Creamy Green Smoothie

There's just something about a green smoothie that makes me happy. And this one in particular, since it's creamy, green AND delicious. Bananas are the key ingredient to this smoothie, and more specifically: a frozen banana. Aka the key to creaminess.

Recently I've been helping my parents refinish their deck. While I enjoy the challenge, I also need the right fuel for lots of time in the sun with my handy dandy belt sander. This smoothie is great fuel for just that!

Creamy Green Smoothie (serves 1 - 2)

2 bananas
1 frozen banana
1 - 2 stalks of pineapple
3 - 4 dates
2 cups of cold water (or coconut water)
2 big leaves of kale

Put all ingredients into blender (loading the soft ingredients towards the bottom) and blend away! Serve in a mason jar with a straw and enjoy :)

Classic Green Smoothie

In the past I have tried several green smoothie recipes (most of which were developed in my head) and none of them really blew me away.  I was always trying to just add greens into a smoothie I already knew I'd enjoy, and something about that just wasn't right.

Last night I YouTubed "Best Green Smoothie" and learned quite a bit.  Of course there are greens, but the fruit you choose is quite important.  A very ripe banana or pineapple will add enough sweetness to counteract the bitterness of the greens -  making it more palatable! 

I decided it was time to finally master a green smoothie. 

And it turned out GREAT! Way better than I had expected.  It tastes sweet, with a hint of greens, and the aftertaste is not bitter because of the banana.  I have a feeling this has changed the way I will think about smoothies.  YUM.

Classic Green Smoothie (serves ~ 1-2)

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale

1 ripe banana

1.5 cups chopped pineapple

2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut

2 cups water (feel free to use coconut water instead)

1/2 - 1 cup of ice

Blend away until completely smooth and serve in a mason jar :)  Enjoy!



Ultimate Refreshing Pink Juice

Long time no blog! I recently bought a 12 pack of 1L mason jars and today was the day I decided to put one to use.  I made a super delicious pink juice with my Vitamix that is perfectly refreshing! To be honest, I don't always know what I'm doing in the kitchen, or how a recipe will turn out, but this recipe was too good not to share.

It's light, tangy, sweet and just right for a hot summer day.  Not to mention, it's bright pink... ;)

Ultimate Refreshing Pink Juice (serves ~ 1 - 2)

3 oranges

1 lemon

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (or fresh)

1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped pineapple (I used fresh, but you could use frozen)

Cold water as needed

Juice all 4 pieces of citrus and add to your blender.  Add in the raspberries and pineapple, and then fill the blender with cold water to about the 800mL mark (just under 1L because the juice will froth once blended).  Blend away for 1 minute and serve in a mason jar or a tall glass with a straw :)