Spring is here! I’ve officially declared it, regardless of what the official calendar or prophesying groundhog says. The temperature is rising (at least in Florida), spring break is approaching, pink blossoms are emerging, and pollen is beginning to make its home on my bike and in my sinuses.
Yep, it’s spring. And this calls for celebration. (My allergies can just get over themselves.)
Unfortunately, we often get so caught up in our lives that we can miss out on the little blessings that make life so beautiful. Like warmth. Sunlight. The majesty of the seasons. That raccoon that just walks around campus without any apparent goal or worry. Especially when life brings on stress, pain, and sometimes more than we think we can handle, we should take these situations as reminders to celebrate every slice of beauty and happiness that tumbles our way. Just look; God gives us more than we think.
And what better way to celebrate than with a big glass of sunshine? You’ll understand the comparison once you taste this smoothie…If the bright joyful power of the sun could manifest itself in the form of food, this is what it would be. <–factual statement
The name is inspired by one of my favorite childhood ice cream treats: the Creamsicle. If you’ve never had one, it’s an orange popsicle with vanilla ice cream in the center…a combination I would not have come up with, but a genius one at that. The hint of citrusy tang combined with luscious creamy sweetness in this smoothie elicited memories of this treat, but “creamsicle” alone does not do the smoothie justice in my opinion. It also incorporates delicious ripe mango and banana for a tropical twist, plus protein-packed Greek yogurt to pick you up or help power you through the day. It doesn’t even need refined sugar to taste like sweet indulgence.
For ultimate texture, I always freeze the fruits at least the night before. Then they magically blend with yogurt and milk to fluffy, bubbly, chilled perfection–no ice necessary.
My favorite way to enjoy smoothies is at breakfast, particularly paired with an egg-bacon-cheddar-English muffin panini.
Of course you can run with your own ideas, but this breakfast though…
- 1 medium banana, peeled/sliced and frozen
- 1/2 cup mango, sliced and frozen
- 1 small clementine, peeled and frozen
- 1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
- 1.5 cups 1% milk*
- 1 packet Stevia in the Raw**
- Prep and freeze fruits when ripe, at least a couple hours in advance.
- Add ingredients to a blender; blend until frothy and no large chunks remain.
- Divide into glasses and enjoy!
- *Substitute any milk you like!
- **Sweeten to taste with whatever you like. ~1-3 tsp honey would also be a great option.