Recipe: Blueberry Quinoa Smoothie

It broke freezing today! Did you get to go outside? Sure, there's still well over a foot of snow on the ground and more due next week, but that doesn't matter because daylight savings is this weekend, which means more sunshine! You know it's been a long winter when 34°F and sunny feels gorgeous. 

 

In honor of both the warm weather and the sun staying out past 5pm, I made a smoothie today. Really though, there was just a long period between lunch and dinner - too many errands and appointments, too much teething and feisting. Mommy needed a little pick me up.

I was trying to figure a way to add more protein now that I don't use protein powder anymore. (I'm sure there's one out there that would be fine, but they're expensive and I don't want a lot of pricey/feisty trial and error) I used to enjoy oats in my smoothie, but I haven't tested oats yet. I'm mostly just afraid that the baby won't tolerate them and that I'll have to cut them too. But this way, untested, there's still hope. Oat hope.

And then I had a burst of inspiration - quinoa flakes! Why not, right? The verdict is yes, definitely and more please. Next time I'll add three or four tablespoons.

There's also more to this smoothie than meets the eye. Baby spinach. Have you ever sat down to dinner and realized you hadn't consumed any veggies all day? I hate that. So baby spinach has become my new condiment. I put it in everything now. And in this smoothie, you'd never know it was there.

Feel free to eyeball the amounts here. It'll be fine. Like it thinner? Add more milk. Vice versa? More frozen stuff. Honey is optional; taste and see.

Recipe: Blueberry Quinoa Smoothie
1 cup vanilla rice milk (or whatever you like)
2 tablespoons quinoa flakes
1 banana, frozen or otherwise
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup or so frozen blueberries
1/4 cup or so frozen peaches
1/2 cup or 1 handful baby spinach
optional: squirt of honey

Put everything in the blender and blend. Adjust as desired.