Green Monster Smoothie

My parents are visiting me for a couple days on their way back from a trip to Alaska.  Last night, we were catching up and making plans to meet this morning after breakfast, when I mentioned one of my favorite breakfasts these days - smoothies, or more specifically, spinach smoothies.  My mother made a face that I'm pretty sure I made myself the first time I heard about these popular "Green Monster" smoothies.


But, here's the thing:  this tastes good.  Despite my butter and sugar-laden weekend-baked treats, I do try to keep a fairly balanced diet the rest of the time, and it can be hard.  I'm always trying to make myself eat more vegetables, so when I find a recipe that lets me do just that AND indulge my sweet tooth, it can feel a bit like a godsend.

That's one of the reasons these smoothies are so popular - just do a search for "Green Monster Smoothie" and you'll be scrolling through a deluge of recipes.  Everybody in the food blogging world seems to have a favorite.  This one's mine.

Bonus:  Also great for hangovers!

Green Monster Smoothie

1/2 banana, pre-sliced and frozen
1 tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoons greek yogurt (vanilla or plain)
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:  Put all ingredients into a blender.  Blend.  Drink.  Ta-Da!

Now, obviously, this recipe's a little simple, but it's also very versatile.  You can make your own additions or subtractions - adjust the amounts, if you like.  I often use almond milk in place of the regular milk, and omit the honey.  Play with it, and feel good about getting some greens in at the start of your day.