COOKING CORNER

Stay cool in the dog days of summer with a frosé, ice cream, gelato, ice pop, sorbet, or smoothie, a non-caffeinated option to a cold brew or iced hazelnut cappuccino. You can stop in at Smoothie King, My Happy Place Café, Tropical Smoothie Café, Fresca Vida, or St. Pete Beach’s new La Playa Bowl in Dolphin Village for some of the best frozen drinks in town or Beans & Barlour for an icy boozy treat.

Even better, you can whip up frozen treats at home. Juice a watermelon and make ice cube pops or put a scoop of raspberry sorbet in your Prosecco. Make best friends with your smoothie maker (Nutribullet is my favorite) and mix up a healthy concoction of fruits, vegetables, and health boosters (protein powder, matcha). A blender is ok, but smoothie makers often come with built-in strainers/filters and have a taller, narrower pitcher than a blender. Pour into your Yeti and head to the beach.

NICE MANGO/BANANA If you suffer from acid reflux, avoiding foods such as peppermint, chocolate, spicy dishes and caffeinated or alcoholic drinks as evening approaches is step one. Looking for an evening dessert that helps, not hinders your

By Nanette Wiser

GERD? Try nice creams, dairy-free desserts with the consistency of ice cream such as mango/banana or strawberry. Mangos are non-acidic and ripe bananas have a high PH that settle your stomach and help reduce acid reflux. Directions Mix frozen mango chunks and frozen sliced strawberries or frozen banana slices with lime juice. Pulse till smooth and add water to help process fruit.

CHERRY ALMOND SMOOTHIE A perfect breakfast on the go. Ingredients 1 sliced banana, 2 cups frozen pitted cherries, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt, 1-2 TB honey. Directions Combine the banana, cherries, almond milk, yogurt and 1 TB honey in a blender and puree until smooth.

AVOCADO DREAM SMOOTHIE Avocado or blueberries may be your best bet for a healthy smoothie. Ingredients 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups crushed ice, 2 ripe avocados pitted and sliced. Directions blend the milk, sweetened condensed milk and ice in a blender until very smooth, then add avocado and pulse. Add cold water as needed with each pulse until the mixture is pourable.