“Commuter’s” Smoothie

We are now in our 8th week of staying-at-home, working-at-home, cooking-at-home. It seems odd to post a recipe we (frankly) haven’t made much now that we’re not commuting, not even a little bit, not even at all.

But, this delicious smoothie recipe saw us through the past 4 years of commuting our separate ways to work (40 minutes to 1.25 hours, one way!), so it seems fitting to acknowledge it here. Our daily smoothie breakfast was always delicious, filling, and provided energy and clear thought for a full morning of teaching.

(We actually went through “smoothie withdrawal” when the commuting stopped in March, and we were initially too lazy [or giddy–waffles! bacon!–] to make our usual liquid breakfast!)

So, if you are looking for ways to reinvigorate your morning productivity with a no-nonsense smoothie recipe you can drink while working–even if, like us, you’re still not commuting–then this recipe is your new jam.*

*Not literally. It’s still a smoothie.

“COMMUTER’S” SMOOTHIE

Serves 2

Instructions:

1. In a high-powered blender, combine:

• 11 ounces Greek yogurt (several large spoonfuls)
• 1 cup packed baby spinach or kale leaves (stems removed if mature kale)
• 1/2 cup liquid: usually a mixture of water and juice. Orange juice and cherry juice are our go-to’s.
• 2 bananas
• Optional additions: Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon; oats; chia seeds, flax seeds; etc.

2. Blend for 1-2 minutes on high until the greens are very finely chopped, if not puréed.

3. Then add:

• 2 cups frozen fruit

4. Blend 1-2 minutes more until well-blended and puréed.

5. Pour into two pint-sized glasses or to-go cups. Enjoy!

P.S. Two fun variants:

1. Use only strawberries/raspberries for the frozen fruit, and add a few tablespoons of peanut butter back in step 1. It tastes just like a PB&J!
2. Omit frozen fruit. Instead use a can of pumpkin purée, add pumpkin pie spices, and use 2-3 frozen bananas and ice cubes to bulk it up in place of the frozen fruit.