Smoothies for days.

Today I’m going to give up my super-secret smoothie recipe. This is what I have for breakfast 5-6 times per week. I don’t love a lot of fruits and vegetables, so this is loaded with good antioxidants and vitamins so I can get it all in even though it tastes like dessert. (Really).

I start by putting a few pre-made avocado cubes into the blender to thaw a bit while I shower, get kids out the door, etc etc. This is optional, however, as they blend up just fine if straight from the freezer. Feel free to just add half of a fresh avocado if you like.

Next, grab the following ingredients:

I put in 2-3 heaping (!) spoonfuls of the greek yogurt. Add a very generous handful of greens. (I buy the Power Greens from Costco, and bag it all up into freezer bags, and that’s it. I just break off big frozen chunks of greens and break up into the blender.) Next, I put about a cup or cup and a half of the Cascadian Farms organic berry blend. Keep that pomegranate juice nearby for the last step…

So, this is our ground flax and chia seeds. I add these to almost everything I make, and these smoothies are no exception. Put a heaping tablespoon of each into the blender. For those that have asked, they are stored in these. You can probably find these at Costco or Target, too.

Another optional add-in: Matcha powder! It contains a huge amount of antioxidants, as well as caffeine (54 mg in a tablespoon). I do not like tea, no matter how many flavors I try, so this is my cheat. As you can see, I store it in a yeast jar since it is air-tight and blocks any light. If you decide to add some matcha powder, just a teaspoon or two will do, as it as a strong taste.

I’m a big sucker for reading the benefits something, then hopping on the bandwagon. So if you believe all the hype about apple cider vinegar, go a ahead and add a teaspoon or two of that in too. Again, strong taste, so don’t add too much.

So here we are – ready to blend. It will need a little liquid to blend up properly, so add just a little pomegranate juice and see how it blends. (You can also use orange juice, or green juice, or any juice you like). I have to stop a few times to push things down with a spoon and add small amounts of juice til it’s just right. I like it really thick, and I eat it with a spoon. Feels more substantial to me that way. Kids and husband prefer it thinner and drink it with a fat straw.

And here you have it, my breakfast! At the risk of sounding like I work for Ninja, I have had this blender now for 8 years, using it 5-6 times per week in that time, and I LOVE IT. I actually have an irrational fear that mine will break down at some point and it will have been discontinued. It’s so cheap, I may just buy a second, for insurance against this possibility. I’m sure the Vitamix is great too, but it’s about 14 times the price! I tried the single serve version ninja, and nope: too hard to get all my ingredients in.

This may seem like a whole lotta work, but I get these made in about 10 minutes each morning. I once tried making pre-made “smoothie packs”: assembly-lining all the ingredients into freezer bags. However, the bags took up way too much room in my freezer, and even worse: they become one huge solid block that would not go into blender. It really is quick just to assemble as you go. Trust me, you’ll see!