summer smoothies

during our recent trip to texas, i discovered that one of my dear aunts has developed a breakfast smoothie habit just like i have.  this was awesome news for several reasons–first, because it meant i could get a smoothie for my own breakfast without having to give my host a special list of ingredients to get from the grocery story and second (and most exciting to me) because this particular aunt likes to experiment and tinker with recipes even more than i do and she comes up with fantastic combinations!  i’d gotten into a bit of a rut with my smoothies (always with the spinach, always with the almond butter…) and she inspired me to try other vegetables and other protein/fat sources.  plus, she had this brilliant use-similar-colors idea that makes the most beautiful beverages (while the brown ones were tasty, they aren’t the most visually appealing)!

inspired by her, i’ve created three new favorite summertime veggie and melon-based smoothies that i thought you might enjoy.  the ratios are flexible, depending on how sweet/cold/thick you like your smoothies, so i’ll just list approximate quantities.  if you really want exact measurements, let me know and i’ll measure more carefully the next time i put these together.

watermelon + beet smoothie  (this one is such an amazing color!)

— 1.5 c. watermelon chunks (this becomes the liquid for this smoothie, so you might want to blend it up first.  if you have a good blender, you don’t need to remove the seeds.)

— 2 small beets, raw, peeled (or one small one if you really hate beets and need to hide the flavor.  even two are pretty subtle with this mixture.)

— 1/2 c. frozen raspberries or mixed berries

— a small splash of pure vanilla extract

— optional add-ins:  chia seeds, plain yogurt

cantaloupe + carrot smoothie

— 1 cup ice cold water with a squeeze of fresh lemon

— 3/4 cup cantaloupe chunks (seeds are great to add in here too!)

— about 10 raw baby carrots (or equivalent amount of “grown-up” carrots)

— frozen peaches (about the equivalent of 3/4 a whole peach)

optional add-ins: flax oil, fresh squeezed orange juice

honeydew + spinach smoothie

— 1 c. ice cold unsweetened fresh mint tea (boil fresh mint leaves the night before and store the tea in your fridge overnight.  do not add any sweeteners.)  OR just use ice cold water and some fresh mint leaves

— 1 c. honeydew melon chunks

— two huge handfuls of spinach (even wilted is fine, stems are fine, rinse any sand off if necessary)

— 1-2 tbsp. raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shell)

— 1/2 c. frozen pineapple

optional add-ins:  cucumbers, lime juice

 

general tips for all of these:

–add these to the blender in the order they’re listed

— if it’s not sweet enough, add more melon or a splash of vanilla

— if it’s too thick, add a bit more ice water and blend like crazy

— if it’s too thin, add more frozen fruit

— if it’s too “bright” consider a dash of cinnamon to “warm it up” a bit

 

these have been so refreshing the last few mornings i’ve made them.  i hope you enjoy them as much as i have!