Break,fast. Literally.

This time last week I was "detoxing," as you may know from the previous blog.  It was not fun (read:  waking up feeling hungover, brushing my teeth no less than 8 times a day, brain barely functioning, feeling woozy, etc), BUT I did get that delicious "high" as a reward on Friday when I started to incorporate juice.

That being said... I had a friend ask me my favorite Vitamix recipes.  If you don't know the Vitamix, now you do.

The Vitamix!  (photo source)

I love this machine.  The only machine I've ever loved more is the car I got when I was sixteen.  (Okay, okay, I like my Macs and iPhones too.)  Today, as a mom of a toddler, the Vitamix is very dear to my heart.  To me, feeding my child well is one of the best things I can do as a mother.  Oh, and did I mention the Vitamix even cleans itself, and I'm not exaggerating.  It's its own dishwasher.

I haven't tapped into its greatest potential quite yet, but I as a die-hard smoothie fan, this I can share!  You see, Little Girl doesn't like her vegetables, so I must be sneaky.  In the case of smoothies, it's spinach.   You cannot taste it at all!  So my baby's getting her greens...and we're both happy as a result.

Popeye would freak over these smoothies (photo source)

(Note: Of course, smoothies can be made in most blenders.  However, I have found that the Vitamix passes the sip-cup test beautifully...)

THE BASIC:
Banana
Orange Juice
Frozen fruit  (raspberry and peach combo is my current favorite)
Spinach, big hand full of fresh
Vanilla yogurt (absolutely optional -- I leave this out a lot)

Blend, drink.

Looks good, tastes amazing!  (photo source)

So that's sort of the "canvas" of my smoothies.  And let me tell you, it beats Jamba Juice any day.

Other things you can add or substitute are:
Almost any fruit (frozen makes it chilly and a nice consistency)
Apple/grape/cranberry/pomegranate/etc. juice
Coconut water
Goat milk
Coconut milk
Almond/hemp/rice/etc. milk
Carrots

Celery

Cucumber

Aloe juice
Almonds
Cashews
Almond butter
Peanut butter
Dates
Honey
Nutritional yeast
Bee pollen
...or anything else you deem healthy.

My daughter has a sweet tooth, and she hasn't forgotten the word "chocolate" since the first time she tasted the stuff.  So, as a special treat, or when she's being especially picky, I make her a--

"Chocolate" or Cherry-Almond-Chocolate Shake:
Chocolate Hazelnut Milk
Banana
Dollop of almond butter
Frozen cherries
Vanilla yogurt (Stonyfield Organic is great)
Spinach

So good.  So, so, so good.  Beats a Frosty any day.

cherry almond and chocolate oh my (photo source)

Here's another favorite if the baby (or you) need some calories.

The Hawaiian:
Coconut milk (canned is fine)
Canned pineapple w juice (of course, fresh is always best)
Frozen mango
Banana
Spinach
Peanut butter (optional)

Of course, you can leave the spinach out anytime to save the integrity of the color of the shake if you're going for looks.  If you have red fruits and green spinach, the result will be a brown-ish smoothie. Use lighter color fruits, and the result is a cheerful bright green.

Whatever the color, the taste is divine, and my 100% favorite way to start the day.