Dandelion Lemonade
Orange Creamsicle Cocktail
Orange Creamsicle Cocktail
4 oz orange juice (or more to taste)
2 oz vanilla infused vodka
Ice
Fresh orange rounds for garnish (optional)
Blender (optional)
Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in vanilla infused vodka, top with orange juice. Stir. Serve with fresh orange rounds for garnish. Optionally, you may blend the ingredients with ice to make a slushy/daiquiri-type drink!
Pineapple Peel and Core Lemonade with Mint
Pineapple Peel and Core Lemonade with Mint
Peel and core from 1 pineapple
3 generously sized mint sprigs
1 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 C. simple syrup
Place the pineapple core and pieces of peel in a medium size pot with 4 C. of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, add the mint sprigs, and let the mixture steep, covered, for 25 minutes. Strain the mixture into a pitcher or serving vessel and discard the pineapple core, peel, and mint sprigs. Add the lemon juice to the pineapple-infused water, stir, and slowly start adding simple syrup, tasting as you go, until the lemonade is sweetened to your liking. Refrigerate until chilled. This lemonade is at its best the day it is made, but can be kept for a few days in the refrigerator. Stir before serving. Any remaining simple syrup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
Slow Cooker Cocoa
Slow Cooker Cocoa
2 C. Whipping Cream
6 C. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 – 1 ½ C. Semi Sweet Chips
Optional: ¼ C. baking cocoa
Optional: ¼ C. Sugar
Combine all ingredients except marshmallows in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook, covered, until everything is melted, stirring occasionally, 2 – 2 ½ hours on LOW. Stir well after heated and melted. Taste. Adjust sweetness with cocoa or sugar if desired, cook 30 additional minutes, and stir well before serving. Optional: Ten minutes before serving, add marshmallows and let them get melty. Garnish with more mini marshmallows, if desired.
Sunshiny Smoothie
Sunshiny Smoothie
1/3 C. orange juice
1â„2 frozen banana
1â„2 C. frozen fresh pineapple
1/3 C. mango
1â„2 C. low-fat vanilla yogurt
1â„4 C raw slivered almonds
1 T. ground flax seed
1 tsp. honey
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (even when it appears to be blended, blend a bit longer). Pour into a glass and enjoy a bit of sunshine in a glass. Makes 1 tall smoothie. Note: This recipe if a perfect way to use up bananas or fresh pineapple that may be overripe or may be on the verge of going bad—simply toss the fruit in a plastic bag, put it in the freezer and pull out pieces of fruit as needed to make this smoothie. Frozen over-ripe fruits make smoothies even more luscious
Apple Peel Tea
Apple Peel Tea
The peels and cores of 5 apples
4 C. water
2 1/2 T. brown sugar
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Place the apple peels and cores, water, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a full boil, then reduce to a simmer/low boil and add the cloves. Let simmer for one hour. After one hour, turn off the heat, add the cinnamon stick, and let sit for 45 minutes to an hour. You can also taste for sweetness when you add the cinnamon stick, adding more brown sugar if you like a sweeter tea. Pour the tea through a fine strainer, and discard the strained apple mush. The liquid can be stored in a container in the fridge (I generally use a mason jar), and leftovers can be drunk cold, or reheated on the stove or in a microwave.
Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal
Blue Apple Nut Oatmeal
1â…” cups water
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
â…“ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 apple, chopped or grated
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
In a saucepan, combine water with cinnamon and oats. Simmer about 5 minutes, until oatmeal is creamy. Stir in blueberries, apples, and nuts.
Yield: 2 servings
Calories: 174
Fat: 6.3g
Fiber: 7.6g
Carbs: 29g
Herbal Sun Tea
Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena
Lemonade with Lemon Balm and Lemon Verbena
Although you can experiment using all sorts of different fresh herbs, this combination makes for a relaxing tonic, as both lemon balm and lemon verbena are known for their calming properties.
6 fresh lemon balm leaves
4 fresh lemon verbena leaves
Juice of 4 lemons, plus 1 thinly sliced lemon
4 C. water Honey or organic dry sugar to taste
Pinch of salt
Combine all of the ingredients except the lemon slices in a blender, starting with a modest amount of sweetener. Blend until the herbs are pulverized, about 5 seconds, then taste and adjust the sweetness. Chill for an hour, or serve immediately over ice, garnished with a slice of lemon. The lemonade is best drunk within two days.
