This Ruby Gold Winter Citrus and Spice Smoothie packs a punch in color, flavor and best of all immune-boosting nutrition! The perfect drink to keep you healthy this Winter!
And I don’t know about you, but I need all the Immune-boosting I can get! The last few months have held a lot of sickness for me. It started with Covid in October. My son and I both had it and while I’m so grateful it was a mild case for me and my son was asymptomatic, it seems to have taken a tole on my immune system. Since that time I’ve caught a small stomach bug from my daughter, and two colds. And I think it boils down to rest. I haven’t done much of that, I struggle to rest.
And I think that’s the case for many people, especially for women. Rest is a hard thing to do this time of year. And the truth is, the busyness is set in motion by a lot of good things. And yet too many good things, is still too much. Not only do I want to build my immune system back up, but I want to be healthy mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. And the more stretched I am, the more unhealthy I become.
It’s not who I want to be. It’s not who I believe I’m called to be.
I want to love people, let go of chasing perfection, and I want to BE PRESENT. Especially in this Advent season, I want to be present with my husband, our children, my friends and family. I don’t want to look back and think of all I missed out on because I was DOING rather than BEING.
Even as I type this, it’s 7:45am and my husband is driving us to Murfreesboro for our annual Christmas cookie baking day with my family. It’s an all day event. Last night, I got home about 10:30 from a beautiful Women’s Christmas Gathering at our church. Tomorrow, after our full day of baking today, we’ll have two services of church in the morning and a Christmas party in the evening. These are all things I WANT in my life. But it fills up our calendar fast and if I’m not careful, I find myself weary and anxious. So I’m working hard to find nights of rest. To listen to my body and and slow down and fight the urge to hurry. If you’re reading this and can identify, let me suggest a really great book – The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. So good.
Aside from trying to live intentionally and carving out time for rest, I’m also working hard to fill my body with healthy foods every chance I get. But this time of year, it’s definitely a balance. I want to enjoy the gatherings we attend where food is at the center. There’s something special about sharing conversation and food around a table. So I’m enjoying the festive foods while we’re out, and working hard to fuel out bodies with foods rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals here at home.
Which leads me to this Ruby Gold Winter Citrus and Spice Smoothie.
I love the fun bright colors and bold flavors found in this smoothie. And while it’s easy to find a smoothie combo that satisfies in taste and nutrition and then stick with it, it’s also really important that we eat foods that are in season. When we vary up our fruit and vegetable intake, we give our body a wider range of vitamins and nutrients.
This smoothie is loaded with a variety of Winter fruits that may be available throughout the year but are at their best right now! Grapefruit is probably at the top of that list, along with naval oranges and persimmons. Persimmons are new to me, but oh my, so good! They almost remind me an an apricot in both texture and flavor. The ruby layer is a blend of grapefruit, fresh beets, frozen raspberries, a frozen banana, and a little almond milk with some honey and cinnamon. While the golden layer combines frozen pineapple with a fresh persimmon, the juice of a naval orange, and a bit of honey, almond milk and some seasonal spices.
I love the blend of so many flavors, and the spices bring a warmness that makes it feel festive for this time of year. I shopped at Sprouts for all of my ingredients. Many of you know of my longtime love for this store. They have such great variety when it comes to fruits and vegetables, but especially right now with their citrus selection. The grapefruit and oranges were so fresh, sweet and juicy, and the persimmon couldn’t have been any sweeter!
If you don’t already have their app, download it and check out the digital coupon section. There are tons of buy 1 get 1 free options. They also have a weekly AND monthly ad, where loads of items, including seasonal fruits are on sale. With all the yummy sweets and rich foods this time of year, this smoothie is a great way to get in some needed nutrition to bring balance to it all.
I hope each of you are making the time to slow down a bit and be present with your loved ones while we anticipate Christmas and all this advent season holds.
Ruby Gold Winter Citrus and Spice Smoothie
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
For the Ruby Layer:
- 1 grapefruit peeled and segmented
- 1 small raw red beet peeled and chopped
- 1 cup frozen raspberries
- 1 large frozen banana sliced
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon optional
For the Golden Layer:
- 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks
- 1 fresh Hachiya persimmon chopped
- Juice of 1 large naval orange about 1/3 cup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 Tbsp raw honey
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
Garnish Suggestions:
- orange slices
- frozen raspberries
- hemp seeds
Instructions
- Combine the flesh of 1 grapefruit with 1 small red beet and 1 cup frozen raspberries in a blender or smoothie cup. Then add 1 large frozen banana, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 tbsp honey and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Blend on high until consistency is smooth and creamy. Taste and add any additional honey or spices if desired.
- Pour the ruby smoothie mixture evenly into two glass cups and set aside. Then rinse out the smoothie cup or blender in preparation to make the golden smoothie mixture.
- Combine 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks with 1 fresh persimmon in rinsed blender or smoothie cup. Squeeze juice of 1 large naval orange over the fruit, followed by 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk. Then add 1 tbsp raw honey, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp ground cardamom and blend until consistency is smooth and creamy. Taste and add any additional honey or cinnamon if desired.
- Pour the golden smoothie on top of the ruby smoothie layer and gently stir to create swirled effect. Garnish with small orange slice, frozen raspberries and a sprinkle of hemp seeds, then add a slice of lime to each glass cup, if desired. Serve and enjoy all those immune-boosting benefits!
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Sprouts Farmers Market, but all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep Lemons and Basil in action!
