#2,661: Berry-Granola Smoothie

Man the blue background is really giving off a weird color for this picture!  Oops.  I probably should have noticed that sooner!  If you read my previous post, you'll know we have a whole lot of homemade yogurt in our fridge that we now need to use up.  Since the consistency is a little bit thin, I figured it would be a great addition to smoothies...which it is!  My oldest has made a lot of smoothies lately!

I had also bought some granola because the kids like to put it in their yogurt, and this recipe called for granola in it too.  That scared me a little.  But my kids loved this smoothie recipe and even my non-smoothie loving middle child has asked me to make this again!  

I found this recipe in a little pull-out book in a recent issue of Food Network Magazine "50 Berry Treats."

1 c frozen mixed berries
1/2 c vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 c granola
1/2 c almond milk
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp honey

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  

#2,003: Fig Newton Smoothie

The town we live in has an insane amount of restaurants, that continues to expand.  However the one "food"-ish chain we cannot get to come here is a Trader Joe's!  The closest one to us is almost 2 hours away.  On a recent visit to my sister, I stopped to stock up on a bunch of things before heading home, and found a great deal on some sweet looking figs.  So I got a box hoping to get my kids to eat them.  No such luck...they didn't like the taste and/or texture of it.  I knew I wouldn't be able to eat them fast enough so I quartered them and popped them in the freezer.  I've been enjoying half of a fig in my smoothie every morning (time to road trip back to another TJ's!), and wanted to see if I could get my kids to like the figs in a fig newtwon-inspired smoothie!  Shockingly, one kid loved it (not the one I thought), but 2 were not big fans.  I thought it was good though, and will probably make a halved recipe for the kid who did like it.  This is a recipe that could easily be prepped the night before and then just blended in the morning to make morning breakfasts easier and faster.  

2-3 figs 

1/2 cup Almond Milk, or coconut milk

1/2 cup Plain Greek Yogurt

1 cup Ice cubes

1/2 whole Banana

1 Tbsp Almond Butter

1/4 cup Grain-Free Granola (I used unsweetened shredded coconut instead)

1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Tbsp Granulated Honey

1 pinch ground Cinnamon

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds, optional (I omitted)

Blend ingredients and serve.

#1,834: Pineapple Sage Smoothie

If you saw my previous post with pineapple sage tea, you know that I have a gigantic pineapple sage plant in my garden and I need to use some how.  Although I'm loving the tea, my kids are not.  So I decided to try this pineapple sage smoothie on the kiddos.  I'll admit I'm a little shocked, but they loved this!  They loved it so much they asked for me to make a second batch!  No problem kids, I'll whip this baby up in the morning before school.  Although I'll be happier after the time change in a few days because I'm tired of going to work (and school!) still in the dark!!!

1/3 cup skim milk
3/4 cup vannilla yogurt
1/2 banana (I used a whole ripe banana)
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp pineapple sage packed and chopped
I also added a few ice cubes

Place ingredients in a blender.  Process until smooth.  

#1,702: Pumpkin pie smoothie

I found this recipe posted on a facebook group, so I have no idea where the original recipe/post came from.  This is a very simple recipe but it lacked a little bit of flavor.  So I made it a second time and added a scoop of my chocolate protein powder and liked it even more.  But I think this would probably be best with vanilla protein powder instead!  I don't know if I would necessarily make this particular recipe again, although if someone put it in front of me, I would certainly drink it!

1/2 frozen banana
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
small squirt of honey
enough almond milk to submerge it all (about a cup or so)

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  

#1,680: Cranberry Banana Smoothie

I have some fresh cranberries leftover from a science experiment I did with my kids at school for Thanksgiving, so I had to find some fresh cranberry recipes to use up these sour little gems.  I wanted to make something that hopefully my kids would eat...or in this case, drink.  I found this super simple recipe for a smoothie and figured it would be a good recipe to subject my kids to.  Although they all complained a little bit that I was giving them cranberries (oh the horror!!), there was no smoothie left, and 2 of them asked for seconds.  I'd say this was a pretty successful recipe!  :) 

8 ounces fresh cranberries

2 small banana

1 cup canned, light coconut milk (I used almond milk)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

#1,619: Almond Oat Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Who doesn't like a pink drink??  I decided to make this super easy smoothie recipe for the kids for breakfast this weekend.  Two of the three kids loved this and asked for seconds (the third one doesn't like smoothies very much).  They already asked that I make this again for breakfast tomorrow.  I'd say that was a success!

