Hello Glorious You,
I’m smiling from ear to ear over here. Today we’re talking about one of my favorite topics, I’m sharing a recipe from my new book (!) and I have a crazy-awesome giveaway for you (!!)…
Ya know I love my green juice. But there’s another biggie in my regular super-drink repertoire that doesn’t get quite the fanfare my juicing habit does: smoothies! In a typical week, I drink almost as many smoothies as juices, so today I wanna shine a light on these blended superstars and hook you up with a chance to win a Vitamix blender!
Why smoothies?
When you go the blended route, you get to pack in a boatload of fruits and veggies like you would for a juice, but you also keep all the fiber—and man oh man, is fiber fabulous! From “sweeping out” excess cholesterol and harmful bacteria to keeping the poop train moving, fiber is most certainly our friend. And although it’s totally possible to keep your juices low-sugar, smoothies are a great choice for people who need to watch their blood sugar—the fiber slows sugar absorption into the bloodstream.
Another marvelous smoothie benefit? You can add ingredients to your drink that your juicer wouldn’t be able to handle, or that just don’t belong in a juice. Sprouts, nut butters, superfood powders? Load it up! And with those added, heartier ingredients, smoothies can even replace snacks or meals. Score!
Alright, so we all agree: Smoothies are incredible and we need more of them in our lives. What’s our first step? Get a blender.
I’m giving away a Vitamix blender!
In celebration of my new book, Crazy Sexy Juice—which is packed with amazingly yummy and nourishing juice, smoothie and nut milk recipes—I’m giving away the ever-popular Vitamix blender! The Vitamix is one of my favorite machines. It’s versatile, powerful and super easy to use. Though a Vitamix can be pricey, there’s another way to get this bad boy onto your counter. It’s called certified reconditioned blenders, and since I’m a thrifty gal myself, I wanted to share the low-down on this awesome alternative—and what better way than to just give you one?!
Now you may be thinking, wait, Kris, you’re giving me a used blender? Like from the back of your closet? Ha! I thought that, too, when I first heard about these models. But here’s the deal: “reconditioned” is almost a misnomer. These aren’t refurbished (or broken) machines; they’re simply returned machines that have undergone an intense inspection as part of the Vitamix Certified Reconditioning process. With a 5-year warranty and No Risk Guarantee, they gotta make sure these blenders are in tip-top shape. Reconditioned Vitamix blenders also come with a brand new container and cookbook package.
I like to think of purchasing reconditioned appliances like adopting pets—there are wonderful blenders out there that need a new home and some love.
Okay, wanna get your hands on one of these fancy-pants machines?
Great—I’m giving away one certified reconditioned standard 5200 Vitamix Blender today!
Maca powder! I love its malty flavor.
almond butter!
I love adding a mix of Omega oils to my smoothies!
Coconut Water!
My favorite smoothie ingredient is ginger!
Lots and lots of greens!
High-five, Moya.
I love putting Maca in my smoothies in the morning. I’ve never liked coffee and the effects of it, but I love the balance of Maca with bananas and coconut milk.
Flax seeds are also one of my favorites! I fill half a small ball jar with the flax seeds, fill with water an inch or so above the seeds, let it soak for at least two hours, and put it in the fridge for the week. I usually use a tablespoon of flax in each smoothie. The water gets soaked up by the flax and the seeds become soft enough to be broken apart in the blender. I use an immersion blender and haven’t had any issues with the seeds not breaking apart. The ground flax give smoothies the ultimate crunch. Banana, flax, almond butter and coconut milk? Pure heaven! They honestly go great with any smoothie though!
My favorite smoothie ingredient is berries. No, bananas. No, berries! 🙂
My go to ingredient is Fresh Ginger
Frozen Bananas!! Yum!
Chia seeds and fresh raspberries
Irish moss
pinapple
Chia or hemp seeds! Or cacao, or lemon or banana depending on the other ingredients.
pineapple
I love adding greens and berries!!
Dark sweet cherries & cacao!
I love throwing spinach in smoothies but as for fruit my favorite is cherries.
AVOCADO! avocado is def one of my fav smoothie ingredients. I love how it gives a smoothie that delicious creamy texture. Nom nom.
Berries!