better than breakfast shake

For me, it's all about the bananas.

A few weeks ago, I made a morning shake with spinach, flax seed, a banana, almond milk, and some ice cubes.  It was good, but there was something........ not right.

So I froze a banana.  Mmmmmm....  And my latest addiction was born. 

First you slice them.  I find that sliced bananas are the easiest to blend.  They are just like ice cubes- as opposed to putting a whole frozen banana into the blender where it would sound like armageddon in the kitchen.  And trying to cut a frozen banana, I would imagine, would again sound like armageddon (although the sounds would be coming out of the cutter's mouth)...

Place bananas on plate or cookie sheet.  Stick em in the freezer, uncovered, until frozen.  

I also find that if you freeze the bananas on their sides, they are easier to get off the plate.  If you place them flat on a sliced end, you have to get a spatula to chip them off, and more expletives may suddenly start to fly.

Pop em into freezer bags.  I like to do a banana per bag, so I don't have to think and measure first thing in the morning.

These bananas are frozen.  They look lovely, don't they?

When making my morning shake, I usually just put everything into the blender all at once, but for demonstration purposes, I blended these first.  Blended frozen banana is just like eating banana ice cream!  A great treat on a hot summer day for the kids (little, or big).

And then, the shake.

This is obviously not an exact science.  Anything that comes together first thing in the morning has to be as easy and foolproof as possible.  And with all of the goodness in this, you will be satisfied well until lunch, left with enough energy that you may not even need that cup of coffee.  But oh how I do love my coffee...

Oh, and did I mention that my kids love it?

They. love. it.

better than breakfast shake

1 banana, frozen or not

2-3 cubes of ice, if not using a frozen banana

2 spoons of ground flax seed

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 full handful of spinach leaves, stems and all, or swiss chard, kale, or whatever hearty green you have

1/2 cup almond milk

1/2 cup chocolate almond milk (you can obviously use whatever milk you like- but you will need about a cup, give or take)

Put everything into the blender in this order.  Blend for a couple of minutes, until nice and creamy.  Easy peasy.