Riddikulus-ly Pink Beetroot and Strawberry Smoothie

I am posting this just to get over my ridiculous need to blog about food only when I have something random, funny, introspective or nostalgic to go along with the recipe. For once, I don't. I mean, I don't have anything of any importance to say right now. And the lack of having anything of any consequence to write about, has been stopping me from posting about food. Which is ridiculous.

I know what you are thinking. How are they related? Just writing about a dish, its recipe, the cooking method; that should be enough, right? Yeah. It should be. But I am weird. That's the only explanation. I like my food to have a story. Any story. (Also I kinda like to think that all you guys come visit my blog as much for the crazy stories as the decent recipes). So I am now trying to post without a story. Or without anything really. Other than the food. And now I have successfully rambled on about nothing without a mention of the recipe! Riddikulus!

Oh, and if you think that I spelt 'ridiculous' wrong there, then clearly you haven't read Harry Potter and you cannot ever be my true best friend. Ok, yes, I know you may not want to be my true-best-friend, but its your loss, really. And since this post (which started with all good intentions) has now really fallen under the ridiculous category, let me enlighten you with the advantages of a 'Riddikulus' spell:

• It can make scary things suddenly seem... yes, you got it, ridiculous!
• It teaches you that laughing about your fears can actually make them go away.
• It makes you realize that sometimes, non-existent Boggarts can take on a really fearful form, but at the end of the day, they are non-existent. Its all in your head.
• Its all well and good on my part to dispense this advice, but it isn't all that easy to defeat a Boggart and make it look riddikulus...err... ridiculous. You sometimes need friends to distract the big scary thing that's frightening you. 

So this recipe is for the many awesome and ridiculous friends I have had over the years... who always made things seem ridiculously pink and rosy even when life sucked, really.

RIDICULOUSLY PINK BEETROOT & STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Ingredients:

Beetroots - 2 small
Strawberries - 1 cup
Sugar - To taste
Milk - 3 cups
Vanilla Ice-cream (optional) - 1 scoop

Wash the beetroots, cut them into two halves and steam or boil them. This makes the beetroot peel slide off easily and also takes away the slightly raw taste.

Chop the beetroots and the cleaned, hulled strawberries into small pieces and throw them into your mixer jar. If you are using a hand-blender, then use a deep bottomed glass or steel vessel. Now add the sugar (I hate sugar in my juices and shakes, so I add just about half a spoon), the milk and the scoop of vanilla ice-cream. Blend it till smooth and creamy. Add milk or more ice-cream depending on what consistency you like in your smoothie. Makes about 2-3 glasses.

The way I like it:
 Pour it into 2 tall glasses, add ice cubes and garnish with chocolate cigars or even mint leaves. An excellent drink for the hot summers. You can also substitute the strawberries with cherries or mangoes, which are currently in season. But of course, you will not get the ridiculous pink colour that I love...