Homemade V-8
Homemade V-8
6 lb. of vine-ripened, organic tomatoes (preferably heirlooms), coarsely chopped
2 C. chopped organic white or yellow onion
2½ C. chopped organic celery
1 C. chopped fresh parsley (stems are fine)
2 T. honey
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cumin powder
6 drops hot sauce, such as Tabasco or Sriracha
Splash or two of Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Put all the ingredients in a large stainless-steel pot. Bring them to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until very soupy, about 40 minutes. If a thicker juice is desired, first carefully blend the vegetable mixture in batches in a countertop blender, then put it through a food mill. For a smoother and more delicate juice, go straight to the food mill. A sieve might work but it would probably take forever. Next time I’ll try using my hand blender instead of the countertop blender. Update: The hand blender worked well. Chill for at least several hours before adding more salt or other seasonings. This juice will keep for at least a week in the fridge. I tried freezing some in a small plastic freezer container but haven’t defrosted it yet. I’ll let you know how it comes out when I do.
Update: When I defrosted the frozen tomato juice it had separated some, so that you could see teeny bits of tomato. It tasted okay but looked a little odd. I put it in the blender, and that made it all bubbly and sort of orange, though after sitting in the fridge for a while it settled down.
For long term storage, this juice would probably fare better if canned in glass jars using the instructions below. If you use the frozen juice in a recipe, I’m sure it would work fine.
To preserve your juice in glass jars: Heat juice 5 minutes at 190°F (I love my digital kitchen thermometer). Do not boil. Add 2 T. lemon juice or 1/2 tsp. citric acid to each quart jar. Add 1 T. lemon juice or 1/4 tsp. citric acid to each pint jar. Ladle hot juice into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch head space. Adjust two-piece caps. Process pints 40 minutes and quarts 45 minutes in a water-bath canner.
Classic Cocktails Infographic
Simple Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
Simple Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
1 banana
6-8 frozen strawberries
8 oz. plain lo-fat yogurt
8 oz. apple cider
Place all ingredients in blender. Process until smooth
Blueberry Smoothie
Blueberry Smoothie
2 quarts (2-1/2 pounds) frozen blueberries, slightly thawed or 2 quarts fresh blueberries
1 quart pineapple, orange, and strawberry juice blend or pineapple-orange juice
1 quart low-fat vanilla yogurt
8 tsp. sugar
For each serving: In the container of an electric blender, combine 1 C. (5 ounces) blueberries, 1/2 C. juice, 1/2 C. yogurt and 1 tsp. sugar. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Serve immediately in a tall glass garnished, if desired, with blueberry skewers spiraled with a thin strip of orange peel.
Sparkling Watermelon & Lemon Verbena Drink
Sparkling Watermelon & Lemon Verbena
1 C. superfine sugar
3/4 C. cold water
1/2 C. packed fresh lemon verbena leaves, plus more for garnish
6 C. seedless watermelon, diced, plus small slices for garnish
1 (75O-ml) bottle Prosecco or seltzer water
Juice of 1 lime
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Remove from the heat and add the lemon verbena leaves. Let cool completely, then strain through fine-mesh strainer and refrigerate. In a blender, puree the watermelon. Strain the watermelon puree, reserving the juice. Mix the watermelon juice with the Prosecco, lime juice, and 1/2 C. of the syrup (add more if desired). Serve well chilled, garnishing each glass with a thin slice of watermelon and some lemon verbena leaves.
Watermelon Agua Fresca
Watermelon Agua Fresca
1 3 pound seedless watermelon, cubed (about 5 C.)
4 C. 1 quart coconut water
2 T. freshly squeezed lime juice (from 1 medium lime)
Puree the watermelon in a blender. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a pitcher and carefully pour the pureed watermelon through the sieve. Discard pulp. Stir in coconut water and lime juice. Chill, covered, until cold – at least an hour. Serve over ice.
Wild Harvest Berry Tonic Smoothie
Wild Harvest Berry Tonic Smoothie
2 C. frozen wild-harvested berries
1 C. nut milk (almond or coconut)
1 to 2 T. local honey
1 handful wild-harvested edible “weeds” (plantain, dandelion greens, etc.)
Blend ingredients in high-powered blender until smooth. Enjoy with stainless-steel straw and positive, uplifting company.
