A Very Green Smoothie

If you're on Pinterest or Instagram, or the internet in general, you've probably seen a "green smoothie" at least once or twice.  Recipes for these nutrient-rich drinks are floating around everywhere, and that's because you can pretty much make them however you like!

The difference between a green smoothie and any other smoothie is, well, it's green!  Yes, I mean green in color, but I also mean green, as in good for you.  Green smoothies combine your traditional fruit smoothie with a handful of fresh spinach leaves, which give it both it's color, and a whole serving of your daily vegetables in one, fruity drink!

Now, I really don't know if the green smoothie is a relatively new concept, or if avenues like Pinterest and Instagram have just shined a spotlight on it in recent years, but I for one had never had one.  Sure, I've made my own smoothies or been to Smoothie King, but I'd never had anything with spinach in it, and to be honest the thought (and sight) of it kind of freaked me out.  Don't get me wrong, I love spinach (and the fact that I had some in my refrigerator led to this experiment), but I just didn't know that I would love it in a fruit smoothie.

Oh, how I was wrong!!!  Like I said, I had some fresh spinach in my fridge that I wanted to use before it started to wilt, but wasn't really in the mood for a sandwich.  I was browsing Pinterest (of course) when a picture of a bright green smoothie caught my eye.  Aha!  I know what I'll make.  I scrounged around the kitchen coming up with what to put into my very own smoothie concoction, and here is what i came up with:

It's an Apple-Banana-Almond Green Smoothie.  Let's not kid ourselves.  It's not exactly appetizing - it looks like some sort of photosynthesis sludge or something, but it didn't taste like it!

It tasted pretty apple-y/banana-y to me.  I couldn't really taste the spinach at all.  I started out by blending together the spinach and ice, to get it minced up a bit, and then added in the banana and one apple, peeled, cored and cubed.  I also added in 1/4 cup of almond milk, to give it a creamier texture (I really hate when you make a smoothie and it's a little too fluffy - like you're drinking air).



















I also added a small handful of almonds, to give it some staying power - you know, keep you fuller longer.  Plus, I just love almonds.  (Tip: when you add the almonds, cover the lid completely before blending - when they hit the blades, things get a little wild in there!)  And voila!

My first green smoothie.  And man, is it green.  So, how did it taste?  Delicious!  It actually tasted nutritious, so I felt pretty good about it while I was sippin'. 

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If you're like me, I just couldn't quite get past the green-ness of the smoothie - it tasted delish, but I think next time I'll see if I can come up with something a little less, well, green!  Stay tuned for the Not-So-Green Green Smoothie Recipe!

Fall Comfort Food: Crock Pot Applesauce

Fall is finally here!  I just love this time of year.  Nothing compares to the smell of fall - pumpkin pies, bonfires, cranberry sauce, crisp fall leaves.  There is a sense of mystery and anticipation, perhaps because it's the season of Halloween - a little sense of spookiness.  It makes you burrow down a little more into your sweater, or cuddle just a little bit closer to your love.  It is the most positively perfect time of year.

And let's not forget the food!  Is there any other season where you can add pumpkin to anything and get away with it?  Go crazy with the cinnamon?  Bake and eat and bake and eat, and not worry about fitting into that bathing suit?  (thank goodness leggings and huge sweaters are in style!)

So to start off this fall, and this blog (named for my absolute love of fall!), I thought I'd begin with one of my all-time favorite fall comfort food recipes: crock pot applesauce.  I think I'll file this in "To Eat" and "To Do", because to make this the perfect fall recipe, you should really go to your local farmer's market or apple orchard (if you have one) and pick out the ripest, juiciest apples you can find.  Call me crazy, but produce-shopping can really be a great date idea!  (I'm thinking outdoor, meeting the farmer, picking it off the vine yourself kind of "shopping", not pushing a cart through a crowded grocery store with kids screaming and people ripping their hair out kind of shopping...I'm not that crazy!!) 

Crock pot applesauce is something I only stumbled upon recently, (on Pinterest, of course) and after my first batch, I was hooked!! And not just on the taste, but on the way my house smelled while it was cooking (think Grandma's house at Thanksgiving, or Macy's the week before Christmas...do you think I'm crazy yet!?)  I experimented with different kinds of apples, sugar, spices, and "add ons", and I've detailed what I use in the recipe below, but definitely try to put your own spin on it - make it a signature dish; trust me, people will be begging you to make it again, or give them the recipe!  Enjoy, and thanks for reading "Dreaming of Fall."  

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