Making smoothies from scratch is the only way to go. I have probably tasted a couple thousand smoothies in my day (thanks to my math man's obsession of this summer drink...even in the winter, when it is only 30 degrees out). Let me be the first to tell you that those juice shops use syrup, SYRUP people, in their smoothies, not to mention fruit juice mixes, not even real fresh fruit! Plus, though this may surprise some, those juice shops often use *gasp* ice-cream for creaminess. I know, the horror! Well, in my humble opinion, that's not a smoothie...nutritionally, its a fruit-flavored milkshake. No thank you!
Why settle for that, when a perfectly sweet, delicious smoothie can be created in your own kitchen. Lucky for you, my husband would not rest until we found the perfect method to smoothie making: 1 part frozen banana (for creaminess and sweetness), 1 part alternate fruit (strawberries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, mango, kiwi, pear, etc), and 1 part unsweetened apple/orange juice. The important part to the frozen banana is that it creates no need for added ice, therefore the smoothie does not get watered down!! Its brilliant.
This week, I have been experimenting with some other versions that we had not tried before and I'm telling you, it is awesome. I have even passed up on my usual decaf coffee the last two days to have this instead. When I told Eric that yesterday, he took my temperature to make sure I was feeling alright - hah! :)
Anyway, the recipe below is what I did both days and loved. I will let you know what I think after trying other greens/fruit in the days to come. Right now, I am pretty content with the combo I found!
Power Green Smoothie:
-1 frozen banana
-1/2 -1 mango
- 2 cups raw spinach
- 1 tsp. agave nectar (optional)
-cold water (start with 1/2 c. and add to desired consistency)
Throw in a blender and blend until smooth! If you aren't used to this type of smoothie, the agave nectar adds a little extra sweetness. It can easily be substituted with honey.
Throw in a blender and blend until smooth! If you aren't used to this type of smoothie, the agave nectar adds a little extra sweetness. It can easily be substituted with honey.
Sounds good, right? Wait, are you getting hung up on the spinach part? Trust me, its delicious, you won't even taste it, and this smoothie is a nutritional powerhouse! Also, it is important to combine a fruit that has Vitamin C in it with the spinach, so that the spinach's iron can be absorbed in your body. Mango does the trick for me here. This smoothie is a great way to infuse yourself with a lot of vitamins, living enzymes, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber--and being already liquid, it can be absorbed right into your bloodstream!
Oh - one last thing about them - they can be made in advance and keep well in the fridge. I am usually short on time in the mornings, so I made my smoothie the night before and just grabbed it as I headed out the door. Perfect!
3 comments:
You're incredible! The fact that you can take Spinach, turn it into a smoothie, and then get other people to want to try it too, shows me that you have a gift at not only cooking but in the art of persuasion. I can attest to the fact that it tastes MUCH better than it sounds.
Betsy! I haven't checked your blog in awhile- but apparently Josh has! He's been into making smoothies too and last week he made a comment about NOT putting nasty spinach in his smoothie - which I didn't understand- but now, it all makes sense! I will definitely try it out- I do like spinach- we'll see how much!
I can't wait to try this!!! I wanted to mention that I find it incredibly adorable that you can see Eric snuggling with, who appears to be, Marzell in the background. He has made a similar debut in your other photo as well...love it!
Ashley
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