Sneaky Smoothies...

We drink smoothies for breakfast in our house every Tuesday morning and sometimes on the weekend. I taught Gracie to make them and now she prefers me not to be involved at all.

We have a standard recipe for the smoothies and they always end up tasting something like Strawberry Banana. However, I've recently realized that good smoothies are wonderful for hiding good foods that you want to get into your family.

Here is our basic recipe (all ingredients are approximate):

8oz of milk
8-10 frozen strawberries
3 bananas
2 T Flax Seed Oil
Wheat Germ
Honey to taste
Add ice to preferred consistency

We've been known to sneak in some other items on occasion such as: Avocado, Spinach, Fish Oil, Kiwi, Blueberries, Dates (as a sweetener), Orange Juice (from freshly squeezed oranges), or plain yogurt.

This may seem weird and over the top to some I'm sure, but I assure you that it is a quick fix in the morning and the little people in our house LOVE these concoctions. We normally serve smoothies with some kind of bread or muffin. The kids don't know they aren't supposed to like spinach in a smoothie. If the color is a little "off", they never know (except for Chef Gracie) because their smoothies are served in cups w/tops and a straw (we save the cups that come with kid's meals at restaurants).

This weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Above Rubies Women's Retreat, a conference geared towards encouraging women in motherhood. A "Green Smoothie Demo" was provided for the two mornings of the retreat. I thought I was sneaky!

Here is the recipe for the smoothie I tested that I liked the best. It REALLY was good!

Enough water to cover the blades
Flax Seed (whole)
Almonds (whole and raw)
4-6 apples (whole w/skin & seeds, quartered)
2-4 bananas
1/2 head of lettuce
1/2 head of spinach




If all the variations are overwhelming...don't worry...start with something small the you know you will like. I've been making smoothies for probably four years. I started with a protein shake mix and a banana to make it sweeter. It's taken me awhile to experiment (I love routine and hate change). It's all about the journey right!?!?