Category Archives: smoothies

Raspberry Smoothie

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My daughter was in the middle of her Japanese lesson on Skype as I was rummaging through the fridge for breakfast. For someone who has never used Skype, I love it for all the resourceful connections my kid has found. I was hesitant to interrupt her lesson with the noise of my Vitamix.

I did it anyways. 30 seconds of noise pollution for a delicious breakfast to stave off that mid-morning blood sugar crash, which inevitably leads to binging, is so worth it. And my girl liked it, too. (I didn’t tell her about the avocado and chia seeds.)

1/4 pineapple
1/2 pint raspberries
2 cups grapefruit juice
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup chia seeds

Blend. Share. Love.

Pomegranate Green Smoothie

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Incredible how these smoothie images tend to look the same after awhile. Well, maybe not that incredible, but what is impressive is how something that looks so identical, day after day, can taste so remarkably different.

Today, I let too much time pass before eating breakfast. Now it’s well after lunchtime, and after snapping at my kids a few times too many, I realize that I’m really hungry.

Time for a smoothie.

Smoothies are the lazy vegan’s fast food. I crave something more complex than an apple, but I need to prepare it in five minutes or less. So into the blender go a few select items, and whirl. This one turned out a bit sweet, so I added an avocado to mellow it a little. Perfect.

1 pomegranate
1/4 pineapple
2 cups grapefruit juice
1/2 avocado
1 cup packed spinach

Blend and drink. Store the leftovers for those snack attack moments.

Citrus Sanity

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Ugh.

The smoke detectors began chirping at 4am, demanding battery replacement. After meeting that chore, sleep escaped, leaving me with an entire Saturday to parent through a foggy veil. Hopefully, this citrus charged smoothie will provide a little sanity to my day.

This delicious concoction was the result of cleaning my counter of citrus fruits that threatened to mold and a little Saturday refrigerator cleanup.

1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1/2 cup orange juice
6 clementines, peeled
1/2 avocado
6 kale leaves, stems removed

Blend. Drink. Embrace the power.

Mango Spinach Smoothie

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I’m standing inside my warm home watching some determined kids across the park try to sled down a barely dusted hill. That was my boy last year. So what if Chicago didn’t grace us with snow, by god, we’re gonna put that sled to use!

Four o’clock. This is the time of day that I’m ready to eat straight from the cupboards for no reason whatsoever. I’m so glad I have this smoothie leftover from breakfast. So satisfying.

Satisfying a craving doesn’t always stop a binge. So it’s good to ask myself a few questions. Any 12 step junkies familiar with HALT? Am I hungry? A little bit. Am I angry? Not today. Lonely? Hmmm, not really. Tired? Yes! And for overeaters, am I dehydrated? Yes, most likely.

That water thing, unless I’m coming from a workout, it just never occurs to me to drink it. Yet, for some crazy, wonky reason, being thirsty often translates as I need to eat a box of Oreo cookies, along with some peanut butter smothered graham crackers with chips and whatever else I’ve got going on. Crazy, I know. It’s been awhile since I’ve done that, but not so long that I couldn’t imagine it.

Instead, my beautiful mango smoothie.

2 mangos
1 banana
1/2 cup cranberries
1 cup spinach
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Blend. Drink. Love.

Very Berry Smoothie

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My little one surprised me this morning by asking his papa to take him to school.  That surprised us both, and while my husband whisked him away in a taxi, I dragged myself back to bed.

Sleeping in when sick always sounds like a good idea, but in practice leaves me feeling even more groggy throughout the day.  At around noon I finally pulled myself together to come downstairs, but with a seemingly thick coat of bubble wrap about my head.  Hungry, unfocused and aimless, I was already stuffing easily accessible, junky food in my mouth without thinking. So when my daughter made this a special request for lunch today, I was happy to oblige.

 

Very Berry Smoothie

  • 1 cup Strawberries
  • 1 cup Blueberries
  • 1/2 cup Raspberries
  • 1/2 cup Blackberries
  • 2 cups fresh squeezed Orange Juice

Blend and Drink.

After pouring her serving, I blended in a chunk of ginger (about an inch) for my own for that extra zing.  I love ginger.

Making this smoothie brought me back to Arizona where my mother-in-law has a freezer full of frozen fruits.  She picks or purchases them when they’re in season and stores what she has room for.  What a treat it was to open the packed freezer to pick a delicious add-in for our smoothies.  Every summer I think of doing that, but never quite get it done.  When I paid the high prices at the grocery store for all these off-season berries that I imagine have traveled thousands of miles to get to chilly Chicago, made me really appreciate her frugality and preparedness.  Next summer.  Strawberries in June.  Blueberries, July.  Blackberries and Raspberries in August.

Mainlining Nutrition

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Today I neglected breakfast before the morning run to school and chiropractor.  I couldn’t wait to get home and toss a few things into my blender.  Drinking a green smoothie for breakfast is almost like mainlining nutrition and breakfast couldn’t be easier.

Toss a handful of spinach, 1 Fuji apple, 1 Asian pear, a finger of ginger, and water.  Blend, pour and slurp loudly.  Oh, and wipe off that foam mustache.