry to drink it!

VT's Berry Yogurt Camping Smoothie

1.5 cups of frozen mixed berries
1 small container of low sugar flavored blueberry yogurt
3/4 cups fruit punch flavored Gatorade  G2 (or Aldi N2 equivalent)
2 Tablespoons half 'n' half

Blend all together using an immersion blender (or an upright blender).  Serve at once while it is still cold.  The half 'n' half is optional but gives the drink a wonderful texture, color, and taste.  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Asparagus and Cheddar Soup

Though not the prettiest of soups, this fresh asparagus and
cheddar soup is easy to make, flexible, and tastes great!

I recently bought a Cuisinart immersion (stick-type) blender.  The plan was to try and come up with some soups that are tasty and have fewer carbs.  This recipe was an experiment which turned out to be delightful.  It's light texture and flavors make it almost a restaurant quality item.  The best part is that you can customize it any way you like with great results.

One of these blenders is a huge
helpfor the camping chef.

I cooked this batch while fishing and finished it up just before dinner.  What a treat!



VT's Asparagus and Cheddar Soup

1 lb asparagus, chopped into convenient pieces (1/2 to 1 inch)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped into convenient sized pieces
1 can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup of half-n-half (plus or minus)
3T butter
2-3 slices of medium cheddar cheese  (maybe a half cup or so of shredded?)
A few red pepper flakes (or ground black pepper)
1 clove of chopped garlic (or use garlic salt to taste)

Method:

Pour the broth into a 2 quart crock pot.  Add the onions and asparagus (and garlic if using fresh).  Cover and cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until the asparagus is soft.  Add in the butter and part of the half-n-half.  Blend with an immersion (stick) blender until very smooth.  Tear up the cheese into small pieces, adding to the soup and blending until smooth.  Add more cheese or half-n-half as desired and season however you like.  Even more cheese would be nice, too!

Serve hot.  If you also have a "warm" position on your slow cooker, this soup will stay warm a long time.  Just don't put the half-n-half and cheese in at the beginning.  The heat of cooking will damage the proteins and affect the flavor and consistency.

Note - if the soup is too thin, you can thicken it with flour or potato flakes - just blend it in!