Green Smoothie

I know it is hard for some of you to fathom that I went from baking cakes, cookies, pastries and making ice-cream every day to now blogging about weird green stuff in a tall glass. I am almost certain some of my dessert fans may delete me from their bookmarks but I assure you I will still be sharing those recipes as well. But hey, what's wrong with having options? 

So as many of you know, I have fallen in love with kale in just about anything and try to incorporate it into my meals at least once a day. I recently started making a raw kale salad and now I have graduated to using it in green smoothies, my new favorite thing. There are so many smoothie variations you can make. But for the green smoothies I prefer apples or pears, kale or spinach, and ginger. The rest depends on what I have in the fridge. I tend to toss a little flax and a scoop of protein shake powder in there too. Other options for greens include celery, chard, romaine, beet greens, and collard greens. You'll want to leave the skin on the fruits that have edible skin to ensure you get the essential nutrients and vitamins your body craves.

Now I know what you're thinking. Trust me, three years ago you could not have convinced me that I would be raving about a glass of blended fruits and vegetables either. But, with the right combination, you hardly know the veggies are even in there.

Several years back my father was on a health kick and was telling my son that they would be eating beets, spinach, Fuji apples and carrots for breakfast in the form of a shake. Needless to say, those visits became a little bit more infrequent as my son is in love with cows and pigs. Though he did admit that the smoothies were not as bad as he'd anticipated.

Some of the benefits of drinking green smoothies are better digestion, more energy, fewer mood swings, less cravings, stabilized blood sugar, and more radiant skin. Who doesn't want that?
 
So come on...take a deep breath...open your mouth...take a sip...not so bad, is it? Save for the fact that it has this vibrant green color, you would hardly know it is good for you because it really tastes delicious.

 
Green Smoothie

2 c fresh baby spinach or fresh kale, rinsed
1 Granny Smith green apple, cored
1 banana, peeled (optional)
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp ground flax seed
1 c plain organic yogurt
Ice cubes, if desired
Almond or soy milk, if desired

Wash and cut fresh fruit, removing core and seeds. Add fruit and grated ginger to blender with kale (or spinach), flax and yogurt. Blend a few seconds. Add ice cubes and blend until you reach desired consistency. Incorporate milk to thin smoothie, if necessary. Drink up!

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.