What's more refreshing than a frozen drink? If you're looking for a delicious, healthy snack your kids will love, then a smoothie is a great choice. Or if you want to serve cooling refreshments to your summer guests, then a frozen drink is a real party pleaser. But there's more to it than just tossing ingredients into a blender. Follow these secrets to making the perfect fruit smoothie or frozen drink and you'll become an expert!

• Freeze the fruit ahead of time. It doesn't matter whether your smoothie recipe tells you to do this or not, this little trick will make for a thicker smoothie. Wash your fruit, cut in bite size pieces (slice bananas), spread out on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze. When your fruit is frozen, you can pack it together in a storage bag or container in the freezer. For best results, use within 2 weeks.
  
  
• Use fresh ripe fruit for the best flavor.
  
  
• When the recipe calls for ice, crushed ice is best. If you don't have crushed ice, you can always place ice cubes in a sealable plastic bag on a cutting board and "crush" the cubes with a hammer, rolling pin, frying pan, etc.
  
  
• The blending order is important. First add the cold liquid, then the fruit, and last add the frozen yogurt (or ice cream) or the ice.
  
  
• Considering using a Smoothie Maker. They really work! Unless you have a powerful blender, it will labor when pulverizing ice.

How to Fix a Less Than Perfect Recipe

Making smoothies and frozen drinks is not an exact science. You can start with a recipe and always change and improve it. Here are some basic tips to adapt any smoothie recipe to your own tastes and requirements.

To make it thicker: Add more ice, frozen fruit (especially a banana), frozen yogurt, ice cream or sherbet

If it's too thick: Add milk, water, or juice and blend again. Be careful when adding a lot of juice, because it will change the flavor of the frozen drink.

To make it creamier: Use ice cream, frozen yogurt or vanilla yogurt instead of the ice.

To reduce calories: Replace whole milk with skim milk. Use frozen yogurt or sorbet instead of ice cream. Add fresh fruit instead of sweetened frozen fruit. Use a sugar substitute. Choose nonfat yogurt over regular yogurt.

To make it sweeter: Add honey, maple syrup, a little sugar (superfine or confectioner's sugar blends best) or Splenda.

If it's too sweet: add a little lemon juice or even lemonade.

To make it healthier: Add protein power or brewer's yeast available from the health food or vitamin store (and some supermarkets).

To add fiber: Add ground flax seed, wheat bran, wheat germ, and leave the skin on the fruit.

To make a frozen drink with alcohol: Substitute rum, vodka, or a fruit liqueur for an equal part of the juice or other liquid called for in the recipe. Pour into a margarita or hurricane glass and garnish with fresh fruit. However, if a frozen drink calls for alcohol and you prefer a non-acoholic beverage, simply substitute juice, milk or water for the spirits.

To add extra flavor: Use very ripe, quality fresh fruit. A little cocoa powder gives it a chocolatey flavor. Try a few drops of almond extract or some of the other fruit extracts sold in the baking section of the supermarket. Add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.

Recipes to get you started:

(Blend each of these as directed above)

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

8 oz. vanilla or strawberry yogurt

1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, frozen

1 whole banana

1 tablespoon honey

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup milk

2 cups orange sherbet

3/4 cup vanilla frozen yogurt

Peach Smoothie

2 cups peach nectar (juice)

1 cup peach yogurt

1/2 banana

1 1/2 cups frozen peach slices

1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt

Cantaloupe Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups cantaloupe, cut in chunks, frozen

heaping tablespoon of vanilla yogurt

ice cubes to thicken

Cappuccino Smoothie

1 cup brewed coffee

1 cup milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup vanilla ice cream

2 cups crushed ice or ice cubes

Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon