Apple Pie Smoothie

I've been seeing a popular smoothie recipe trending on Pinterest, so I gave it a try. I love a good smoothie! This one does taste a lot like apple pie, and it's packed with protein, calcium and fiber. It's very easy to make and is great for breakfast. The source recipe can be found here with nutrition facts. 

Ingredients:
5 raw almonds
1 red apple
1 banana
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk (I use almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Place all ingredients in blender. Depending on what type of blender you have, you may need to chop the apple and almonds (our Ninja works great). Blend on high for 30 seconds or until desired consistency. Enjoy! 

Peach Banana Smoothie

I have another recipe for those end-of-summer peaches. You know I love smoothies. This is a variation of my strawberry banana smoothie, substituting fresh peaches for frozen strawberries. 

I had 8 peaches in the refrigerator and they were small, so I used all 8. 

Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler (a trick from Mom) and remove pits. They peel even easier when they're cold. 

Roughly slice and add to the blender.

Add one banana, broken into chunks, 1/3 cup plain or vanilla yogurt, 1/2 cup orange juice
4-6 ice cubes and blend together until smooth.

I added a mint leaf and sprinkled a little nutmeg on top for garnish (suggested by Mom). Delicious! The peach flavor was subtle but refreshing. Great for breakfast on the go. Enjoy!

Smoothie Time

I love smoothies. They're one of my favorite things. They kinda go hand-in-hand with warm weather, but I like to enjoy them all year long. I don't think I've ever encountered a smoothie that I didn't like. Strawberry. Orange. Banana. Mango. Blueberry. The possibilities are virtually endless.

This is my favorite easiest foolproof smoothie recipe. All you need is a blender and the following: 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup berries (fresh or frozen) I like strawberries
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4-6 ice cubes
1/2 cup orange juice (pulp-free ONLY for me)
1 banana (broken into chunks)


Directions:
Put all ingredients into blender (and put the top on!). Blend until smooth. Try a spoonful. If you want it thinner, add more orange juice. If you want it thicker, add more yogurt. Blend until smooth again. Pour into a glass and enjoy! If you're feeling fancy, add a mint leaf or slice of fruit for garnish. And a straw. Now we're talking. Makes two servings.

I added a twist to the recipe the other day and it was even better. The secret ingredient: 1 kiwi (peeled and sliced). The extra bit of sweetness and was soooo good. 

I always use my beloved red smoothie blender that was a Christmas gift from my Mom and Dad when I was in college. No, I didn't go away to college, I lived at home. But I still had my OWN blender. Which I took with me when I got married. And now it matches my red kitchen. Isn't that a nice story?

So go mix up your own batch of smoothie and enjoy some fruity refreshment!