This article by Kathy Hester, has a great recipe in it!  I have never used cabbage in a smoothie before!  Spinach is always a great addition!

I have to admit, I have always loved smoothies. It’s great to have a guilt-free sweet treat in the morning. 2 weeks ago I went into Costco thinking I would just pick up some organic spinach. On my way to the back of the store I saw a demo on the blender of my dreams – a Vita-Mix!

It’s hard to justify a $500 blender. Cheryl watched the demo and even ate the green smoothies and ‘ice cream’. When I saw the arguments over veggie eating could come to an end, no cost seemed too high! Plus, if I stay away from buying smoothies out for a few months, it will pay for itself.

If you haven’t had green smoothies before, they aren’t as bad as they sound. Your first green smoothie should only have some baby spinach and maybe some green or red cabbage. Save the hard core greens for a little later. They will be more bitter, so you have to have more finesse in your fruit choices to cover it up.

If you have a strong blender you can make a smoothie so thick you can serve it for dessert as ice cream. It looks great in Nortiake Java Blue all purpose bowls. If your blender can’t do that, blend up a mix and use your ice cream maker. It’s still the healthiest dessert you’ll serve.

If you use fresh fruit, add some ice to thicken it up. Freezing fruit doesn’t take away its nutritional value and it doesn’t spoil on your counter. (Not that I’ve ever done that…)

I keep a wide variety of frozen, diced fruit ready to make it easier for me in the morning. I also keep bags of pre-washed baby spinach in the fridge. It’s better to cut a slice of cabbage at the last minute because you start losing nutrients as soon as it’s cut. Then it’s just a matter of grabbing the blender and filling it up with goodies.

My latest favorite combo:

• 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
• 1 big handful washed spinach
• 1 thin slice red cabbage
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 – 2 cups Trader Joe’s Tropical Fruit Trio (mango, pineapple, papaya infused with passion fruit)

Add the almond milk and pomegranate seeds and blend until the seeds break up. (This may not work in all blenders, so skip it if you want)

Next add in the veggies and blend until smooth. Add in frozen fruit and blend until smooth. You may need to add more almond milk if it’s too thick or more frozen fruit (or ice) if you want it thicker.

Pour it into a Noritake goblet to make it elegant as well as nutritious.

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