Strawberry Grape Smoothie
Strawberry Grape Smoothie
¾ cup (120 g) watermelon, seedless
1 cup (160 g) green grapes
1 cup (160 g) red grapes
1 cup (150 g) frozen strawberries
½ cup (65 g) ice cubes
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed, using the tamper to press the ingredients toward the blades. Blend for 45 seconds to 1 minute, or until desired consistency is reached.
Vitamix Citrus Smoothie
Vitamix Citrus Smoothie
1 Large orange, peeled, halved
¼ lemon, peeled
1 slice pineapple, peeled, halved
â…“ cup (60 g) frozen mango
1 cup (130 g) ice cubes
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Select Variable 1.
Start the machine and increase to its highest speed. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. Notes: This recipe can easily be tripled in the 64-ounce container for a large batch smoothie you can enjoy with family.
Blue Moon Cocktail
Blue Moon Cocktail
1 C. crushed ice
1/4 C. vodka
1/4 C. blue curaçao
1/4 C. whipping cream
2 T. vanilla-flavored syrup (such as Torani)
2 T. fresh orange juice
1 T. Cointreau or other orange-flavored liqueur
In a blender, combine all ingredients and whirl until smooth. Pour into four martini glasses (4 oz.) and garnish the rim of each glass with a slice of orange.
Blue Margarita
Blue Margarita
1 1/2 oz. Tequila
1 oz. Blue Curacao
1 oz. Lime Juice
Coarse Salt
Rub rim of cocktail glass with lime juice. Dip rim in coarse salt. Shake tequila, blue curacao, and lime juice with ice, strain into the salt-rimmed glass, and serve.
Lavender Fizz
Lavender Fizz
7 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup raw honey
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh or dried lavender flowers
1 lemon, sliced into ¼-inch rounds
Combine the water, honey, vinegar, lavender, and lemon in a clean half-gallon mason jar, cover with a lid, and shake well until all the honey has dissolved. Set the mixture aside to ferment, covered, at room temperature for 2 days. After 2 days, strain out the lavender and lemon. Transfer the liquid into glass or plastic bottles with tight-fitting lids, leaving about 1/2 inch of headroom in each bottle. (The lids need to be tight fitting to contain the carbonation that is going to develop. If the lids do not fit tightly, the carbonation will escape from the bottles, leaving you with a still delicious yet noncarbonated beverage.) Set the bottles aside in a cool, dark place to ferment for 3 days. Then open one of the bottles to taste it. If the soda is still not carbonated, put the lid back on and let the bottles continue fermenting. Taste regularly. The length of time needed to produce carbonation will vary depending on the temperature and the activity of the yeasts in your fizz. Once the soda reaches the desired carbonation, transfer the bottles to the refrigerator. The cold temperature will slow the fermentation process and keep the carbonation level as it is. Sometimes a bit of mold can form on the surface of the soda during the fermentation process. This is just surface mold, and the soda is still good; simply remove the mold and proceed
Breakfast Smoothie Trio
Breakfast Smoothie Trio
Strawberry-Banana Smoothie
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, sliced
1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Apple Pie Smoothie
1 banana, peeled, frozen, and sliced
1 cup sliced apples
1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon almond butter
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon raw honey or pure maple syrup
Cherry-Spinach Smoothie
1 banana, peeled, frozen, and sliced
1 cup frozen pitted cherries
1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
Large handful of spinach
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Noelle’s tip: Using some frozen fruit makes the smoothies slightly thick and creamy bat still easy to blend. If you’d like to thin out the smoothie, simply add a little more coconut milk or coconut water. Change it up: Add 1 scoop grass-fed collagen peptides to each smoothie to give it gut-healing properties.
Peach Melba Smoothie
Peach Melba Smoothie
2 handfuls raspberries
2 large ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled, pitted, and quartered A small glass of freshly squeezed orange or apple juice
1 to 2 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Put everything in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. Variation: Use 4 ripe apricots in place of the peaches.
