Happy Valentine’s Day!
This week has flown by! I think being sick does that to you, time disappears and consequently, I feel behind on just about everything! I came down with some sort of awful sinus congestion/head cold thing last Saturday and it got progressively worse until I found myself curled up in bed Monday evening with a pounding headache.
I think my body was trying to tell me to slow down as of Saturday, and rather than listening (thus keeping the cold at bay), I plowed forward full force, telling myself I’d be fine, until my body no longer allowed me to make the decision. I needed rest.
Thankfully, I was able to leave work early on Monday, and after some tender care from my incredible husband, along with some overdue rest, I was able to bounce back on Tuesday.
I’m feeling about 95% myself and thankful that it’s A.) Friday, and B.) Valentine’s Day!
Josh and I don’t get too crazy for Valentine’s Day. It’s a lovely day and all, but honestly…do something nice for me when Hallmark and Russell Stover aren’t pressuring you to! Anyone else feel me on this??
However, we are intentional about getting each other a card, which we exchanged last night, and we have plans to see a romantic comedy in theaters this evening, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s been a while since we’ve gone to see a movie, so this is a treat!
Okay, enough with the details of our Valentine’s Day plans, let’s talk about this smoothie. I made this a few weekends ago when Josh was out-of-town and I was looking for a light lunch.I mentioned in my Detox Green Smoothie post that greens in my smoothie are not my favorite. I love the saturated vitamins they offer, but when I think of a smoothie, I prefer something sweet and fruity.
Luckily, this one is a good balance of both saturated nutrients while still having a touch of my desired fruity flavor. The frozen fruit, honey and cocoa really help to mask any spinach flavor.
And I’m happy to say the color came out a milk chocolate color, allowing me to trick myself into believing this smoothie was purely a treat, rather than a green smoothie loaded with benefits. And it definitely is that! This smoothie delivers fiber, protein, iron, Omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and other minerals and vitamins.
So if you’re looking for a green smoothie recipe that also caters to your sweet tooth, this Strawberry Chocolate Green Smoothie is definitely worth trying!
I hope each of you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day spent with someone you love!
Strawberry Chocolate Green Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 frozen banana
- 7-8 frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt nonfat plain
- 1 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Remove banana, strawberries, and mixed berries from freezer and allow to sit out for 5-10 minutes to thaw slightly.
- Add all ingredients to blender or Nutribullet and blend on high for 45-60 seconds or until smooth, creamy texture.
- Top with any desired toppings such as sprinkle of hemp seeds or cacao nibs and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
Ashley @ Blissful Basil says
Such whimsical photos and the smoothie looks delicious! I hear you on the forced acts of love + gratitude that Valentine’s Day promotes; every day is a day to *LOVE* :)
Kaylee Pauley says
Thank you, Ashley!! And glad to know I’m not alone on the V-day thing! :-)
Andrew says
Whoa! Just found out this lovey recipe. And what if I use dark chocolate, instead of regular cocoa powder? Will it be okay, or else? Thanks!
Kaylee Pauley says
I think dark chocolate would work perfectly, let me know if you try it!
Andrew says
Hi, Kaylee. The dark chocolate was great, but it overwhelmed the whole taste of the smoothie (especially the banana, strawberry, and other berries). It didn’t matter, tho’, since I love dark chocolate so much. However, I did experiment (or ingredients ratio adjustment) to make it more balance in flavors, and it tasted more… acceptable. LOL!
About the perfect smoothie ratio, I have a blog post about it. You can review it here: http://www.blenderversus.com/perfect-smoothie-ratios and i’d love to hear your opinion about it. :)