Avokaspi Green Smoothie Recipe

Yup, I drank this. So did my family!

Avokaspi has a nice little ring to it. But basically, it's avocado, kale and spinach condensed into one cute little word. I made this smoothie and thought it was pretty tasty. My husband couldn't quite pin the flavor on anything, until I told him what was in it. It's a fun little game we like to play in the morning. This smoothie had a nice thickness to it, which somedays I prefer especially if I had a good run beforehand and need a little substance. You know I love green smoothies, and as I have said many times it's pretty hard to mess them up! In any case, here's the recipe. Hope you enjoy!

1 c. chopped kale (ribs removed)
1 c. spinach
1/4 avocado
1/4 c. greek yogurt, plain-nonfat
1/4 c. blueberries
1/2 banana
1 tbsp. local honey
2 dashes cinnamon
1 stevia packet
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. water
1 c. crushed ice (optional)

Kale blends better if its chopped up beforehand. Don't forget to remove the tough ribs. Water is essential in getting your blender/magic bullet moving. Many times, I add coconut milk to my smoothies but did not this time since I added Greek yogurt. You can choose to sweeten to taste with maple syrup, ripe banana or other sweetener if you don't have any honey or stevia on hand.

Have a great day!

Feeling Fancy: Nutty Kale Surprise - Smoothie

My breakfast in a stemless martini glass!

It wasn't so bad adjusting back to being home after my glorious weekend in Seattle with my oldest and dearest friends. Sure, I miss the spa, the great meals, the company of course, and not having to wipe anyone else's butt. I did come home to a spotless house because like a smart woman I scheduled house cleaners to come in and do a DEEP (and I do mean DEEP) clean right before I left. I was not overwhelmed when I returned. I did all my household laundry before my trip so when I returned I mostly had only my vacay laundry to do. I was right on schedule.

I drool over this type of selection, am I crazy?

While I got to enjoy visiting Pikes Place Market last weekend, I did miss out shopping at our local Farmer's Market. I got to go yesterday with both of my sons before baseball practice and stocked up on kale! It's been over a week since my last green smoothie and I was having a craving!! Apparently Monkey was too, as he asked for one also. I love it!!!

I decided to mix it up a bit this time. Of course, I used some of my favorite ingredients that I typically use in my kale smoothies with a little addition!

Nutty Kale Surprise
2 large kale leaves, hard stems removed and chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons crunchy almond butter
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup water
1 cup non-dairy "milk" of your choice

Whirrrrrrrrr it up and you're done! Voila!

I loved the crunch of the almond butter! It also made crunching the bits of kale, which I really don't mind at all, less noticeable. I find banana makes my smoothies sweet enough, but some of you may want additional sweetener in the form of a non-sugar such as Stevia or even a maple syrup. Enjoy!!!

Have you tried almond butter? I bought it for myself and thought I could sub it out sometimes in my son's sandwiches but he's not having it. He didn't even mention it in his smoothie this morning, so I guess the Deceptively Delicious concept worked in my favor here!

Stay smart and delicous!

FTW! Kale Smoothie - Trial and Error

Now THIS concoction is something I will look forward to!

Ok, I think I've got it now. Last time I made a juice-based smoothie with my kale. As you may have read, I liked it a lot better than I thought I would but still wanted to experiment with flavor as it was just a little bitter. This time, I used less kale (approximately 2 cups instead of 3). I also used almond milk instead of orange juice. I found that this counteracted the bitterness in the kale much more than juice. This one was really good. We had a leftover fruit salad from Costco that someone brought over on the 4th, and it was perfect for throwing into the 'Bullet.

Beautiful , healthy kale

I used a whole banana, a couple days too ripe for eating plain.

The banana had the perfect sweetness for this smoothie

 I chose some mango, blueberries, a couple strawberries and melon from the fruit salad. (My kids don't like melon or mango. Perfect).

I chose fruit from this leftover salad that I knew my kids wouldn't eat

 I used a cup of my favorite almond milk.  And a cup of crushed ice.

I buy 2 of these when I go to Trader Joe's now!

I did not stuff my MB full of kale this time

 No extra spices or sweeteners were necessary for this delicious  - and I mean DELICIOUS - smoothie. I could really taste the banana, and I like banana. Whirrrr...and voila! Enough for 2 of us!

Not as green as the other smoothies I made. Sort of Shamrock-ish

 I can't wait to buy more kale at the Farmer's Market this weekend. Consider me hooked!!!

I know not everyone will have a fruit salad handy like I did but what's great about smoothies is the recipe doesn't have to be exact.

Recipe for Hungrigyrl Kale-Banana Delite:
2 cups kale, rinsed and lightly chopped (discard tough stems at the end)
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup mango
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup honeydew or cantaloupe (I used both)
2 strawberries (optional)
1/2 cup crushed ice (optional)

I really want all you green smoothie skeptics to give this a try. Unless you hate bananas, you will love this smoothie!

Kale. It's What's For Breakfast

Me and the Magic Bullet are getting to be good friends. Today I decided to try a kale smoothie after my run. I know kale is really good for you, but I've only had it sauteed with olive oil and garlic or cooked in some way, where it is softened and less bitter. So I was a little scared, but I went for it.

Hungrigyrl's Krazy Kale Smoothie:

2 cups rinsed, chopped kale (discard the tough stems)
1 cup orange juice
1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon maple agave syrup from Trader Joe's
2 dashes of cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup ice (optional)

I used about half of this

I used orange, but I bet apple juice would be good too

I wish I could grow blueberries, we eat them like crazy!

I wanted to use the whole banana for sweetness to balance out the kale

Loving this stuff lately!

Cinnamon is a staple around here

Before....

...and AFTER!

Kale is definitely more bitter than spinach. When I made my spinach smoothie I didn't mind so much if there were little chunks of spinach. However, with the kale I really notice them so I definitely let the 'Bullet do its thing for a bit longer. It is definitely key to add sweetness to balance out the flavor. I have to say I really was surprised at how much I liked it, more than I expected. I've got lots of kale and nothing to do with it so will be experimenting a bit more this weekend, when I am not indulging in holiday bbq and alcohol. I handed my husband his kale smoothie this morning and I said, "I guarantee this is the healthiest thing you will put in your body all day." He agreed.

Have you tried a kale smoothie? Try my recipe and let me know what you think! Or share your own, I'm looking forward to having fun with this!