1 cup apple juice

6-8 medium strawberries, cubed and frozen

1 medium banana, cubed and frozen

Orange sunrise

1 cup fresh orange juice

1 large banana, cubed and frozen

4 dates with seeds removed

Peachy mint kiwi

1 cup iced mint tea

2 cups peach chunks, frozen

1 kiwi fruit, frozen

1 teaspoon honey

Mango cremo

1 ripe mango, cubed and frozen

1 cup plain yoghurt

Method

Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

If you prefer a thicker consistency, reduce the amount of liquid used. Smoothies are a great snack. Bananas make a good base for smoothies, so this is a great way to use the overripe ones you were going to throw away. Put them in the freezer instead.

If the smoothie is too sour, add a dollop of honey or maple syrup.

Smoothies also make a good power breakfast. Sprinkle in some brewer's yeast, wheat germ and bee pollen powder, or add a teaspoon of flaxseed oil, and your children will have met much of their nutritional needs for the day.

Choc chip cookies

450g organic strong white flour

250g butter

100g brown sugar

100g chocolate chips or chopped up cooking chocolate

Method

Grease two large baking trays. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (children will enjoy helping with these steps).

Fold in the flour a bit at a time until a firm dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips. Put two small teaspoons of dough on the baking tray for each cookie, making sure the cookies are spaced well apart.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are firm and light brown. Allow them to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Mini Blueberry Muffins

375g organic self-raising flour

100g brown sugar

1 large egg

1 cup milk

150g canned or frozen blueberries

Method

If not using paper cups, grease a mini muffin tray. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Set aside. Whisk the egg and milk together in another bowl. Add egg mixture and blueberries to the dry ingredients and stir until the flour and sugar are moistened and the batter is smooth.

Spoon the batter into the muffin pans, filling each cup about two-thirds to three-quarters full.

Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown.

Glutinous Black Rice Porridge

150g glutinous black rice

2 medium-sized sweet potatoes

Half a small pumpkin

1 litre water Honey or brown sugar to taste

Method

Wash the black rice and place it in a crock pot.

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Remove the skin of the pumpkin and the seeds. Cube the pumpkin.

Add the sweet potatoes and pumpkin to the black rice. Add the water and cook in the crock pot on a low heat for about four hours or until the rice and potato and pumpkin cubes are soft. If the mixture appears too dry, add hot water.

Serve with honey or brown sugar.