Cashew Almond Butter Chocolately Goodness

This recipe comes from my good friend Misty.  It is one of my favorite smoothies because it tastes like a milkshake.  I save it for a treat, for when I need something sweet.  

• 4 c frozen bananas
• 1/2 c cacao nibs
• 1/2 tbsp cashew butter
• 2 c vanilla almond milk*
• 1/4 c agave (I use raw honey)

Blend all ingredients in high powered blender like my beloved Blendtec.  I should give that thing a name.

*Sometimes I don't have almond milk so I just use raw almonds (soaked and dried) with water or homemade almond milk. I also usually add in a few handfuls of raw cashews (also soaked and dried) and sometimes some almond butter.

If you make your own almond milk and/or nut butters this would be considered a "raw" recipe.

My favorite smoothie

I've been drinking smoothies for a while now.  I love them.  My favorite one right now is made like this:

1 banana
1/4 to 1/3 chunk of beet
1 carrot (with the peel)
1 small carton Greek Gods honey yogurt
1 or 2 leaves kale
a handful or two spinach
3 or 4 leaves Romaine lettuce
about 1/3 c. frozen blueberries
about 1/3 c. frozen strawberries
about 1/3 c. frozen raspberries
about 1/3 c. frozen cherries
a small carton coconut water
1 large handful raw cashews
about 2 tbsp. flax seeds (I throw them in unground and the blender takes care of them)
about 2 tbsp. hemp nuts
a few ounces whole leaf aloe vera juice

Oh my delicious!  I'm feeling better and losing weight.  My husband doesn't like this recipe because he says it tastes "too beety".  I honestly don't taste the beet; I think the whole thing tastes yummy.  This makes about 2 quarts - I drink one for breakfast and one for lunch.

I will often switch out the "greens" depending on what I can find at the store that week.  I like collards, chard, kale, spinach, and romaine lettuce for my greens.  Cabbage is a bad idea - it doesn't blend well and ends up tasting chalky.

For my kids I usually make something sweeter.  They haven't fully embraced the smoothie revolution.

1 banana
1 pear
1 apple
about 1 cup frozen berries (a mixture of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and cherries)
a small carton yogurt (usually a "red" flavor like strawberry or blueberry or cherry)
fruit juice
a small handful greens

We've made a deal that they'll allow me to add in smaller amounts of greens little by little.  So each day we add another leaf or two of spinach.

I use 100% fruit juice and Stonyfield yogurt which has no artificial colors.  I also keep the peels on the fruit.

Will it blend?

My boys (husband included) are addicted to the Blendtec commercials on YouTube. They spend hours laughing over all the zany things Tom blends. It got me thinking about actual foods I could make in a blender which got me reading about green smoothies which got me making them. I started with my WalMart $20 special so my drinks would more properly be labeled Chunkies. I drank/chewed my Chunkies for about a month and lost 7 pounds and felt a little more energetic. My kids wanted NOTHING to do with drinks you have to chew and some of them looked like mud. Wimps.

My husband was so impressed with my weight loss he bought me a Blendtec. Which I love. The one rule in the family though is that only food is allowed in the blender. I have to repeat that rule many, many times a week.

To make things easier for myself I freeze a lot of stuff. I buy 2 or 3 bunches of bananas, peel them and break them in half then put them in gallon size baggies. When I need a banana, I just grab one or two. I freeze grapes then put them in baggies. I peeled 5 or so pounds of grapefruit one day, broke them in half and put them in baggies. Most berries I buy already frozen (but if I find a great sale I buy them and freeze them myself). It works best to lay the fruit on a cookie sheet and freeze them for a few hours before putting them in a bag.

For the greens, I wash and cut them into largish chunks all the day I bring them home and store them in "produce" gallon-size baggies. This way I can just grab a handful of each and throw it in the blender. I also peel the beets all at once and cut them in half. Oh, you can use the stems of chard and beets, but I'd only put them in a reddish smoothie or it will make it brown.

I try to buy organic or local produce but that's not always possible. Or cost effective. If it's not organic I usually peel it first (like apples and pears). If it costs too much I just buy the regular and think of all the great benefits eating more fruits and vegetables brings to my life.

I eyeball amounts based on who is going to be drinking it. The kids will drink a small one with breakfast or lunch. I drink a quart at breakfast and a quart at lunch. Usually with lunch I'll also have "something to chew" like a piece of toast or a small helping of leftovers.

Here are the base recipes I use:
My basic RED/PINK smoothie:
Coconut water or regular water if I'm out of coconut
Blueberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
half a Beet
One or two large carrots
a small handful of raw cashews or almonds
a scoop or two of dark colored flax seeds

I then mix and match whatever else I have on hand which would include any of the following:
Banana
Yogurt or kefir (any flavor except chocolate and such)
Oranages
Pears
Apples
Cherries
Red grapes
Dates
Lemon
Pomegranite
Watermelon
Mango
Pineapple
Peaches
Nectarine
Cantaloupe

For GREEN smoothies
My base recipe is:
1/2 to 1 pear (if it's organic I throw the whole thing in, otherwise I peel)
1/2 to 1 apple (same as pear for organic)
vanilla yogurt (about 2 or 3 large spoonfuls)
1 banana
a small handful of raw cashews or almonds
a small scoop of light colored flax seeds
a few inches of water at the bottom

Then ANY of the following:
Beet greens
Green grapes
Romaine or green leaf lettuce
Kale
Collards
Chard
Kiwi
Dates
Spinach
Lemon (1/2)
Radish tops
Avocado
Parsley
Celery
Cucumber

For a MIXED smoothie:
Add any of the RED and GREENS together. If you don't want it to look like mud make sure you add the beet.

For an AMAZING CITRUS Smoothie:
1/2 grapefruit (cut off just the rind, leave as much 'white' as you can)
2 oranges (same as above)
1 banana
a cup or two of frozen berries like blueberries, strawberries or raspberries, even cherries
a few large spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt (about 1/2 cup)

I also make a great PEACH/MANGO smoothie by accident.
1/2 grapefruit
1/2 banana
2 oranges
some peach-mango juice
a few spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt
a small container of peach applesauce my kids refuse to eat