Green Smoothie

“VOOM VOOM! SMOO-VIE!!” That’s the sound of Nico (17 months) yelling at my husband every time he sees the Vitamix on the counter (which happens periodically throughout the day because it’s always up there on the counter in plain sight). It’s so cute! Nico is practically vegetarian. Here’s what happens when I give him some meat: I put a little piece of chicken in his mouth; he closes his mouth, realizes it isn’t a vegetable, fruit, lentil, or bean, opens his mouth, and lets it fall to the floor. It’s funny. Every. Time. For him, kale trumps meat.

My husband has gotten into making smoothies. We used to make green juice using the Jack LaLanne Juicer, but you lose all the fiber that way (not to mention all the little parts you have to wash). My sister has, or should I say had, a Vitamix. My husband asked to borrow it temporarily to make smoothies (although she may not be getting it back …). He started to make smoothies for his post-workout drink into which he adds a recovery supplement. Nico (and now Maya) started wanting them, though, so now he makes two – one without the supplement and one with. So here’s our mornings (as dictated by Nico):

• 5:30 a.m. Wake Up
• 5:45 a.m. Milk (Gyunyu in Japanese) & Oatmeal
• 6:00 a.m. Realizes the Vitamix is on the counter. Starts yelling “VOOM VOOM! SMOO-VIE!!”
• 6:01 a.m. Me: Go ask Dada.
• “VOOM VOOM! SMOO-VIE!!”
• 6:02 a.m. Me: No. Seriously. Go up the stairs and ask Dada.
• 6:03 a.m. Dada comes down the stairs on his own because he can hear “VOOM VOOM! SMOO-VIE!” through the ceiling.

Now here’s the thing – when we first started making them, it was truly a green smoothie: kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, green apple, parsley, chia seeds, and a little lemon. Nico liked it even then. But my husband wanted to add fruit to the mix to offset the taste of the kale and spinach. So here’s what he puts in it now (the amounts completely depend on your taste buds):

Ingredients

• 1 handful kale (ours is from the backyard)
• 1-2 handfuls spinach
• 2 cups frozen fruit of your choice (we use assorted berries, strawberries, pineapple)
• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 2 teaspoons flaxseed meal
• little water
• crushed ice

Blend it all together and enjoy!