Orange Cream Smoothie & A Blogaversary

Wow!  Has it really been two years since I started blogging?  Two years of recipes and a whole lot of food?  Two years of home renovations (Oy), watching my eldest start school (boo), and welcoming a new baby (yeah!)?  A year ago I gave the blog a new look, made a bunch of changes, and ventured into the world of photography.  This year?  *sigh*  I am exhausted!  Between the heat, swimming lessons, loss of sleep, travel, and the need to get my tonsils out (weird, but true) I am thrilled to be able to continue to post great food for all of you!  Hence, today’s simple-but scrumptious-recipe is how I am celebrating.

Before I continue, please know that I send my heartfelt thanks to all of you.  From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful for you, my readers.  Your support, encouragement, comments, ideas, questions, and random raves about the recipes here keep me smiling.  You, along with my husband and kids, make every moment I spend in the kitchen and on my computer absolutely worth it.  Even on those days when I am typing one handed, baby on my hip, 7 different batches of cookies cooling on the counter, a full dishwasher, and a stack of books to read to the kids…worth it.  So…umm…thanks.

Enough of the mushy stuff!  On to the food!  Forever ago, years and years actually, I was at a friends house and she was desperately trying to get rid of the last of an entire case of oranges.  Her answer was to peel them and puree the sections in a blender with vanilla ice cream.  It worked.  We sucked that down like Darjeeling!  So good.  So fresh.  Was it a drink?  Dessert?  Smoothie?  Who knows.  Who cares!  She doesn’t know this, but ever since that day, I have been drinking vanilla ice cream and orange juice together.  Tart and sweet.  Refreshing and pretty much like drinking a creamsicle.  The perfect way to celebrate just about anything.

One Year Ago:  Grilled Pizza
Two Years Ago: Basic Wheat Bread, Three Lemon Chicken, Turkey Meatballs, Margarita Pasta Salad

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Fill a glass with vanilla ice cream.  New York Vanilla is the BEST!  Pour orange juice over.  Slurp.