Smoothie a la Riverman

Coffee – and lots of it – has been part of my morning since my late teen years.  I’ve cut out the sugar, but still use cream.  I can drink it black, but I prefer the cream.  And, while the Riverman enjoys coffee, his day is not complete without at least one smoothie.  So, our morning ritual now includes coffee and a smoothie.

I experimented with recipes last year – some are better for arthritis than others – but we’ve settled in on a berry and greens mixture.  It seems to work out well for both of us.  I’m great about getting enough fruits on a daily basis and the Riverman is better about getting enough veggies.  Adding the greens to the smoothie ensures I get more veggies and the berries gives the Riveman an extra serving of fruit! 

Part of the reason we planted kale, spinach, and chard this year was to have fresh greens for our smoothies.  We typically buy the “power greens” at the co-op, but it doesn’t make sense during the growing season, when we can grow our own.  Same thing applies for the berries.

The Riverman uses water and I use kefir for liquid.  We both add a little almond milk.  The rest of the ingredients are almonds (or walnuts), chia seeds, oat bran, bananas, and flax seeds.  The frozen berries make for an almost “shake-like” consistency.  Mmmmm.  Smoothalicious!  What’s your favorite smoothie recipe?