The recipe below serves 1.   

1/8 cup old-fashioned oats

2 oz. fresh strawberries, I used frozen

1/4 large banana

1 tbps almond flour

1/3 cups unsweetened almond milk

1/4 cup ice (I omitted since the berries were frozen)

Put all ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth.

#1,598: Grapefruit smoothie

Let me state, I am not a grapefruit fan.  It is one fruit that I really, really find the taste of too strong and bitter.  Recently though I got one from my order via Home Chef (love that company by the way!) and I seriously debated just throwing it out.  Knowing that there had to be an easy, healthy recipe to use it in, I decided to give it a try by using it in this recipe.  Isn't it pretty?!!?  This is a super healthy fruit smoothie, and if you like grapefruits, you will probably like this recipe as well.  I however, was only able to drink half of it before the grapefruit flavor became too much for me.  Hey, half is better than nothing!  

I used frozen organic strawberries which made this smoothie a little thicker ...which I liked!  I loved the texture of this drink, just not the aftertaste.  I tried adding a packet of stevia to my drink and it helped a little to sweeten it up, but not enough for me to want to make this again.  Overall not bad, just not my thing. 

2 cups hulled strawberries
1 peeled, seeded and chopped grapefruit
1 cored and chopped sweet apple
1 cup water
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

Place all of your ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately. 

#1,571: Berry-Nana Smoothie

Here's a simple smoothie I made for my kids to share today at lunch...they LOVED it.  I did omit the tofu (which is an optional ingredient) mainly because I figured they wouldn't love it.  I might try some other time to add it in to see if they can tell it's in there.  This was a thick and creamy smoothie and I had to add some almond milk to thin it out enough for them to drink.  I will definitely make this again for them.

1 very ripe banana (fresh or frozen)
1 cup frozen berries (I used strawberries)
1/2 cup or 1 (6-ounce) container plain, vanilla or lemon yogurt (I used plain Greek)
3/4 cup orange juice or apple juice (I used the juice of an orange + some almond milk to thin out to our desired consistency)
2 ounces soft tofu, optional (I omitted)
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or to taste

Put everything in a blender and puree until smooth. 

#1,549: Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie

My kids totally loved this smoothie, even my non-smoothie loving 6 year old!  I made it with Crystal Light lemonade since that's what we had on hand and although the kids really enjoyed it, I think it would have been better with real lemonade (and taste less processed and artificial!).  It was so simple to make though and the kids drank the whole pitcher!

2 cups lemonade
3/4 cup (6 ounces) lemon yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups frozen unsweetened strawberries

Place all ingredients in a blender; cover and process 15 seconds or until blended. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

#1,511: Fruit-free Green Smoothie (Paleo)

In an attempt to keep fruit out of my smoothies, I decided to try this green smoothie made with (what else) green veggies.  I do like spinach and avocado in my smoothies, but will admit, I was scared of the cucumber.  Although I drank SOME of this smoothie, I certainly didn't finish it and nor did I love it.  It sure is healthy though.  Would I make this again, definitely not.  But I'm glad I tried it at least once.  

½ organic cucumber, chopped

¼ cup parsley

½ lemon, peeled

½ avocado, pitted and peeled

2 cups organic, raw spinach

1 cup coconut water

6 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy immediately.

