banana & pb2 smoothie

i eat a lot of  bananas.  i'm prone to a lot of foot cramps and bananas are one of the only things that help temper them.  luckily, the are one of my favouite fruits and make amazingly creamy smoothies.  i whipped this one up after a visit to the gym and got to use my new glass straw!  lauren over at ginger is the new pink features these a lot and i've wanted one for a while.  i finally picked one up at a festival a couple weeks ago.  it makes drinking so awesome and it's eco-friendly!

• 2 bananas
• 5 ice cubes
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon of pb2

pb2 is a peanut butter powder with a lot of the fatty oils removed.  essentially you add water to create a peanut butter paste.  i like to use it in smoothies, cupcakes, icings, etc. to get the flavour without all the fat.

for this recipe, just toss everything in blender and blend until smoothie.  drink with a glass straw if you have one!

citrus breakfast smoothie

i haven't grapefruit in such a long time, but they were on sale the other day so i picked a few up. this is super citrus, super healthy breakfast smoothie packed with lots of vitamins. you can add a little sweetener if you like, but i thought the orange and rhubarb mellowed out the grapefruit tartness enough. but i tend to like things less sweet, so adjust according to your taste.

• 1 red or pink grapefruit, peeled
  
• 1 navel orange, peeled
  
• 1 quarter cup rhubarb
• 1/3 cup ice
• stevia/sweetener (optional)
  

i put everything in the blender and pulsed until the ice was significantly chopped. then i put it on the blend/puree mode and let it go to work. my grapefruit and orange were super juicy so i didn't need any water to aid the blending, but if you do, just add a tablespoon at a time to get it going. again, add a little sweetener of your choice if it's too tart.

fruit salad green smoothie

being the only veggie in my office, i always get offered the remains of the fruit trays from pot lucks and parties (which i totally love). leftover fruit salad is great - if you can eat it quickly. sometimes it may be a few days before i can polish it off, and a bowl of mushy fruit doesn't sound that great. here is the solution, my friends. if the fruit is still good, maybe just not in peak form, throw it in a blender with a some greens. it's delicious, nutritious and you won't let anything go to waste!

• 1 1/2 cups fruit salad
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 ice cubes

this was a bit of fruit salad leftover from my belated birthday party (i ate most of it before it started to get mushy). thanks to the true family for making it with tons of fresh fruit - just how i like it. it was a delicious combination of cantaloupe, bananas, strawberries, green grapes, and peaches.

put all ingredients in a regular blender for about 30-45 seconds. if you have a lot of watery fruits, you may not need a full 1/3 cup water... just start with a little and add enough to get it blending.

POM-orange vegan cocktail

i think sometimes there is a misconception that all vegans are super health driven or won't put anything toxic in their body. while i won't put anything from a living animal in my body, i freely admit that i do drink. some people (vegan or not), choose not to drink, and i respect that. but i'm on the other side of the fence, and all too happy to kick up my heels with an adult beverage now and again. mainly, i'm a beer girl, but i have enjoyed a few girly drinks in my day. this is my POM wonderful green smoothie's evil twin.

• 1/3 cup soy ice cream
• 4 oz. POM wonderful juice
• 1/2 medium orange, peeled
  
• 3 oz. high quality rum

drop everything in a blender, and blend up for about 25 seconds until it's smooth and creamy. taste test, and add a little POM juice if it's too powerful. of course, if it's too weak (or if you aren't driving anywhere), add a little more rum.
evil, i know. :)

POM wonderful green smoothie

to pom or not to pom... that was my question. many may know that POM (makers of the flavourful POM wonderful juice) once had a shady past with animal rights. thankfully, through the urging of PETA and many other animal lovers, they decided to cease those practices. i originally wasn't sure if was ready to accept them back, but i believe that they deserve kudos for changing their ways. i once ate meat, and i would hate to be punished for my former transgressions. so, thanks POM! now let's drink!

• 2 oranges, peeled
• 6-8 strawberries
• 1½ cups baby spinach leaves
• 3/4 cup POM Wonderful juice

as with my typical green smoothies, you could use any other green, but i like the baby spinach most often because it doesn't overpower the fruit. however, when i'm feeling up for a more 'green' juice, i'll use kale, romaine, etc.

put everything in a blender for about 45 seconds. so easy! i find that this recipe is so filling that when i mix it up for lunch, i'm not hungry again until dinner. beyond awesome!

banana blueberry green smoothie

i love green smoothies, but i'll admit that i don't make them much over the winter. so three cheers for the warmer weather, so i can make lots of green smoothies without being chilled to the bone.

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1½ cups spinach (or any green)
• 10-15 raw untoasted almonds
• 1/2 cup water
• 4 ice cubes

like all my green smoothie recipes, i just toss everything in a blender. pulse a few times to help break up the ice, and then blend for approximately 30-45 seconds until everything is smooth and creamy. you may have to add a little more water to get things mixing.

cantaloupe green smoothie

i've read that it's the official 'green smoothie day' today, so in honor of that, i decided to post another green smoothie recipe that i've recently been enjoying. i love going down to the city market on the weekends and scoping out all the wonderful produce they have - at such great prices! when i'm driving home with a car full of new and interesting foods (and lots of my old favourites), i often find myself dreaming up new recipes for the following week. however, there is something to be said for sweet and simple - this next recipe is just that.

• 1/3 ripe cantaloupe
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or more if desired)
• 1.5 cups romaine lettuce
• 1/3 cup water
• 5 ice cubes

throw everything in the blender and whip it up. add more water as necessary. i use agave nectar to give it just a little sweeter flavour - you could substitute stevia if you don't have any. makes about 20oz. of green smoothie.

ginorango smoothie

ah... the green smoothie. i am huge fan of green smoothies, and love spreading the word on how delicious and healthy they are. store bought smoothies or smoothie stands often puts tons of refined sugar in their smoothies, and it is not only unhealthy, but i think it's just gross. i've read that a good green smoothie mix is about 60% fruit and 40% leafy greens. i just eyeball it in my blender. if you are interested for more information on them, you can just google "green smoothie" and there is a ton of websites with info and great recipes.

this was the first smoothie i incorporated ginger in, and i loved it! i will definitely be making some more ginger recipes!

• 1 mango
• 1 orange
• 1 chunk of ginger (about the size of a small ice cube)
• 1.5 cups spinach
• 1/3 cup water
• 4 ice cubes
  

if you just have a regular blender like me, you'll want to peel the mango, orange and ginger. then separate the orange, and cut the mango & ginger into a couple chunks.
put those ingredients, plus water and ice into the blender. add more water if your blender has trouble. blend until smooth, then add the greens and blend again. makes about 20-24oz of deliciousness.

drink up!