Oh KALE no!

i love my mother. really i do. we agree on most things. that rubber soul is a great album. if something is good with chocolate, it's better with more chocolate. that books are better read from pages than from screens, and that a life should be fully spent before dying....

on the few occasions we disagree, my mother and i usually are able to see each others' viewpoint, and respect our differences. even on politics and religion, we can have an open and thoughtful dialogue. usually.

however there remains one point that will forever bring contention between my mother and myself. the green leafy subject....of kale. specifically kale smoothies. these bright green wonderfully healthy and surprisingly tasty smoothies have become a standard breakfast here at la casa de gaio.

isn't that pretty? doesn't that just LOOK healthy? my mom will tell you it tastes "green" but i promise, it tastes like a tropical vacation.

much like my beloved sprout of brussel, kale has a stupid amount of vitamins (A, C, K) as well as potassium and iron. and i'm deficient in both of those minerals.  this particular recipe also has banana (more potassium), mango (more vitamin C and a high amount of fiber) and pineapple (which is rumored to help reduce bruising....anyone who knows how clumsy i am....knows i always have bruises that need reducing). it also has greek yogurt and almond milk, both of which provide much needed calcium.

i've gotten in the habit of making a large batch of them and pouring them into quart size bags to keep in the freezer. they thaw out, and done. breakfast is ready. often i won't even bother with the glass, i'll just put a straw straight into the bag and drink it ala capri sun.

tony swears these are magic after a long bike ride. which i can believe. the natural sugars, calcium and proteins would help to repair muscle strain. not to mention they're very refreshing and cooling.

i have other versions of the kale smoothie as well, depending on what i'm in the mood for. they all start with the same base:

1 cup greek yogurt
1 cup almond milk (or coconut milk, or regular milk, or even juice)
1 banana
1 cup kale

from here i add two cups more of whatever flavor combination i'm craving. some of my favorites are below:

1 cup peach + 1 cup blueberry
1 cup pineapple + 1 cup mango
1 cup strawberry + 1 cup raspberry + 2 Tblsp peanut butter (my favorite)
2 cups mixed berries

put it all in a blender until smooth, and voila. done. each batch fills makes about two servings.

i will say, for anyone put off by the color green? use blueberries or blackberries. they turn the smoothie a lovely shade of purple.

i think next i want to try one with cherries....we'll see how that one turns out. one of these days i will find one to break my mother of her prejudice against kale.