I first started making smoothies at home a few years ago when I was teaching sixth grade. I would blend up enough for the two of us to have before work (and since I was always running behind, I would often bring it to work with me). I made them almost every day for about six or eight months. These days I make them about once a week, and sometimes more. I love them. They are easy, super healthy, and delicious. My daughter is still a little too young to drink dairy, so I give her little tastes here and there. She LOVES smoothies. I can't wait to make them for her. :)
Now onto the "secret" part...
When I first started feeding solids to my daughter about five months ago, I made all of her food. I would puree her fruits and veggies and freeze them in ice cube trays. I made her a batch of spinach in July, and decided one day on a whim to toss a few cubes of spinach into our smoothies. I made the mistake of telling my husband, Dan, what I had done. He made a face and said it sounded gross. He drank it anyway, and realized that he couldn't even taste the spinach! So, I have added spinach cubes, or frozen chopped spinach (which blends easier) ever since. Spinach is one of the healthiest things you can eat, so I feel even better about my smoothies now!
Now for the simple, five minute recipe...
I'm not big on measuring while cooking/creating food, so this morning I decided to use measuring cups in order to blog the recipe. This is what I came up with:
1 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1 fresh banana
2/3 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
a splash (about 1/4 cup) of OJ (I often omit the OJ because we don't always have juice on hand since we don't drink it often. This just helps it blend a little easier, and gives it a slightly sweeter flavor). Add the yogurt to the blender first, then follow with the fruit. If you add frozen fruit before the yogurt, it will make it more difficult to blend. Blend everything until completely smooth. Check for lumps before serving.
The yogurt, banana, and blueberries are staples in my smoothies. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits available, so I always have those on hand. Then, I see what other fruit is in my fridge, like strawberries or raspberries, and toss them in the blender. As long as you use about one cup of yogurt and some frozen fruit, your smoothie will work well. I don't need to use ice because of the frozen fruit.
This recipe yields approximately two 9 oz smoothies.
***Tip*** Rinse out your blender right away (and the glasses when you are done), because dried on smoothie is quite difficult to clean up! :)
Now onto the "secret" part...
When I first started feeding solids to my daughter about five months ago, I made all of her food. I would puree her fruits and veggies and freeze them in ice cube trays. I made her a batch of spinach in July, and decided one day on a whim to toss a few cubes of spinach into our smoothies. I made the mistake of telling my husband, Dan, what I had done. He made a face and said it sounded gross. He drank it anyway, and realized that he couldn't even taste the spinach! So, I have added spinach cubes, or frozen chopped spinach (which blends easier) ever since. Spinach is one of the healthiest things you can eat, so I feel even better about my smoothies now!
Now for the simple, five minute recipe...
I'm not big on measuring while cooking/creating food, so this morning I decided to use measuring cups in order to blog the recipe. This is what I came up with:
1 cup plain lowfat organic yogurt
1 fresh banana
2/3 cup fresh strawberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach
a splash (about 1/4 cup) of OJ (I often omit the OJ because we don't always have juice on hand since we don't drink it often. This just helps it blend a little easier, and gives it a slightly sweeter flavor). Add the yogurt to the blender first, then follow with the fruit. If you add frozen fruit before the yogurt, it will make it more difficult to blend. Blend everything until completely smooth. Check for lumps before serving.
The yogurt, banana, and blueberries are staples in my smoothies. Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits available, so I always have those on hand. Then, I see what other fruit is in my fridge, like strawberries or raspberries, and toss them in the blender. As long as you use about one cup of yogurt and some frozen fruit, your smoothie will work well. I don't need to use ice because of the frozen fruit.
This recipe yields approximately two 9 oz smoothies.
***Tip*** Rinse out your blender right away (and the glasses when you are done), because dried on smoothie is quite difficult to clean up! :)
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