Green Smoothies

I've really been getting into green smoothies as a  way to get more greens into my diet. I signed up for a free workshop at Goodness Me! on superfood smoothies. I ended up not learning much that I didn't already know, but I got to try free smoothies, and so it was worth it. That being said, I'm still a beginner. I've mostly learned what I know from my friend Rebecca, who is a green smoothie goddess. The idea of drinking greens may *sound* gross, but it is an amazing way to start the day. SO energizing. It's really increadible.

I'm going to try to remember to post when I make smoothies I particularly like.

Ol' Faithful

I call this one ol' faithful cause I make it most often. It's good for beginners, because it's not too greeny tasting.

1/2 to a whole banana

6 or so frozen strawberries

1 small carrot, chopped into pieces

2-3 kale leaves, most of stem removed and discarded, the rest broken into pieces

1 to 1 & 1/2  cup of soy or almond milk OR 1 to 1 & 1/2 cup water plus 2 tbsp hemp hearts
1 tbsp cocoa powder (optional - for us chocolate lovers)

Also Optional:

1 tbsp flax or chia seeds - will make the smoothie quite thick, so if you don't like it thick, add more water or leave these out. This smoothie is thick to begin with.

Put everything in the blender. Start blending at a mid-setting, and then turn up to high. Process till smooth. Some blenders might have a hard time blending kale, but I just jave a very basic Oster blender, which is about 6 years old now, and it does just fine.

Blimey Limey Greenie

I made this one this morning. It is very refreshing! (Also very 'green' tasting, but I have come to enjoy the freshness of the flavour.)

3-4 kale leaves, as above.

1 slice of organic lime, peel included (non-organic citrus fruits have a lot of pesticides in the peel).

about 3/4 c fresh blueberries

handful of fresh parsley

3 dried dates

1 slice peeled, fresh ginger root

1 cup soy milk

Blend until smooth.

When you have a smoothie, be sure to drink it slowly and chew it, even if it doesn't need chewing. This will aid in digestion.

If the smoothie isn't blending well, I find it helps to add a bit of water.

Tip for Kale:

If you find you're not using it fast enough before it goes bad, it freezes really well. I just cut it into strips and chuck it in a ziplock bag. When I want to make a smoothie, I just grab a few handfuls.

So get greening!

- Phebe