Sugar-Free Sweetness

Have you had the Mango Smoothie at the Target deli? Clinton and I L-O-V-E the Mango Smoothie at the Target Deli. Upon entering the store we head straight to the deli to get one and we fight over -- I mean share -- it as we make our way through the store. It's pure deliciousness.

It's also pure sugar. And sugar turns to fat. And fat turns to my hips and thighs for a comfortable place to rest. And my hips and thighs are currently keeping me from my skinny jeans. And my skinny jeans make me feel good about myself.

So, the short of it is the Mango Smoothies actually make me feel bad about myself. But I needed a smoothie fix, so I started working on a version that only contained the natural sugars of fruit and and not the added sugar, or even scarier, high-fructose corn syrup. Gasp!

Here's what I came up with....

Mix one liter of club soda with one fruit juice concentrate. I used Apple-Cherry. Make sure it says 100% Juice, not Juice Cocktail.


Pour the juice into ice cube trays and put in the freezer.


Once they are frozen take them out and let the nearest two year old lick the tops to make sure they taste okay.


Put the frozen juice cubes in the food processor (or possibly the blender). If the juice is still a little wet it will probably process perfectly. If the juice is frozen solid, you may need to add a little water or juice as it is processing.


Put the deliciousness into the nearest cup with a straw (or spoon).


It's important to use the club soda rather than water because it freezes differently. Freezing water is too hard and won't break down like a Target smoothie.

Enjoy,