Green Smoothies

The first week in January my sister and I started our weekly Green Smoothie making...and we are still going!  Spencer thought it'd only last a couple weeks.  Smoothies aren't a new thing to me, I'd make them for breakfast every day and take them to work, for years, until my babies came, then I made them less and less and ate cereal instead.  They were fruit smoothies, no sugar though.  I started to add a tiny bit of spinach towards the end, but not much because I'd perfected my yummy shakes!  My mom emailed me about The Green Smoothie Girl.  I spent a couple hours just reading through her site, her story and information.  I was very interested.  A couple months later I checked out her book from the library.  It is a really great, informative read on why greens are IMPERATIVE to our health; however, she is completely biased and talks a lot of trash on how unhealthy our processed foods are, and all the meats we consume are so bad for us.  So don't get offended or turned off, just take read the info she has to offer!  I wanted to be more healthy.   I did these green smoothies for a week, then got sick of them, and it was too much time, well I didn't make time for it well enough.  Wanting to eat a raw diet is a very huge undertaking, and is a complete overhaul and change on most of our diets.  It is too big for me, so I am starting a little at a time.  One thing at a time.  Veggies aren't my strong point, they are rarely served in my house, unfortunately.  I'm just not a fan, and don't know how to prepare them great so we like them enough.  However, I can do smoothies!  Growing up my mom made lots of different concoctions throughout the years, so I've learned to try new things, and tolerate them knowing that they are healthy for me.  Knowing the health factor, I was always willing to eat and drink what she made.  So, going into these green smoothies, I was only a little hesitant.  My sister, Carla, got us moving, saying she wanted to give them a try.  So here we are, 4 months into it and not planning on stopping!  We started making 3 batches per week, and have gradually worked our way up to 9 batches between our families!  We started with the recommended 1 pint/day, for all 4 adults and a cup for Allstar.  The hubs are really great and giving this a try with us, they know the benefits outweigh the flavor!  Spencer & I are now drinking the recommended quart/day.  Carla is almost at a quart and Matt is sticking with his pint.  Allstar loves them and will drink almost a pint everyday as well!  We definitely feel the health benefits, and on the days we don't have them we do feel that loss.  We did a Green Smoothie Cleanse for 3 days, eating a normal breakfast, then only drinking green smoothies for the rest of the day (2+ qts).  We wanted to do this to cleanse our bodies from the daily processed foods we eat everyday, and to help me lower my sugar & sweets intake!  Spencer & Carla almost threw up, and could only handle 1+ qt the second two days.  I did fine, drinking 2+ qts per day. I didn't crave any sweets until the last night, probably because that is when my body was cleansing the sugar out, so I craved it more!  The next day, back to regular food, I had a little bit of sugar, then that weekend my sugar crave was back with a vengeance!  Uggg...I am regulating.

Fortunately, I have the #1 tool needed to break down the greens to a smooth consistency, the VITAMIX!  Spencer surprised me with it a couple years ago.  I blend the shakes and Carla tops and puts them away.  We make enough for the week, and put them in the freezer, taking them out each night to thaw for the next day!  Easy peasy.  1-1.5 hrs in one day for the week, that's doable.
1 Quart of Green Smoothie contains a minimum of 12 servings of Fruit & Vegetables! 

 Getting started, our spread when we started, the table is full now!  Today a friend joined us to give it a try!  We had to expand to 2 tables, yay!  We are usually in the garage because Allstar is taking a nap.

 the spread.  Don't those colors look appealing!

 Green green jelly bean!  That's right my friend.  Don't let the color scare you!

Drinkin' like it ain't no thang!

 Drinking on and off since he was 1 year old!

Our base Green Smoothie Recipe

(from Robyn Openshaw, the Green Smoothie Girl)

makes @ 9 cups (2.5 qts usually)

1/2 greens 1/2 fruits.  You can do less greens more fruit while "converting"

2.5 cups Water (or part almond or coconut milk)

1-2 Tbsp. 3-6-9 Fish Oil Blend

1/4 Lemon (rind and all)

1/4 cup Agave or a small amt of Stevia

Add greens until mixture is up to the 5.5 cup line:

Handful of Kale, Collard Greens, Chard, Cabbage...so many opts!

3+ handfuls of Spinach

BLEND GREENS UNTIL SMOOTH

Add fruits:

2 bananas

8-10 frozen Strawberries

1/2 cup frozen Mixed Berries

1/2 cup frozen Blueberries

other various fruits, whatever is in season

1.5 Orange

1/8 Pineapple

BLEND UNTIL SMOOTH

add more blueberries to make it more of a purple color than green

Mmmm....Enjoy!

I usually get the spinach & bananas from Costco or Walmart, greens from any grocery store, all frozen berries from Costco, other fruits from Costco or grocery store.