Orange Julius (for Vitamix)

I've been an Orange Julius fan since childhood. Growing up, we always made the drink with orange juice, milk (twice as much orange juice as milk), sugar, ice, and vanilla. Yum! We finally purchased a
Vitamix blender, and I discovered that I could make the drink with whole (peeled) oranges and without the milk. Tastes even better, and my lactose-intolerant son and friends can join in the fun. Here is the recipe:

1/4 cup water
2 oranges (peeled and quartered, seedless)
3/4 cup ice cubes (although I never measure)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1or 2 tablespoons sugar

Blend and drink. Makes 2 servings.

NOTE: We love our Vitamix and use it every day. On a tip from a friend, we discovered that the Vitamix company sells refurbished blenders for half the price, and they still come with a 5-year warranty. Score!