Spinach Strawberry Banana Smoothie

click to enlarge

 

Are you guys making these smoothies that I put up?

Wha?  

You're not?  

Oh, you meant to, but just haven't gotten around to it yet.  

I see.  

Oh cool, you're trying it out this weekend?   

No, wait. Tonight??  

That's weird, I never make smoothies at night.

But, to each his own...

You won't be sorry.

Promise.

 

 There are several recipes out there for green smoothies, and basically the secret to them all is to throw some greens in there.   

Whamo! 

There it is.  

I am the worst at keeping secrets, and that one was a really hard one to hold onto for so long.  Feels good to let it out.  But, I've gotta be honest, it always feels good letting secrets out.  It's like crack.  

Seriously, don't tell me anything.

Oatmeal Ginger Berry Smoothie

Just another smoothie I tried this past week and decided to throw some oatmeal in it for extra measure.  You know how I just love my oatmeal!  But, if I'm honest, what I really liked in this smoothie was the hint of ginger... 

Anyway, I think this type of smoothie could be a great thing for those who just can't quite talk themselves into plain old oatmeal in the a.m.  Which happened to be me on this particular mornin'.  If you think you wanna try,  just blend the oatmeal in it first thing.  I read other recommendations online to let it soak in some water for 15 minutes--but doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of a smoothie??  By that time, you could have pancakes and eggs on the table.  Ya know?  

Happy Monday, y'all.

Ode to the Pumpkin: Banana Pumpkin Smoothie

Photo courtesy of Rachel

Happy Monday to all & Happy Anniversary to Dave and Me! 

If you just read the title to this post and thought, "Sick." Stop it right now.  I mean it.  This recipe has been taste tested by me and 3 kiddos, all without complaints.  One little girl even said, "Mmm, we should have this every pumpkin year."  Yes, it's actually pretty good, and a great way to squeeze a vegetable into your breakfast.   

Frozen banana gives this pumpkin smoothie a thick texture; chilling the pumpkin ensures the smoothie stays cold when you blend it. Add in yogurt and orange juice and you have a breakfast beverage with 740 milligrams of potassium per serving.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)

INGREDIENTS

• 1  cup  low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 3/4  cup  canned pumpkin, chilled
• 1/2  cup  ice cubes
• 1/3  cup  fresh orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  brown sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground cloves
• 1  ripe banana, sliced and frozen
• Dash of ground cinnamon (optional)

WHAT TO DO

Combine yogurt and next 8 ingredients (through banana) in a blender, and process until smooth. Garnish with dash of ground cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 218 (9% from fat)

Fat: 2.2g (sat 1.1g,mono 0.5g,poly 0.1g)

Protein: 8.4g

Carbohydrate: 44.5g

Fiber: 5.5g

Cholesterol: 6mg

Iron: 1.2mg

Sodium: 87mg

Calcium: 243mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, APRIL 2005