Nutritious Unicorn Smoothie

4 / 23 / 174 / 24 / 17

A couple of nights ago I went to my usual nearby Starbucks to plow through a bunch of emails and get some work done, and oh my goodness… It was total unicorn frappuccino madness! I was sitting at the back right next to the the drink bar and I’m fairly certain that 75% of the orders made during my 3 and a half hour stay were fluorescent blue and pink fraps. Even when they ran out of the blue drizzle, whipped cream, and both blue and pink sprinkles, people still ordered them! Prior to actually seeing them first hand, I think I’d maybe heard mention of unicorn fraps once or twice on social media, but I truly had no idea what a craze they were causing – the entire store was buzzing with unicorn frap excitement. {Kudos to you for a pretty brilliant marketing campaign, Starbucks!}

Strawberry Banana Oat Smoothie

5 / 27 / 158 / 30 / 15

With just over two weeks left in the desert, we’ve been doing our very best to work with what we have in the kitchen instead of doing our usual {ridiculously expensive} weekly grocery shop. So far so good, though the shelves are definitely looking quite bare. Luckily, we always seem to have something that can be thrown into the blender to create a yummy breakfast smoothie, or in today’s case according to Miss G, a ‘milkshake’. ☺

Orange Creamsicle GREEN Smoothie

5 / 21 / 145 / 22 / 14

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.

A Favourite: Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

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Grae and I have been making versions of this delicious smoothie since she was a wee little thing, and it remains a favourite. It’s nutritious, filling, and tastes more like a thick and creamy milkshake than a good-for-you smoothie. {Milkshakes for breakfast? Yes please.}

Chocolate Pudding [Green} Smoothie

3 / 4 / 133 / 6 / 13

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

2 ripe bananas, preferably frozen
3 big stalks of kale, stems removed
1/3 cup of frozen no-sugar-added blueberries
2 cups of your choice of milk (we do unsweetened coconut or almond)
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup

hemp hearts, chia seeds, or ground flax, if desired

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!

♥

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{Green} Banana Nut Milkshake Smoothie

2 / 28 / 133 / 2 / 13

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

2 frozen bananas
3 large kale stalks, stems removed (or a couple of giant handfuls of spinach)
1/4 cup of old-fashioned oats
2 tablespoons of all-natural nut butter (we usually use peanut)
1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
1 tablespoon of ground flax
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla
1/2 a cup of plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups of the milk of your choice (we often use an unsweetened vanilla almond)

Blend on low until everything is combined, then blend on high for an additional 45 seconds. Serves two.

Enjoy!

♥

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Lime Refresher Green Smoothie

2 / 20 / 133 / 1 / 13

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

1 banana, fresh or frozen
1/2 an apple
1/2 a pear
1/2 cup of frozen mango
1 large lime, peeled
3 stalks of kale, stems removed
1 tablespoon of chia seeds
1 – 1.5 cups of cold water, depending on desired consistency

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!

♥

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Grae’s Favourite GREEN Smoothie

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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

1 banana, peeled
1 ripe pear, chopped
1/2 an apple (we usually use Galas, Ambrosias, or Fujis), peeled and chopped
3 big leaves of kale, stems removed
1 tablespoon of chia seeds

1 cup of cold water
1/2 cup of pure orange juice (or the juice from 1 large orange)
4 ice cubes

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend for approximately 45 seconds.

Enjoy!

♥

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Nutrient-Rich Beet Berry Smoothie

8 / 15 / 128 / 15 / 12

Miss G and I got to experimenting in the kitchen this afternoon… We had been out in the garden collecting some goodies earlier in the day, and although we’d eaten most of our finds with lunch, we had a few measly beets left over. We’d decided we’d make a smoothie, and since we regularly add spinach and kale to our blends, I figured, why not beets? The result was a BRIGHT magenta smoothie that was yummy enough for Grae to label it “pink ice cleam” and have two cups full instead of just one.

Here’s our list of ingredients: Plain organic whole milk yogurt, frozen no-sugar-added strawberries and raspberries, a ripe frozen banana, a handful of baby beets, a few teaspoons of chia seeds, and some whole organic milk.

Another must for this recipe? Supergirl and her super girl baby.

Get started by dumping your frozen berries into your blender. Closing your eyes makes for a better challenge. Nothing Supergirl can’t handle though.

Chuck in your frozen banana. Again, amp up this step by trying it with your eyes closed.

Next, add your beets in one. by. one.

And then dump your chia seeds in too.

Next, carefully add your milk. The more you can get into the blender, the better.

Lastly, add a generous scoop of yogurt.

Blend everything up until thick and bright.

Serve with a straw or a spoon. Or both.

Watch your little superhero gobble it up.

Nutrient-Rich Beet Berry Smoothie

1/4 cup of plain organic whole milk yogurt
2/3 cup of frozen raspberries and strawberries
1 ripe frozen banana
5-6 baby beets (or one regular sized one), steamed and peeled
3 tablespoons of chia seeds
1/2 cup of organic whole milk

Put everything into a blender and mix until smooth.

Enjoy!

Another perk, besides the added nutrients, to adding chia to your smoothies? They keep overnight without becoming separating and getting watery. Try it!

Smoothie Chef

3 / 7 / 129 / 9 / 13

This morning Grae and I whipped up one of her all-time favourite snacks, a banana almond oatmeal smoothie. These are seriously delicious, take all of 2 minutes to make (maybe 5 if working with a mini sous chef), and require ingredients we always have in the house. Here’s what you need: A frozen ripe banana, milk, yogurt, old-fashioned oats, almond butter (or any nut butter for that matter), and pure vanilla.

(Side note: Please try to ignore our hideous kitchen tiles! We are currently renting and somehow the 6 months we’ve spent here has allowed me to enter the kitchen without shuddering in disgust, but seeing these photos makes me wonder how that’s possible… Yeesh! I’m sure they were fashionable at one point in time.)

Break your frozen banana in half and pop it in the blender.

Add your old-fashioned oats.

And some yogurt. (Make sure it’s GOOD yogurt. Good yogurt makes all the difference. We’re all about the Greek yogurt right now.)

Pour in some milk.

And some all-natural almond butter.

Add a couple of drops of pure vanilla if you wish.

Blend until smooth.

Voila! Done.

Shove your entire mouth into your glass and slurp as quickly as possible to achieve this awesome smoothie moustache.

You really can’t go wrong with this smoothie. If you like to experiment, just chuck the ingredients into the blender and play with the ratios to reach your desired flavour and consistency. If you prefer to follow a recipe of sorts, here’s what we normally do:

Banana Almond Oatmeal Smoothie

1 frozen banana
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of yogurt
3 TBSP of old-fashioned oats
2 TBSP of all-natural almond butter
1 tsp of pure vanilla

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into two cups and enjoy!