Melon and Lemon Verbena with Prosecco
Melon and Lemon Verbena with Prosecco
¾ C. sugar
¼ C. lemon verbena leaves
1 small ripe cantaloupe
Prosecco or other sparkling wine (for serving)
Bring sugar, lemon verbena, and 1½ C. water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer 10 minutes. Let cool. Strain syrup into a pitcher; discard solids. Meanwhile, halve cantaloupe and remove seeds. Scoop flesh into a blender and purée until smooth. Stir into syrup and chill melon mixture until cold and foam has settled, 1–2 hours. To serve, fill 8 glasses a third of the way full with melon mixture (you’ll have some leftover); gently top off with Prosecco. Do Ahead: Melon mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Sweet Cherry Lemonade
Sweet Cherry Lemonade
1 pound pitted fresh or frozen Bing cherries
3/4 C. sugar
1 C. water
1 1/2 C. sugar
8 C. cold water, divided
1 1/2 C. freshly squeezed lemon juice, about 10 lemons
2 lemons, thinly sliced and seeded, for garnish
Combine the cherries, sugar, and water in a saucepan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing against the solids to extract as much syrup as possible. Pour into a bottle and chill well before using. Combine the sugar and 1 C. of the water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Add the lemon juice and the remaining 7 C. water to the cooled sugar water and mix well. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, until well chilled. Serve the chilled lemonade over ice in tall glasses. Invite guests to sweeten it to their liking with the Sweet Cherry Syrup.
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams
4 ounces orange juice
1 ounce half and half
1/2 ounce sugar, or simple syrup
1 dash grenadine syrup
Blend all ingredients with ice and pour into a 12 ounce glass. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.
Note: To make simple syrup – In a medium saucepan, cook 2 C. of sugar in 1 C. of water over high heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Bring mixture to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool. It may be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.
Winter Fruit Martinis
Winter Fruit Martinis
1 apple
1 pear
Lemon juice
Fresh blueberries
1 orange
Orange juice
About 1/4 c. coconut rum or vodka
Sugar (for coating glasses)
Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
Dice apple and pear. (For fun you can cut slices of the apple with a cookie cutter.) Place in mixing bowl. Add lemon juice to keep fruit from turning brown. Add blueberries to bowl. Peel and segment orange: Cut off both ends and slice off rind. Then cut along natural segments. Add orange segments, orange juice and rum (or vodka) to bowl. Let sit for approximately 2 hours. Serve in a martini glass with a sugarcoated rim. Garnish with an orange wedge and mint leaves.
Granny Smith, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water
Granny Smith, Cucumber, and Mint Infused Water
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and seeded, thinly sliced into rounds
1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh mint
1 gallon water
In a large pitcher combine the apple slices, cucumber slices, mint, and water. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Triple Berry Smoothie
Triple Berry Smoothie
½ cup (120 ml) water
½ cup (75 g) red grapes
½ cup (120 ml) plain low fat yogurt, or non-dairy alternative
½ cup (75 g) frozen strawberries
½ cup (80 g) frozen blueberries
½ cup (70 g) frozen raspberries
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure the lid. Start the blender on its lowest speed, then quickly increase to its highest speed. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached, using the tamper to press the ingredients toward the blades. Notes: You may substitute out any liquid for the yogurt, maybe try soy milk or cashew milk. For best results, allow frozen fruit to thaw at room temperature 10 minutes before blending. Note, all past recipes may have not used red grape
Plantation Iced Tea
Plantation Iced Tea
3 C. freshly brewed green tea. at room temperature
1/3 C. fresh pineapple juice
1/4 C. Ginger Simple Syrup
1 fresh lime juice
Ice, for serving
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Pineapple wedges, for garnish
Combine the green tea, pineapple juice, simple syrup, and lime juice in a large glass measuring C. or bowl and whisk together. Cover the C. or bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour. Serve over ice and garnish each glass with mint and a pineapple wedge.
Ginger Simple Syrup
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. filtered water
One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and ginger. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring with wooden spoon to dissolve the sugar. The liquid should go from cloudy to clear. Remove from the heat and let steep for about 1 hour before removing the ginger. Store the syrup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Mango, Raspberry, and Lime Smoothie
Mango, Raspberry, and Lime Smoothie
1/2 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 ounces raspberries
2 handfuls baby spinach
1 tsp. chia seeds
Juice of 1 lime
7 ounces coconut water
Place all the ingredients in a blender and whizz together.
Yield: 1 serving
Calories: 150
Sweet Rhubarb Lemonade
Sweet Rhubarb Lemonade
4 Basil Leaves
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz rhubarb syrup
1.5 oz vodka
3 dashes rhubarb bitters
2 tsp. simple syrup
½ cup chopped rhubarb
Add 4 basil leaves, lemon juice, and rhubarb syrup into a cup or cocktail mixer. Muddle basil gently to release flavor. Add ice and vodka, shake until cold. Pour into a cocktail glass and stir in rhubarb bitters. In a microwave safe bowl, mix chopped rhubarb and simple syrup. Heat about 2 minutes or until slightly bubbly. Strain into cocktail glass and enjoy!
