Smoothies, mmm.

Once upon a time there lived a girl who cringed and laughed at the idea of drinking a smoothie that was dark green; it simply made no sense and it looked very peculiar to her. That same girl didn’t know that chia seeds were possibly the coolest and nutritious little seeds out there, and that frozen bananas can mimic the consistency of soft serve ice cream… She was a poor unfortunate soul indeed. In 2010 this girl’s life was changed the minute she was exposed to the blog world. Yes, she credits most of her lifestyle change to some of the best health blogs out there: Oh She Glows, My New Roots and The Sprouted Kitchen, just to name a few. If you haven’t caught on by now, that girl was me and I feel like these lady bloggers have helped make eating wholesome meals an exciting experience for me. They share their stories through awesome photography and encourage sharing their foods with family + friends, much like myself!  I’ve definitely become a bit obsessed passionate about cooking and photographing food, and excitingly sharing it with others. I've always loved to cook but never thought I'd be so enthusiastic by sharing the quality, beauty and taste of real food. Real food = unprocessed foods often eaten wholly and prepared with a whole lot of love! I believe that food is best eaten when it’s made with love and shared with your favorite people.  And lately I’ve been so inspired to document my own experiences cooking and love for serving others with food through my blog.  I hope that’s okay with you guys!

Now that I’ve got that off my chest, let’s go back to what I said about green smoothies. It’s crazy to think about how close minded I was when it came to nearly everything. Food, music, people, movies... You name it. During my narrow minded phase I thought dark leafy greens belonged in my salad or on the side of my dinner plate, not blended with fruits and eaten with a spoon from a coffee mug. Yes you heard that right, I prefer my smoothies thick and eaten in a mug with a spoon… It’s comforting! Anyway, the idea was weird but once I finally tried it, (among other foods that I thought were weird but now love ) I became hooked and consume a green smoothie at least every other morning!

 In glory of green smoothies here is an interchangeable recipe that's very dear to me:

 Customizable Green Smoothie

• 2 generous handfuls of organic spinach leaves, collard greens or kale
• ½ cup plain yogurt (dairy-free, goat, greek, etc. use what you like best!)
•  ¼-1/2 cup milk of choice or natural fruit juice (add less or more depending on your desired thickness)
• 1 frozen banana, peeled and cut into slices (this adds creaminess but if you do not like bananas try mangoes or watermelon) 
•  ½ cup frozen fruit of choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, blackberries, melons, watermelon, mango, pineapple, kiwi, etc. Honestly, whatever you dig and whatever is season where you live!)
• Healthy Fat of Choice (ie: ½ haas avocado, 1-2 tablespoons nut butter or coconut oil. The fat really balances out the smoothie and I don’t recommend leaving it out. Adding avocado to smoothies is a personal favorite of mine, it lends a very velvety texture!) 
•   Optional add-ins, such as: chia seeds, ground flax, hemp seeds, cacoa, protein powder, spirulina, maca powder or bee pollen. 

*Notice that these are all suggestions and you can make your smoothie however you'd like, have or your special diet permits.*

 Blend away in a high speed blender and enjoy!