How to Be Awesome at Making Smoothies

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I used to love smoothies in high school.  I drank them all the time.  Lately, I have rediscovered them, partly because they are a healthy yet tasty meal substitute or afternoon snack pick-me-up, and partly because they are so portable.  I can drink one for breakfast while I am actively emptying the dishwasher or turning on music for Cricket or sweeping the floor or whatever.  They're great!  I've been combing Pinterest and my own freezer for some different recipes, and I've found a few good ones.

The Awesome Smoothie
How to Be Awesome at Everything



This is my own recipe.  All the measurements are approximate.  I don't actually measure any of it.  It is not exact because I never have exactly the same amount of stuff each time.  It doesn't matter.  It's always awesome.

1/4 c. plain Greek yogurt (single serving yogurts work great, too)
1/2 banana
1/2-1 c. frozen fruit (I like the mixed berries kind with no added sugar, but anything works.)
1/2 c. or more cranberry juice (no sugar added)
1/4 c. dry quick oats
local honey

Put the ingredients in the blender in the order above, so the softest things are on bottom and the juice is poured over the whole thing, and then drizzle as much honey as you want in there.  (I use local honey because it helps boost immunities against allergies.)  Blend away!

I have the world's worst sweet tooth, so trust me, it's gonna be plenty sweet.  If you use flavored yogurt or juice and fruit with added sugar, you might not need the honey.

The Apple Pie Smoothie
How to Be Awesome at Everything

1 Apple
1 Heaping Spoonful of Almond Butter
3/4 c. Greek Yogurt
1/2 c. Milk
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
Maple Syrup
Ice Cubes

This one was pretty good, although I will say the apple gives it a little different texture than I'm used to.  I got the original recipe here, but I modified it to make it better.  I used almond butter because I didn't have any whole almonds.  I just drizzled some maple syrup in there to make it a little sweeter, and I threw in a handful of ice cubes because I like my smoothies to be kind of like slushies.  It was pretty good.  I don't know that I would drink it all the time, but I give it a B.


The More Awesome Smoothie
How to Be Awesome at Everything

1/2 Banana
2 Heaping spoonfuls of plain Greek yogurt
1 spoonful of Almond Butter or a few raw almonds
1/8 c. Quick oats (I don't measure.  I just sprinkle some in.)
1 Tbs. flax seed
A Handful of Spinach leaves
Drizzle of local honey (optional--I don't use it anymore)
1 c. (or more) frozen berries (I used blueberries and strawberries, no sugar added)
1/4 c. pineapple
1/2 or more cranberry juice (or any other juice, no sugar added)

This is an improvement on the original awesome smoothie, and it is even better.  I love that it is full of vitamins and other healthy stuff (Omega-3's, Vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, Protein, Fiber, Probiotics, Calcium, and Potassium, just to name a few) and has very little sugar.  Most of all, though, I love that it tastes delicious.  Cricket loves this, too, and I feel great knowing that whatever else she may or may not choose to eat, one of these in the morning and she's off to a good start.


A few tips for making smoothies:


When you use canned pineapple, save the juice and freeze it in ice cube trays.  Pop them out and store them in the freezer in a ziplock bag and throw a couple in when you are out of other fruit or just want a little tropical flavor.

Put your soft ingredients in the bottom of your blender, then your frozen stuff, and then pour the liquid over the whole thing.  It blends way better that way.

Rinse out your blender as soon as you make your smoothie.  Like, before you even drink it.

This straw cleaning kit helps to keep your reusable straws clean.

Target has some adorable kids cups that are shaped like robots and birds and have straws that are perfect for smoothies.  Cricket loves them.

Most fruit is sweet enough by itself, but you can sweeten with maple syrup or honey if needed.  Avoid pre-sweetened frozen fruits, juices, and yogurts or you're stacking up a lot of extra sugar.