Dark Chocolate Nectarine Shake

Looks quite similar to a Chocolate Banana smoothie - ha!

Dark Chocolate Nectarine Shake Recipe
Makes 2 servings. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups soy milk
• 2 frozen nectarines
• 1/2 Tbs Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend well.

To prepare the nectarines for this recipe, you'll need to freeze them at least the night before. Be sure to remove the pit and quarter the nectarines before bagging them. If you want, you can leave the skin on, just be sure that when you blend, you let it process extra well. Enjoy! 

Special Dark Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Chocolate-y shake and the master ingredient

Special Dark Chocolate Banana Smoothie Recipe
Makes 2 servings. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 Tbs Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend well.

An easy recipe for a quick snack between breakfast and lunch when your energy is starting to lag! Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder really makes this a rich treat, but be careful as it really changes the taste in baking recipes.

Pumpkin Pecan Smoothie

Comforting and wholesome

Pumpkin Pecan Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 2-3 Tbs canned pumpkin
• 1/4 cup pecan halves
• Maple syrup or agave to taste
• Dash of pumpkin pie spice
• Dash of cinnamon

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender except maple syrup.
2. Blend well. Add maple syrup to taste and blend again.

Don't have time to make a Pumpkin Pecan pie, but still want to savor the taste of pumpkin + pecan goodness? Whip up a glass of this Pumpkin Pecan smoothie and you can have it now! I like to use soy milk for this recipe, because I have found that sometimes almond or hemp mylk can conflict with the nutty flavor from the pecans - but feel free to experiment!

Smoothie-Making 101: The Liquid

Liquid ideas
A great smoothie can be sabotaged by using the wrong liquid base. Choose from these proven winners. Look out for another post that will help you match them with fruits and veg. 

• Soy milk. I recommend Silk soy milk for it's smoothness. 
• Almond milk. I recommend Almond Breeze almond milk for it's tastiness.
• Coconut milk. Can or carton is fine. Beware: high fat content.
• Cashew milk. The recipe can be found here. 
• Sunflower seed milk. A strong taste and can be bitter. 
• Hemp milk. Easy to make at home, expensive to buy at the store.
• Apple juice. Sweet and thin, to reduce the apple-y taste, just dilute with water or OJ.
• Orange juice. Tangy and slightly sour, pick one with very little added sugar.
• Coffee. A bitter, strong-scented liquid.
• Cranberry juice. A slightly, bitter berry juice.
• Guava juice. A very sweet juice.
• Hot chocolate. Cool it down first, of course. 
• Coconut water. Great refresher liquid.

Super Strawberry Smoothie Recipe

Remember art class, where red and green paints make brown? 

Super Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup hemp milk
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
• Maple syrup or agave to taste
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender except maple syrup.
2. Blend well. Add maple syrup to taste and blend again.

I made this health-boosting drink for a friend who was having a sick day. Later that day, he was feeling better, nearly back to 100% - whoo!

Hemp Milk Recipe

Frothy, fresh hemp mylk

Hemp Milk Recipe
Makes 3 cups. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup hemp seeds
• 3 cups filtered water
• Maple syrup or agave to taste
• Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender except maple syrup.
2. Blend well. Add maple syrup to taste and blend again.
3. (Optional) Run liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove pulp.

Hemp milk (or mylk) works perfect as a liquid in smoothies but is smooth enough to drink by itself hot or cold. Warm it up with a pinch of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg on a cool fall day. 

Hazelnut Pumpkin Smoothie

Goes great with warm hazelnut scones!

Hazelnut Pumpkin Smoothie Recipe
Makes 2 servings. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 cup hazelnut-flavored coffee
• 1/2 cup cooked pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup soy milk
• 2 Tbs maple syrup
• Dash of pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Celebrate the cool weather with this autumn-inspired smoothie. Hazelnut and pumpkin go great together. Take your smoothie to the next level by using fresh, cooked pumpkin instead of canned.

Appletini Smoothie

Filling and well-balanced!

Appletini Smoothie Recipe
Makes 2 servings. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 2 frozen bananas
• 1 green apple (cut into chunks)
• 2 cup soy milk

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

This healthy treat has a ton of flavor, but be sure to blend well to avoid grainy apple peel pieces. For even more smoothness, peel the apple before cutting into (blender-friendly) chunks. Swirl with chocolate syrup for a dessert treat. 

Strawberry Brownie Smoothie

So rich and sweet!

Strawberry Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup soy milk or chocolate soy milk
• 1 brownie

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Yes, it is exactly as delicious as you are imagining it to be! Dessert time!

Blueberry Immunity Smoothie

Blueberry to the rescue!

