It is a cold and frosty day here in Kentucky and frankly not very sunshiny but I am not going to let that stop me from starting the day of in a sunny way! I am a smoothie lover and a bit of a grocery hoarder in that I stock up big when things are on sale and then, before I manage to eat it all…I stock up big again when new things are on sale. It is a bit of a problem really. 😛
This morning I looked through all of my fruit and started to put together a mish mash of stuff in order to move it out and then slowly backed away from the fruit bin…perhaps I can do better than just whomping down a smoothie made from avocado, apricot, kiwi, grapefruit and tofu. I mean really! I am a chef after all! So I got more thoughtful and calculating about my smoothie choice and came up with something quite wonderful if I do say so myself. Something very Orange Julius like but VERY healthy!
Do they even sell Orange Julius any more? I don’t even know. I have been away too long. I remember it fondly though from back in my high school days of mall surfing (Is that even a thing? You know what I mean though right?).
Anyway, I am thinking it is the orange zest in there that is giving it the whole Orange Julius flavor goodness. I have been feeling a bit of a cold coming on and suspected the zest of the orange would offer a big vitamin C boost. After doing a little poking around on the internet, it turns out I am right. According to GlobalHealthCenter.com:
“It’s not just the fruit that’s loaded with vitamin C, the rind is too, as well as vitamin A, enzymes, fiber, and pectin. Vitamin C is a fantastic immune system booster that can help fight the symptoms of cold and flu.”
Score! I also added fresh ginger for the same kind of reasons. HomeRemediesForLife.com list these reasons ginger is great for staving off colds:
- “Ginger is a natural antiviral which helps to fight against illness and bacteria that causes cold.
- It helps to stimulate perspiration that cleanses the system and brings down body temperature.
- It contains antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which help to boost up the immune system.
- It acts as an antihistamine and decongestant that helps to ease colds symptoms.
- It contains chemicals called sesquiterpenes which are specifically used to target rhinoviruses (the most common family of cold viruses)
- It is a natural pain and fever reducer and also a mild sedative.”
I could go on and search out the rest of my ingredients but in all reality, I put the other things in simply because I thought they would taste good in there.
A quick word about my not so “Pintrest worthy” photos. I am really just trying something here and want to not spend hours obsessing about my photos…and yet I figure if I am going to blog, I should at least try right? soooo…I am using my little iPhone and playing around with the settings that they offer. No judging OK? I mean unless you like the pictures…then feel free to judge away. 😉
I also realize that if I intend to put recipes on here I should probably put together a different kind of format but in the meantime: “JUST DOING IT” is my thing. I’ll work on the rest later. I just also want to say, because I do not think I was clear enough earlier on in the post…This smoothie is delicious! Soooooo delicious! Remember…the ingredients may seem random but I am working on moving out the mass of hoarded fruit! Don’t be mad at me if you don’t have everything…just put orange zest in your next smoothie that is remotely close to this and love the results!
Now for the recipe:
Good Morning Sunshine Smoothie
Serves 4
- About 1 Cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Coconut Blend Milk
- Zest of 1 (washed) Orange – I used a peeler and carefully peeled the orange zest with not too much pith
- 1 Orange – peeled and deseeded
- 2 Fresh Apricots – obviously no pit
- 1 Pear – skin on, cored
- 5 Whole Dates – no pits
- 1 Pomegranite – seeds only
- 3/4 Inch Fresh Ginger – peeled
- 2 Tablespoons Chia Seeds
- 2 Handfuls of Ice
Blend everything until smooth and enjoy. (I use a Vitamix)
One Day to Day One 