As the weather warms up, Patty Price finds herself turning to the blender first thing in the morning to whip up a fresh cooling smoothie for breakfast.
By Patty Price

Last weekend it was so hot I made and served several batches of fruit smoothies to my guests that were cooling off in the pool. I discovered that fresh fruit, buttermilk, a few ice cubes and a small amount of honey makes a tangy slightly sweet Summer drink. Buttermilk is considered an old fashioned drink that we never see offered on menus or in homes these days. I can remember my grandfather drinking buttermilk and thinking it didn’t look very good.

Nowadays buttermilk adds a good tangy flavor to baked goods like breads, muffins, pancakes or scones which is where it’s most often used. I find that buttermilk adds that same flavor to a fruit smoothie as well as contributes a creamy base to the blended fruit in this refreshing drink. There are several theories that buttermilk is good for the digestion and can actually help with weight loss. Regardless of the theories I like the idea of starting my days this summer with a light refreshing Summertime drink fresh from my blender. Feel free to vary the fresh fruit in your smoothie by using what you have on hand in the kitchen and like me, you may also find yourself keeping a container of buttermilk in the refrigerator this Summer.