Who remembers the Orange Julius drink? Do you remember that wonderful orange flavored iced drink? I remember certain things about my childhood… like when my dad would go to Sears and look at tools… as a little girl… I can still remember the tiles on the floor at Sears in Macomb Mall (St. Clair Shores, MI). A beigy colored tile… HOW do I remember that? Because I would stare down and wait for the tool shopping to be over with because… if we went shopping for tools we either got popcorn from Sears (which was like movie popcorn, oh so delicious!) OR we got to go to Orange Julius and watch them make the drink, which was big fun. I remember they used some powdered white stuff… I’m guessing that was the “milk”? Hmmm… When I was a kid, the Detroit Free Press published a recipe for making an Orange Julius at home… my sister and I had made plenty! Sometimes if my parents weren’t home, we would make an Orange Julius and popcorn for dinner. Ha ha… big fun… After Fred and I got married, I have to say, we’ve done that a few times. They’re very filling, and oh-so-delicious!

They couldn’t be easier to make…

ORANGE JULIUS

Start with a blender… in the blender pitcher add:

2 cups of orange juice

I cup of milk

1/4 cup (or I use about 1 Tablespoon or NONE) Sugar

1 teaspoon of Vanilla (this is key!)

and about 8-10 ice cubes.

Blend on high until ice is crushed.

Pour into a glass, toss in a straw… take a sip… you have a smile on your face, don’t you?? If you’re feeling especially daring, make yourself a nice bowl of popcorn (not microwave) – it’s good fiber and will keep you full!

Ever wonder about the history of Orange Julius… well wonder no more! Here’s the history from OrangeJulius.com

It all started with a guy who really liked oranges. People called him Julius Freed. Julius liked oranges so much, in fact, that he opened his very own orange juice stand. Sales were slow. But Julius was not alone. He had a friend named Bill Hamlin. Bill also really liked oranges, but they upset his stomach. So Bill got an idea: he blended his orange juice with a few choice ingredients to make it less acidic. It also happened to make it frothy and delicious.

Bill introduced the drink to Julius. Julius introduced the drink to his customers. His customers introduced their friends. And soon the store was lined with thirsty fans shouting, “Give me an orange, Julius!” Sales went through the roof and an original was born.

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image: OrangeJulius.com