Superfood Coconut Chai Latte
Superfood Coconut Chai Latte
1 chai tea bag, or 1 teaspoon loose chai tea
1/2 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup or raw honey, or more to taste
1 tablespoon grass-fed collagen peptides
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Boil 3/4 cup water in a teapot. Place the tea bag in a mug (or place loose tea in a tea ball or strainer) and pour the water over the tea. Steep for 4 to 6 minutes. While the tea is steeping, heat the coconut milk in a small saucepan until just warm. Do not let the coconut milk boil. Pour the coconut milk into a glass measuring cup or tall glass and froth it with a frothing wand. You can also froth the milk in a bowl with a handheld mixer or in a blender. Set the milk aside. Remove the tea bag or loose tea from the mug and stir in the maple syrup and collagen peptides. Slowly pour the frothed milk into the mug. Top with the cinnamon and enjoy. Special equipment: Frothing wand (optional)Â Change it up: Give the latte a stronger chai flavor by using 2 chai tea bags or 2 teaspoons loose chai tea and the same amount of water.
Rhubarb Mint Coolers
Rhubarb Mint Coolers
1 pound trimmed rhubarb
5 C. water
1 C. sugar
1/4 C. packed fresh mint leaves
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs
Cut rhubarb into 1/4-inch pieces and, in a saucepan, bring to a boil with water, sugar, and mint leaves. Simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes (rhubarb will disintegrate) and cool 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a pitcher, pressing hard on solids. Chill mixture, covered, until cold, about 3 hours, and up to 2 days. Serve coolers over ice in glasses, garnished with mint sprigs.
Sparkling Citrus Sangria
Sparkling Citrus Sangria
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice (1 can)
750 milliliter moscato wine (1 bottle)
1/2 C. gin
4 C. ginger ale (you can use diet or regular)
Slice the fruit into thin rounds. Cut some or all in half if you wish. Place the fruit in a large pitcher. Pour the pineapple chunks and juice in the pitcher. Add the wine and gin and stir. Place the pitcher in the refrigerator for an hour or until ready to serve. Make sure the ginger ale is also in the refrigerator, so it is cold when you add it. Right before serving, add chilled ginger ale. Serve with pretty-colored garnishes for a fresh, summery look!
Purple Dragon Martini
Purple Dragon Martini
3 ounces vodka
1 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
1/2 ounces blue Curacao liqueur
1/2 ounces sweet and sour mix
1/2 ounces of 7-Up
2 to 3 ice cubes
In a blender or food processor add all ingredients and blitz for 20 to 30 seconds on high speed. Salt the rim of your martini glass. Pour and imbibe.
Ocean Breeze Cocktail
Ocean Breeze Cocktail
2 oz. Coconut Rum
2 second count 7-Up or Sprite
2 oz. Blue Curacao
Ice
Cherry for garnishment
Fill a large glass or shaker with ice Pour 2 oz, of Coconut rum, 2 oz, of Blue Curacao, and two second count of sprite. Shake well. Pour into a glass filled with ice
Kentucky Style Southern Sweet Tea
Kentucky Style Southern Sweet Tea
6 to 8 tea bags
6 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 to 3 oranges, sliced
Sprigs of mint
In a large pot, add the tea bags and water. Bring to a rolling boil, remove from the heat, and let steep 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags. Pour the liquid into a gallon jug and add cold water to fill. Add the sugar (you can add more if you want sweeter tea). Add the oranges and mint and stir. Pour over ice and enjoy.
Basic Green Smoothie
½ banana, peeled
1½ cup (225 g) green grapes
1 Large orange, peeled, halved
1 slice pineapple, peeled
1½ cup (60 g) spinach
â…› teaspoon lime zest
2 Tablespoons agave nectar
1 cup (130 g) ice cubes
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to variable 10, then to High. Blend for 30 seconds, or until desired consistency is reached.
Tropical Escape Smoothie
Tropical Escape Smoothie
¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice
¾ cup (180 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) light coconut milk
1 lime, peeled, halved
½ banana, peeled
½ cup (80 g) frozen mango
1 cup (160 g) frozen pineapple
2 cups (260 g) ice cubes
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid. Select Variable 1. Turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 30-45 seconds.