New Year Smoothies, Two Ways!

I thought we'd ease into this new year of blogging with something quick, simple, and refreshing.  I'm a huge fan of eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables as often as I can, whether it's in the form of an extra salad, a blended drink, or simply as a light snack.  Smoothies are one of my favorite ways of incorporating some extra fruits and veggies, and I love them because they're so effortless to prepare and can come in a zillion and one different flavor combinations.  Fruit smoothies don't really have any kind of science together, so they're a really great way to use up random bits of fruit or veggies that you may have left over from other recipes.  Smoothies are also perfect for using up fruit that's just starting to get a little bruised.  Whenever I have fruit in my house that's no longer at its peak for eating fresh, but doesn't really deserve to be tossed out just yet, I throw it into my blender with a little juice, yogurt, or milk along with some ice, and I instantly have a great healthy snack that will hold me over until my next meal.  

Since smoothies are really no-brainer recipes, I figured I would offer two different variations for you guys to start playing with.  The first smoothie is one of my favorites, and is made with banana, blueberries, and oats.  Now, oats blended into a smoothie may sound a little strange at first, but it's definitely something you should try out, because it's really delicious!  In fact, avena, a cold, blended oatmeal drink that's popular in Colombia is one of my favorite drinks to enjoy in the summer, and this smoothie is like a quick, instant version of that.  I added a little peanut butter for extra flavor and some crushed ice to make the smoothie seem almost like a shake. So good! The second smoothie is a gold old green smoothie.  I love using spinach and avocado in my green smoothies, and for this version, I decided to sweeten it up with a little frozen mango, for the sake of convenience, and some orange juice, something that's always well in stock at my house.  The measurements listed below for each smoothie are approximate, and you should feel free to adjust them to your taste, especially for the liquids in the smoothies. Add more or less juice or milk depending on how thick you like your smoothie, and of course feel free to make any flavor substitutions you like based on what's lying around in your kitchen.  The best type of smoothie is one that not only tastes good, but also helps clean out your refrigerator!  Experiment, and see what flavor combinations you can come up with.  Cheers to 2014!

New Year's Smoothies, Two Ways!

Ingredients

Banana Oat Smoothie

1/2 cup rolled oats
1 banana
3/4 cup blueberries
2/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup ice

Mango Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups baby spinach
1 heaping cup frozen mango
1 avocado
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup almond milk

Directions

To prepare the smoothies, simply add all the ingredients for each variation to a blender and blend until well blended.  Add more milk or juice if you like your smoothie a little thinner.  Serve immediately.

Each smoothie recipe makes enough for 2 smoothies