Blueberry Immunity Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 tsp bee pollen
• dash of pumpkin pie spice

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Boost your immunity and get better faster with this anti-oxidant rich smoothie! Swap out the blueberries for frozen orange juice cubes for a blast of vitamin C!

Vanilla Cardamom Smoothie

Great combo!

Vanilla Cardamom Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 2 frozen bananas 
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder or 1 Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs pistachios
• dash of cardamom

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Cardamom and vanilla go great together - try them with other lightly-flavored frozen fruits. 

Maple Pecan Smoothie - Upgraded

Now creamier than ever!

Maple Pecan Smoothie ++ Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen yogurt cubes 
• 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 Tbs maple syrup
• 3 Tbs pecans
• dash of pumpkin pie seasoning

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

I couldn't resist re-doing this recipe with frozen cubes of yogurt and it is excellent!
To make frozen yogurt cubes, simply fill an ice cube tray with yogurt (a regular tray has a dozen cubes, you need 6 cubes to make a cup). Freeze it overnight and pop out the cubes right before you blend everything. 

Maple Pecan Smoothie

Perfect for a warm autumn day!

Maple Pecan Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 frozen bananas
• 1 cup soy milk
• 1 Tbs maple syrup
• 3 Tbs pecans
• dash of pumpkin pie seasoning

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Pecan pie being a number one Fall Favorite - this smoothie is a superb homage to the greatness of the pecan pie! The dash of pumpkin pie spice is entirely optional and simply serves to counteract the banana flavor. Instead of banana, you could try crushed ice or frozen yogurt cubes. 

Smoothie-Making 101: Tips for Great Smoothies

Tips for Great Smoothies

• A one-to-one ratio. For each one cup of frozen fruit, plan for one cup of liquid. 
• Freeze fruit ahead of time. I like to have a freezer stocked with frozen fruit. Be sure to peel and chop the fruit before bagging it and laying it flat in the freezer. Some surefire staples are bananas, strawberries, mango and blueberries. 
• Keep it simple. If you limit the number of ingredients, your fruits will have a chance to shine, but the more you add, the more you invite disaster. 
• A decent blender. Do not buy a plastic pitcher blender that is marketed for smoothies. They tend to be weak and crack easily. You want a glass pitcher blender with a strong motor (try "industrial blenders" on Craigslist or 1950s blenders at Goodwill or the equivalent). Ninjas are great - but break the bank! (If you have an unlimited budget, by all means- go for it.)

Watermelon-Banana Smoothie

Fancy!

Watermelon-Banana Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen watermelon cubes
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 cup coconut milk

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

To make frozen watermelon cubes, simply chop up 1/4 of a ripe watermelon into cubes. This drink may come out thick - so add a splash of extra milk as needed to get an even consistency. I love the banana-watermelon combo - why is there no banana-melon ice cream?

Watermelon Smoothie

Sweet and smooth!

Watermelon Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen watermelon cubes
• 1/2 cup almond milk

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

To make frozen watermelon cubes, simply chop up 1/4 of a ripe watermelon into cubes (should produce 2 cups of cubes) for a regular, spherical watermelon. Blend well to eliminate chunks of watermelon. 

Guava Punch Smoothie

A new twist on punch!

Guava Punch Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup guava juice
• 1 cup ice cubes
• splash of grapefruit juice

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

This smoothie tastes like a tropical punch drink - it's got a great balance of sweet and sour! Blend well to eliminate chunks of ice. You can find guava juice at your local hispanic grocery.

Raspberry Sunrise Smoothie

Tastes like ice cream!

Raspberry Sunrise Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 cup ice cubes
• 1 packet Raspberry Royale Spiru-tein powder

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

This smoothie got rave reviews from the boyfriend (he said it tastes just like ice cream)! Be sure to blend the ice until very fine, otherwise it's just gonna be a crunchy ice slush. 

Acai-Pom Slushie

Slurp it down!

Acai-Pom Slushie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup acai juice
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
• 1 cup ice cubes

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

This drink is a slushie because it comes out with an icy consistency. Slushies are great for refreshment on hot summer days!

Choco-Cran-'Nana Smoothie

Satisfy your chocolate craving!

Choco-Cran-'Nana Smoothie Recipe
Makes 1 serving. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cranberry juice
• 1 frozen banana
• 1 Tbs cocoa powder

Instructions:

1. Toss all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend, serve and enjoy.

Alternatively, use chocolate protein powder (that is unsweetened). Halve the cranberry juice and add 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk for a less sweet drink. Cranberry juice has antibacterial properties and chocolate is a known mood-booster, so drink up!