Happy Saturday, everyone! We’re back for more Saturday Snacks, and since we’ve been chowing down on all thing cookies and sweets recently, I thought that perhaps we could press the pause button today and change things up just a bit. It’s summer (it’s easy to forget that with the state of all things COVID-19 right now, I know), so what could be better to bring a little summer sunshine into your kitchen than a tropical drink?
Last Sunday, in honor of National Ice Cream Day, Disney released a non-alcoholic version of Disney Cruise Line‘s Island Navigator. It’s fruity and frothy, and it’s just the thing to raise your spirits this weekend. And the bonus is that you need just a few ingredients to whip up this little baby. Ready? Here we go…
I was this many years old when I found out that something called “coconut cream” exists. I had no idea, and little did I know that something called “coconut cream” comes in a can (I don’t know why, but I had pictured a jar similar to marshmallow fluff). That’s my new thing to learn for the day.
Something else I learned today was that the can of coconut cream needs to be shaken and the contents stirred before being used. This is something that I found out by reading the very fine print on the back of the can after the fact. Oops. Thankfully, my unshaken and unstirred coconut cream didn’t impact the overall results, so rest easy if you forget this step. Just keep swimming.
First things first. You’ll need a cup of pineapple juice, which means that, if you’re using the smaller 6 ounce cans, you’ll need to open two of them. Pour out the 8 ounces that you need and toss it into your blender.
Now it’s time for the mysterious coconut cream. You’ll need just 1/3 cup for the recipe, so add finding additional coconut cream recipes to your weekend to-do list. Toss the coconut cream into the blender, and blend the juice and cream well.
The next step calls for us to drop 6-8 ice cubes into the blender and pulse the blender until the ice is crushed and incorporated into the smoothie.
The last ingredient to add is a cup of your favorite vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt. After adding the ice cream (and daydreaming of additional ways to use the remaining ice cream), blend everything completely. And find a luau playlist on Apple Music or Spotify to listen to while you sip your smoothie. You’ll need it. Grab your favorite glass, and pour yourself a glass of the creamy and cool smoothie. Welcome to the weekend.
When it came to choosing a garnish, I opted for maraschino cherries. Unfortunately, when I attempted to place the cherry on the top of the smoothie, it sank. Doh. So skip the step of putting the cherries onto the smoothie and simply pop them straight into your mouth. Or do like my hubby did and throw a bunch in with the remaining smoothie and blend it all together. Whatever floats your boat, my friends.
The only logical glass for this smoothie was my 2020 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival Orange Bird glass. I picked it up on my first trip back to the park after the reopening, and it such a happy little glass that I knew it’d be perfect for such a happy little drink.
If you love pineapple, this is your drink. The overall balance between the coconut and pineapple is perfect. It doesn’t lean heavily one way or the other, and the pineapple lends nice, bright notes to the drink.
Be sure to throw on your sunglasses, crank up the tropical tunes, and pretend that you’re lounging on the top deck of your favorite Disney ship while sipping your smoothie. I’ll be pretending that I’m at Satellite Falls on the Disney Fantasy with my smoothie in one hand and a great book in the other.
For that matter, if you’re dreaming of a Disney cruise, fall 2021 itineraries were announced this week. You could always do a little vacation dreaming while you’re sipping your Island Navigator.
As always, if you’d like help planning a Disney Cruise Line vacation, let the experts at Dreams Unlimited Travel (the official sponsor of The DIS) jump in and help you craft the vacation of your dreams. Click here to request a no-obligation quote.
Ready to invite a little tropical sunshine into your Saturday? The recipe is below:
Island Navigator from Disney Cruise Line
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- 6 to 8 ice cubes
- 1 cup vanilla ice cream or frozen vanilla yogurt
- Pineapple triangles, maraschino cherries, for garnish
- Combine pineapple juice and coconut cream in blender. Blend to combine.
- Add ice and pulse until ice is crushed. Add ice cream and blend until smooth.
- Garnish with pineapple triangles and maraschino cherries, if desired. Serve immediately.
Note: This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. As a reminder while preparing this recipe, please supervise children who are helping or nearby.
Source: Disney Parks Blog