Green Smoothie

We drink a lot of smoothies around here. It's actually one of the Mr.'s specialties. Back in college, he wooed me with many a frozen berry concoction. Since then, we've experimented with all sorts of different fruit, dairy, and even veggie combos. But our latest love has definitely been the green smoothie, a combination of leafy greens, apples or pears, and almond milk.

Have you tried almond milk yet? It's super yummy. Rich and creamy with a distinct sweetness. It's not great on cereal, but it's fantastic in smoothies. And anything that makes eating spinach enjoyable is a winner in my book.

This is not so much a recipe, but a starting place for you to experiment with. The green smoothie starts with some sort of green leafy vegetable. We usually use either kale or spinach, or a mixture of both. We blend that with some almond milk until smooth. Then we add fruit. Our favorite for the green smoothie is either apple or pear. You don't need to peel the fruit, but you will have little tiny pieces of pulverized apple peel in your smoothie if you leave it on. But hey, that's where all the good healthy stuff is at, right?

Finally, we blend in a frozen banana. Banana is a staple in all of our smoothies, green or not. It adds a natural sweetness that eliminates the need for sugar or honey. Blend one last time and there you have it! Your basic, everyday Green Smoothie.

From here, you can do whatever you want! If you like an icier texture, blend in some ice cubes. You can add some vanilla extract or boost the health benefits with ground flax. Use yogurt instead of almond milk. Find whatever tickles your fancy and run with it!

Green Goodness Smoothie
Yield: 1 large or 2 small smoothies
Recipe by bakeeatrepeat.blogspot.com

Ingredients:
1 cup spinach or kale, or a mixture of both
1 cup chopped apple or pear
1 cup almond milk
1 banana, frozen
1 cup ice (optional)

Directions:
1. Place spinach/kale and almond milk in a blender. Puree until smooth.
2. Add chopped apple or pear. Puree again.
3. Add frozen banana and puree again.
4. Taste test. Add vanilla, sweetener, or ice if desired.