Mmmm… Orange creamsicle green smoothie. My absolute favourite at the moment. So good I could drink one every morning and then again every afternoon as a little pick-me-up. And even though Grae seems to be not be all that into smoothies at the moment, she almost always slurps this one up until there’s nothing left.
I get such a kick out of making holidays special for Miss G… Perhaps a little too much so, but that doesn’t stop me. ☺ Late last night (okay, early this morning), long after I should have been in bed, I randomly decided to transform Miss G’s usual mason jar into a frankenstein cup.
Okay, okay, okay…. So I know I first declared this our favourite green smoothie. Then I declared this lime version our new favourite. And not long after that, I declared this one a spin-off on our all-time favourite. Buuuuuuut, after reading the lovely Erin At Large‘s post about her properly yummy chocolate green smoothie, I decided it was time we tried a chocolate version of our own. And oh my goodness… Am I ever glad we did. We’ve now made this smoothie every morning for the last 4 days, and I just can’t get enough. It’s like frosty chocolate pudding in a cup. Yum.
Erin hit the nail on the head when she explained that adding blueberries into the mix to prevents the green veggies from mixing with the brown cocoa and turning into a grey sludge. Brilliant, really.
We haven’t tried Erin’s exact version yet (must do that soon) but here’s how we make our spin-off… Bananas (we prefer frozen), blueberries, kale, coconut or almond milk, cocoa, and pure maple syrup. Plus toppings that aren’t pictured here… we normally do hemp hearts, chia seeds, ground flax, or a combination of the three.
Each morning I give this to Grae she has the exact same response. “It’s a CHOCOLATEY smoozie!! But not yucky sugary chocolate, right Mama? Just Gracen chocolate.” As soon as I give her the confirmation that it’s chocolately because we’ve added cocoa to it, but it’s still filled with all kinds of healthy ingredients, she chugs it back. Silly little munchkin.
Chocolate Pudding Green Smoothie
Blend on low until everything is combined, then blend on high for an additional 45 seconds. Top with hemp hearts, chia seeds, ground flax, or a combination of the three.
Serves 2 adults and a little one.
Enjoy!
Miss G and I have been loving this simple twist on the first ever smoothie we really made together. Unlike many of our other green smoothies, this one is creamy and milk-based {and tastes more like a milkshake than a green smoothie}.
For extra flavour and an extra burst of nutrients, my little smoothie lover and I top our drinks with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon. Of course she just slurps it all up.
{Green} Banana Nut Milkshake Smoothie
Blend on low until everything is combined, then blend on high for an additional 45 seconds. Serves two.
Enjoy!
Miss G and I continue to start most of our days with a big green smoothie each, and I must say, we’re loving it. It’s become a morning routine for us… Grae retrieves the blender and fresh produce, I grab the freezer ingredients and chop things up, she puts everything into the blender, and together we enjoy our mason jars of green goodness.
I really shouldn’t even say this, but we’ve managed to make it through the season of sickness, with friends and playmates all around us dealing with endless bouts of flu and colds, without getting sick once (*knock on wood*). And I have to say, I think these vitamin/nutrient-packed immune boosters may just have had something to do with it.
Here’s our newest favourite…
Lime Refresher Green Smoothie
Blend on low until everything is combined, then blend on high for an additional 45 seconds. Serves two (plus a wee one if you’re willing to share a little).
Enjoy!
♥
For extra fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.
I know that green smoothies may seem a little trendy with all of the New Year’s resolutions happening right now, but the truth is that they’re really easy, really healthy, and pretty much a fool-proof way to start your day.
Grae and I have been making green smoothies for a long while now (and even made one with all green ingredients for last year’s St. Patrick’s Day), but I decided I’d make a habit of making one each morning after slipping into a routine of skipping breakfast for the last couple of months of 2012. So far, we’ve pretty much started each day of the New Year with a green smoothie of some sort (we often just add a couple of giant handfuls of kale or spinach to this trusty standby), but this particular one has quickly become our very favourite.
Here’s the lineup of ingredients… Some cold water, several ice cubes, pure orange juice (or better yet – a fresh squeezed orange), half an apple, a pear, a banana, and a few kale leaves.
To get started, peel the banana, chop up the pear, and peel and chop the apple (as long as you don’t mind some added texture, feel free to leave the apple peel on).
Now pop those things into the blender {while sneaking a few bites of course}.
Next, remove the stems from the kale.
And add it to the blender along with the orange juice, water, and ice cubes.
This part isn’t necessary and certainly doesn’t change the flavour, but we always add a big scoop of chia seeds to our smoothies. The nutritional benefits of chia are amazing and it keeps your smoothie from separating if you store extras in the fridge overnight. Bonus!
Next, blend everything up. We normally start on a low setting until the ingredients are combined, then crank it up and let it blend a while longer so that it doesn’t feel as though you’re drinking a salad. ☺
(If you really don’t like the idea of drinking leaves and want your smoothie to be as smooth as possible, blend just your liquids and leafy greens first, then add in the other ingredients afterwards.)
Now pour into cups and enjoy!
Gracen’s Favourite Green Smoothie
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for approximately 45 seconds.
Enjoy!
♥
Keep up with all the Mama.Papa.Bubba. fun, like us on Facebook here and find us on Instagram here.