Green Monster!

So in spite of (or maybe because of) the homemade ice cream in the last post, we are striving to eat healthier here.  Note: that was the only ice cream made so far this summer no matter how temped I have been to make a gallon every week.

I have seen articles, Facebook Posts and Pins on Pinterest about all kinds of smoothies and both my kids have been drinking them lately, so I decided to give it a try.

How's this for a colorful drink!?

Green Monster Smoothie!  Oh my!  Sooo good!  There are a number of recipes and variations for Green Monster, but here is how I make mine... place 1/2 a banana (frozen), 1/2 Tbsp peanut butter, 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk and 1/2 a container plain or vanilla Greek yogurt into a blender.  Blend until smooth. Blend in 2 cups raw spinach.  I add a cup at a time and use a spatula to scrape sides as needed.  I also add 5 or 6 ice cubes at the end and blend to make the smoothie thicker. I like mine thick like a milkshake.

The original recipe doubled all these ingredients, but was just too much for me.  I love this for breakfast or lunch. You do NOT taste the spinach. In fact, the main taste is the peanut butter. It is a bit sweeter with vanilla yogurt, but I like it with plain also and plain has fewer carbs, so that is what I use most times.

I am totally sold on Almond Milk!  I use unsweetened vanilla in smoothies and in a lot of cooking.. and on cereal. I love just plain unsweetened also for cereal and cooking.  And Silk makes a Dark chocolate one that is amazing when you just want a sweet treat! The calcium in Almond Milk is double that of cow's milk and the calories are a fraction! A great alternative to dairy.