Banana Almond Breakfast Smoothie

I wanted to make myself think I was drinking almond nut butter. Sometimes you just need an absurd amount of nut butter for all to be right with the world. Luckily for me this smoothie did the trick and I didn't have to resort to the spoon in the jar, before reaching for another spoon because the second scoop always tastes better ;)

Yeild: 1 Satisfying Smoothie
1 Cup Milk of choice (I used almond)
2 Tablespoons nut butter (almond)
handful of ice
1/2 (preferably frozen) banana
1 teaspoon flaxseed meal
splash of vanilla extract

Dump all ingredients in a blender and whirl away!

Tip and Trick: Sometimes I like to add a little chia seed, or a pinch of ground oatmeal flour for not only a fiber boost, but to help thicken the smoothie. If this is the case, then I will let the seeds or oatmeal to sit in the milk for a minute before blending to let it get a head start on absorbing the liquid and thickening the smoothie!

What do you crave by the spoonful?

Cheers,     Suzy

Is It A Smoothie Without A Blender?

Did you ever want a smoothie, and not have a blender available?
This is a problem.
By definition you need a blender in order to acquire a smoothie, I checked...

smooth·ie

 [smoo-thee] 

noun Informal.

1.

a person who has a winningly polished manner: He's such a smoothie he could charm the stripes off atiger.

2.

a thick beverage of fruit pureed in a blender with ice and milk, yogurt, or juice.

                                                                                           copied from Dictionary.com

I miss the blender when I'm at school. First week of summer I live off of smoothies and shakes to make up for the lack of them during the school months. But during school, I can improvise.
I've developed a smoothie-like drink that does the trick when you just need the refreshing and healthiness that is a smoothie. It consists of contraband frozen berries from the caf, and almond milk I keep in my room. I sometimes add protein powder if I'm in the mood, and maybe even a bit of sweetener. It is a quite satisfying and convenient treat, and something I will continue making, even without my beloved blender.

(please excuse the below-par photography...I'm banking on the paper hearts as a distraction) 

Blender-less Smoothie:
1 1/4 C frozen berries of choice, I use raspberries and blueberries
1/2 C almond milk
1 scoop protein powder (chocolate would be fun to try!)
1 t sweetener of choice

Put the frozen berries in a cup. Allow them to defrost a bit, until the berry juice begins to form puddles at the bottom of the cup. Pour in almond milk, add protein powder and sweetener if using. Now, with a fork, mash and stir the mixture.

Of course the berries will not be pureed like a blender. In fact  most blueberries will stay very much intact, though the raspberries tend to break apart. This is just fine by me and is kind of fun in a way. I like to eat all the blueberries first and then sip the rest of the smoothie through a straw.

The beauty of this smoothie, besides the color, is that it is very versatile. You can add however much fruit, milk, or protein powder as you want. I would even suggest using orange juice, yogurt, or even banana that has been frozen and defrosted.
It is completely customizable.

So, by definition...
this is a thick beverage,... check.
made of fruit,... check.
pureed in a blender....okay, no.
with ice, milk, yogurt, or juice;... check...well, it's made with ice-y berries, that make the milk icy-y.

So, this is 3/4 of a smoothie, I suppose. But whatever it is, It is tasty, healthy, and easy, meaning I will continue making it!

I'll be taking this to go..

Cheers,
     Suzy

The Green Smoothie

Everyone has one.
They are stark in color, undoubtedly healthy, and deceptively tasty.
And unlike the green rugs of the 70's this shade will always be in style. Some may consider them the Holy Grail of Health, but many call them breakfast.
And they all have one thing in common, greens!

This is my go-to Green Smoothie.

Green Smoothies have become all the rage, and when you have a good one, you understand why. I like to use spinach in my smoothies, I think it blends up really well and even adds a creaminess. Two other necessary ingredients are green grapes and almond milk. Just add ice, blend, and you have yourself a darn good smoothie! But, I can never leave things well enough alone, and I generally have a grocery list of other add ins. That is the beauty of these dazzling drinks is that you can customize them to what you are in the mood for that day, or what is available.

The almond milk tones down the greens a bit, so it gives you a good excuse to add more spinach! The grapes add a nice touch of sweetness and an added boost of fiber, if you use green grapes it keeps with the green theme. I also REALLY like adding green figs when they are in season, they're just so tasty.

This isn't really a recipe, its more of a guideline that I tend to follow
Yield: 1 smoothie

Handful or two of spinach, or however much you are comfortable using
1 cup vanilla almond milk, sweetened or unsweetened
1 cup green grapes, with skin on
1/2 banana, frozen*
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (optional)
2-3 green figs (optional)
1 cup of ice cubs


Add all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth.

*It's helpful to peel and cut a few banana's in half before storing them in the freezer for easy smoothie making. If you don't have frozen bananas readily available, just add more ice.

Note: I have yet to do this, but I if you were to freeze the grapes it would help to thicken the smoothie. And if you're like me, I like my smoothies to be the consistency of to the point were I need a spoon to eat it.