Lemon-Cherry Smoothie

Prepare using frozen unsweetened strawberries.

To quickly and easily clean your blender, fill the blender container half full with warm water. Add a few drops of liquid dish soap, then cover tightly. Turn the blender on high speed for 30 sec. Most of the food residue will pour out with the water. Rinse the blender container well, then recheck. If necessary, repeat the process or spot clean.

There are two main types of cherries - sweet and sour. The larger of the two groups are the firm, heart-shaped sweet cherries which are delicious for eating out of hand as well as for use in cooked or baked recipes. The most common variety of sweet cherry in the U.S. is the dark red Bing cherry. Other sweet cherry varieties are golden- to white-skinned cherries, such as Rainier and Royal Ann. Sour cherries are smaller, softer and rounder than sweet cherries, with medium to dark red skins. The juicy flesh has a tart flavor, so these cherries must be sweetened and cooked before eating. Traditionally baked into pies, sour cherries are used in canned pie fillings and are also known as "pie cherries." Morello and Montmorency are the two most popular varieties of sour cherries.