#1,479: Thin Mint (Healthy) Smoothie

Girl Scout Cookie season is just about to come to a close, and a coworker of mine asked if I had ever tried a Thin Mint Smoothie?  Um, no, and why have I not?!?!  So I took to Google to find a recipe that looked easy, and one that I had almost all of the ingredients for.  I have been putting off purchasing a protein powder for a while, but I found a low carb/low sugar/low calorie one at Kroger so I figured it was a good time to try it (in addition to the Thin Mint Smoothie!).  

I actually really, really liked this smoothie.  My kids did too...BONUS!  I think next time I'll omit the rolled oats...I don't think it needs it.  But the rest is quite delicious! 

1 cup frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh)

1 cup almond milk

2 scoops chocolate protein powder (I only needed 1 scoop of the kind I used)

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/8 tsp peppermint extract

Combine the almond milk, spinach, protein powder, rolled oats, and peppermint extract in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. 

#1,447: Pina Colada Breakfast Smoothie

I've made this recipe twice now, and to be honest, I'll probably eat it again tonight for dinner or again tomorrow for breakfast, because yes, it is THAT good!  I personally used a can of coconut milk, and since it was such a great can with a really thick cream in it, I've been putting a dollop of the cream, and then some of the coconut water.  If I feel like I need to thin it out a little bit, I'll add just a little bit of tap water with it.  LOVE this recipe!

1 large Banana
¾ cup canned Crushed Pineapple (or 1-1/4 cup frozen or fresh pineapple chunks)
 2 Tbsp Shredded Unsweetened Coconut
1 cup Coconut Milk
1-1/2 cups Ice Instructions

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and (relatively) smooth.  

#1,315: Paleo Banana Chocolate Shake

I've been looking for some easy, fast, healthy breakfast ideas for the kids and I came across this recipe for Paleo Banana Chocolate Shakes.  Chloe (age 5) loved making this with me and being my non-smoothie drinker, drank the most of any of the kids.  I took a tiny sip of this and immediately fell in love.  Chloe has already requested this again for breakfast tomorrow!  

2 frozen bananas
1 1/2 tsp dark cocoa powder
1/2 c coconut milk (I used unsweetened chocolate almond milk)
1/2 c cold water (I omitted)

1 tbsp almond butter (I used nutella)
pinch of cinnamon

In a blender combine all of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  Add water if necessary to reach desired consistency.  Serve immediately.  

#1,213: Cashew-Coffee Smoothie

Instead of using ice cubes in this recipe I just threw in some frozen banana chunks instead.  We regularly have frozen bananas in our freezer because it is such a great addition to smoothies and I don't need to add ice cubes to them.  This is very, very good!  You do have to blend the milk with the nuts first so that the nuts get as blended as possible, otherwise you are going to have quite a chunky smoothie. 

4 ice cubes
1 cup low-fat milk (1%) or nondairy beverage
1/4 cup hazelnuts, almonds or cashews
1 medium ripe banana, sliced
2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon

Crush ice cubes in blender; transfer to small bowl. Blend milk and hazelnuts until very smooth. Add banana, instant coffee, brown sugar, vanilla and crushed ice. Blend until smooth and creamy. Serve sprinkled with cinnamon.

2 (1-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 235 calories, 11.5 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 7.5 g protein, 27 g carbohydrate, 5 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 3.5 g fiber

  

#1,195: Green Breakfast Smoothie

Here is another super healthy, green smoothie recipe just in time for St. Patrick's Day.  I enjoyed this smoothie and so did Allison (7), but I didn't love this enough to want to make it again the next day.  Part of that might be due to the large number of ingredients.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't a hard recipe at all, but in my rush to get out the door as fast as possible each morning, this has a few too many ingredients for me.  It was good though.

1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1 avocado
3 almond milk ice cubes (I used about 1/2 c unsweetened chocolate almond milk)
1/2 cup frozen mango chunks
1 handful baby spinach
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1 tbsp bee pollen (I omitted)
1/2 tsp spirulina powder

Place all ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.

#1,189: Spirulina Smoothie

At some point I'll remember to take a picture of this recipe!


