Somewhere on a Beach Smoothie
June 19, 2017 by Nicole Collins
I'm already not feeling Monday today, so I'm taking us to the beach.
Ok, maybe not literally. But, by the time you finish drinking today's smoothie, that's where you'll think you are.
Does anyone else feel like last week was the longest week in history? I don't know why. It just seemed never ending. And, everyone I said that too seemed to agree. But, somehow, someway, the weekend was over in a blink of an eye. How does that happen?
I spent the weekend playing with power tools. I KNOW! Well, nothing crazy. Just a cordless drill and an electric hand saw. I'm still undecided if I should be trusted with said power tools, because I did walk away from the weekend with a few battle wounds. I'd say it was worth it though, because I got a lot done. I hung some new spice racks in my kitchen; I nailed down a couple stubborn deck boards that came loose; and I sawed down this nasty tree like weed that was overtaking my fence and my rainspout.
I know. I live a glamorous life.
I would've much rather been sprawled out on a beach, toes in the sand, and drink in hand. All of my friends seemed to be away on vacations this weekend, while I was stuck at home with house chores. Maybe that's why I was extra antsy this weekend.
So, I drank a couple smoothies, and pretended my beach dreams where coming true.
This smoothie is one of my go-to smoothies. I make this ALL summer long. Sometimes in the winter too. Because, I really need beach thoughts when its 30 degrees outside. It's worth drinking a frozen drink in the frozen temps.
This smoothie has pineapple. It's got strawberry. It's got banana. It's got coconut. It's got lime. And, it's got kale. Now don't be freaked out by the kale. You can see it. But, I promise you, you can't taste it!
I was one of those people that used to be scared of putting greens in my smoothies. But one day, I just went for it. I give you my word when I tell you that this smoothie doesn't taste green. To be honest, some green smoothies do. But, this one is not one of them. If I blindfolded you before drinking this, you'd ask me if I could put a shot of tequila in this fruity drink for you. Which is not off the table...just saying.
One of the great things about this smoothie is that it's pretty flexible. I really recommend sticking with the fruit selection. And the fresh lime juice is a must...it makes the whole drink. But, we've got some wiggle room with the liquid and greens. I know many people find kale too bitter, so you can easily swap the kale out for fresh spinach. I also know there are a lot of coconut haters out there in the world. I don't understand you, but I support you. So, in that case, you could swap the coconut milk out for some almond milk. Sometimes, I use coconut water too, if that's what I have. Or you could use any combo of the three. See...flexible!
I understand that this is not exactly the prettiest smoothie that you'll ever lay eyes on. Trust me, I tried to find a way to make it beautiful. But to be honest, I really love the flecks of green from the kale and red from the strawberry that you can see throughout. So, let's just say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Don't be scared by the color.
I actually like to portion my fruits and my kale out in advance, and wrap them in little packets for the freezer. That way, whenever I want a smoothie, it's just dump and go. All you have to add is the liquid, lime, and sweetener. How easy is that?!? I'm telling you, it works great for someone that leaves themselves exactly enough time to get ready in the morning. Which I am totally guilty of.
So, I'm officially giving you all permission to sit in beach chairs while you're working today, as long as you have this smoothie in your hand. Tell your bosses they can see me with any questions. And then make them a smoothie, and they'll certainly want to join you.
Enjoy, and let's drink!
Somewhere on a Beach Smoothie Serves: 1 Print
Ingredients:
½ of a very ripe banana, cut and frozen
½ cup frozen strawberries
½ cup frozen pineapple
1 cup kale, torn
1 cup lite coconut milk
1-2 tsp agave, to taste
juice of half a lime
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Serve immediately.
Recipe notes:
*I keep a bag of frozen bananas in my freezer at all times for smoothies. When the bananas are very ripe (more black on the skin than yellow), peel and chop them in to quarters. Space them out individually on a plate or or tray, and place them in the freezer. After a few hours when they're completely frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag until ready to use. Freezing them separately keeps them from clumping together in the bag and being frozen with an undetachable buddy. I'll do the same with any fruit when it's in season, and I have an abundance.
*You could replace the coconut milk with coconut water, unsweetened almond milk, or any combo of the 3. Sometimes, I'll use half coconut milk and half coconut water.
*If you're not in to kale, you can swap it out for fresh spinach.
