When you make a Green Monster Smoothie, don’t bother with measurements. Just go for it.

My sister-in-law said that I should open my own Green Monster Smoothie bar at our local Farmer’s Market. I think it’s a brilliant idea! Maybe this Spring?

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My $20 Oster blender works just fine for me! You don’t need a fancy BlendTec or Vitamix, trust me, you don’t.

For the sake of making it super easy for newbies, I’ll share my basic recipe. Measurements are ROUGH.

Recipes make 2 tall glasses, and easily makes an additional 2 smaller glasses for the kiddos.

Emily’s Green Monster Smoothies (and variations):

Make it a Greenie:
-approx. 1 c. unsweeted almond milk (I like Blue Diamond Brand best–make sure it is the unsweetened variety) (you may try other liquids in place of almond milk, even water works)
-OR (instead of the almond milk) 1 c. water
-2 large handfuls of spinach (or baby spring mix)
-1 handful of chopped kale (you can buy a big bag of this for cheap)
-1 banana
-1 apple
-a few ice cubes optional, if you wish to make it a bit thinner and chilled
-2 drinking straws (bendy straws are really nice when you have a green smoothie, they just make it that much more special—and for my kids I take the bendy straw and cut off 2 inches at the bottom so that it fits in their plastic Ikea cups)

For Newbies: How to Blend Perfectly
Remember: LIQUID ALWAYS GOES FIRST!
Add liquid
Add 1 handful of spinach
BLEND (as long as you want)
Add 2nd handful of spinach
Add kale
BLEND (as long as you want)
Add apple slices, a few at a time while blending
Add banana
BLEND (as long as you want)
Add 2-4 cubes of ice (in the summer when it’s hot outside)
PULSE BLEND

Serve in a tall glass with a bendy straw.
Pat yourself on the back and feel smug.

Make it a Bluey:
Make as directed above, only omit ice and add approximately 1 c. frozen blueberries, still pulse blending at end.

Make it a Berry:
Make as directed above, only omit ice and add approximately 1-2 c. frozen berries, especially strawberries. It may be helpful to first microwave your frozen strawberries for about 30 seconds to 1 minute just to soften them up a bit for easier blending. Maybe this should be called a “Brownie” because the red berries plus the green = a delightful, healthful shade of brown. I jest.

Make it a Tropical Sweetie:
Make as directed above, only omit the ice and add approximately 1-2 c. of frozen or fresh tropical fruit, especially pineapple and mango!

Also–in the winter I skip the ice.
Also–toss in a spoon or two of ground flax.

Voila! Enjoy! See you January 8th at my house! Email me if you’d more directions.