So my new favorite "super food"/find is spirulina.  What is that you ask?  Here is some information that I found at:  http://www.thespirulinabenefits.com/  IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.  (If not, skip to the recipe below)

"The supplement actually contains about 60% of protein, 12-13% of vital minerals such as Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Iron, Zinc, and Phosphorous as well as a complete group of vitamin B. It’s also rich in several anti-oxidants, which protect body cells. In fact it is the only source of the antioxidant phycocyanin."

I'm adding it to my smoothies in the morning for some added nutrients and protein. 

I made this recipe, and loved it.  I'm loving it so much I've made it every day for breakfast the last three days.  I plan to give it to my kids eventually too, but so far, I'm not willing to share.  :)

10-12 oz of coconut water (I use about 12-16 oz unsweetened chocolate almond milk)
1TB chia seeds (I use hemp hearts)
1-2TB of spirulina 
1 Frozen Banana
1/2 cup Frozen Berries (I've been using frozen cherries)
Optional: 1-2 scoops of your favorite protein powder (I omit)

Throw everything in the blender and blend till smooth. Add more liquid until desired consistency.

#1,174: Raspberry Coconut Smoothie

We were are all battling some form of the flu here so no one was really wanting to eat a really heavy meal.  So I decided to make this recipe to give everyone some much needed healthy nutrients...and it was easy.  AND I had everything on hand!

Sad to say though, this got a big thumbs down from my kids.  I thought it was ok, nothing special, but the kids all rejected it, even my smoothie loving Matthew!  As far as smoothies go, this is not one we will be making again.  I'm just sad I wasted the coconut milk.

·        1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk

1/2 cup frozen raspberries (no sugar added) or 3/4 cup fresh raspberries.2 tablespoons water (optional)
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

#1,055: Green Pineapple Smoothie

Another smoothie recipe this week since I have some spinach that needs to get used up.  And it's a way to get my kids to eat more spinach.  :)  Allison and Matthew loved this.   Allison drank almost half of the batch I made.  I'd say that was a success. 
 

2 Bananas, peeled

2 large handfuls fresh Spinach

1/2 can Crushed Pineapple, not drained

3/4 cup Frozen Peaches (I used mango)

Coconut Milk

 

Put all ingredients except coconut milk in your blender in the order listed.

 

Pour in the coconut milk until it's about 3/4 as full as the rest of your ingredients. Leave it out in case you need to add more during the blending process.  Blend on high until you have a smoothie.

#1,050: Mango Coconut Lime Smoothie

Holy, holy cow is this smoothie good!  I will be making my smoothies with coconut milk OFTEN.  This was so good my kids TRIED to take it from me (but I wouldn't share) and asked that I make them their own glass of it.  I've had it 2 days in a row now for breakfast and tomorrow will be day 3.  Delicious.

1 cup fresh chopped, ripe mango
1 frozen banana, cut into chunks
1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat or lite)
1/2 cup water
small handful of ice cubes
zest of 1/2 lime

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

#1,045: Triple Berry Spinach Smoothie

I had all of the ingredients finally on hand for this recipe so I made it for myself for breakfast.  I didn't get to drink much of it though because Allison and Matthew confiscated it and finished it off.  I guess that means they liked it.  :)  This was very, very good (what little bit I had!).  The orange juice sweetened this up and gave it just a little bit of a tang.  I will definitely be making this again.  It's a great way to get in several servings of fruit (and a veggie), especially when we are on the go again when school starts. 

My smoothie definitely didn't look as pretty as the original recipe I found though so either I didn't add enough berries or I just have a really bad blender.  (Still yummy, just not pretty).

1 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen raspberries
1 1/2 cups loosely packed spinach

Add the orange juice, fruit, and spinach to a blender. Blend on medium-high speed until the all the spinach is blended and there is no visible green specks.

Add up to 2 tablespoons of agave syrup or honey if necessary to sweeten. Add additional ice cubes for a more icier drink. (I had to add some more water to this to thin it up enough to get through my blender).