Frugal Momma's Test Kitchen: Orange Julius

It is time to break out the aprons, ladies, and attempt an easy recipe for a yummy homemade Orange Julius drink. Since we just got a new smoothie maker (see my post on milkshakes & slushies for other great drink recipes) this little appliance has been humming, just about every single day.

Now one of my absolute favorite mall treats is an Orange Julius drink. I like mine with strawberries and bananas. Total cost is usually over three dollars (just for a regular size!). To my delight, I have found a recipe that you can make at home, and the total cost is less than a buck to make three good size cups of this drink. What a savings!

I always have bananas in my freezer (check out my banana pound cake & heavenly banana bread recipes for more ways to use these up) so I threw one of these in. I left out the berries, but thought it tasted just as good.

What did my husband think? Well, he wrinkled up his nose and said it tasted like the nasty drinks at the mall. Considering he doesn't like these frozen treats, I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

I hope you guys can give this one a try! It is like enjoying a favorite mall treat without the crowds or the temptations of shopping...and who needs all of that?

Faux Orange Julius

1 cup milk (I used prepared powdered milk to cut down on using up our milk for smoothies. It worked perfectly)
1 cup ice water
1 (6 ounce) can of frozen orange juice concentrate (I purchased the Aldi brand. You could also purchase the type that has extra calcium in it for the kids)
12 cubes of ice (I just threw in a whole bunch of ice because I like it really thick)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup sugar

Pour all of the ingredients into the blender and blend for two minutes (or until smooth).