PEANUT BUTTER MYLKSHAKE

Was there ever a better trio than chocolate, peanut butter and banana? Most of us will be trying to wean ourselves on to healthier foods now that the festive season is over and 'detox' January has begun. What better way to ease in to the process, than with the healthy dessert in a jar that is PB mylkshake. This dairy free mylkshake is seriously rich, sweet and creamy enough to satisfy the biggest of sweet tooths (I should know!), without leaving you feeling sluggish and tired afterwards - it also makes for a healthier alternative to milkshake for kids.

The filling peanut butter and bananas should leave you satisfied until lunchtime - if you drink enough, but you can always turn this into a more substantial breakfast by adding oats. I recommend drinking this mylk after a workout to give you an energy boost and repair those muscles.

I love that this smoothie is so easy to make and consists of ingredients I can easily buy or always seem to have in stock.



Ingredients: (makes 1 large serving or 2 small)

- 6 frozen bananas (you could also use ripe bananas and add in ice)
- 2 tbsp cacao powder
- 3 heaped tbsp smooth organic peanut butter
- 4/5 cups of unsweetened almond milk (more or less depending how thick you like your smoothie)
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup (I tried sweet freedom as I had used all my maple syrup over Christmas!)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients in order listed into a blender and mix on a high/smoothie setting for 30 seconds or until smooth.

If you wanted to make this smoothie an indulgent frosty Wintertime treat, top with some dairy free whipped cream and/or choc chips.

BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

This is the best smoothie I've made so far (if I do say so myself). Yes possibly even outranking my beloved peanut butter and chocolate smoothie (recipe for this will be hitting the blog in the near future!). What's not to love about blueberries, they're a superfood containing vitamin K, C and fibre to name a few. They're also full of antioxidents, I like to think of them as natures pearls, nutritious sweets if you will.

Ingredients (makes 2 small servings or one large):

- 3 frozen bananas

- 1 pack of frozen blueberries

- 2 tbsp flaxseed

- 1 tbsp chia seeds

- 1 tbsp agave syrup

- 1 cup almond milk 

- Dash of water

- Small handful of frozen blueberries to add on top

- Sprinkling of chia seeds 

Instructions:

1.) Add all the ingredients to a blender and set on high. If your blender won't handle frozen fruits try using fresh fruit and adding ice for a similar effect.

2.) Decorate with more frozen blueberries and chia seeds on on top

What you can't see in the pictures (as my belly got the better of me - oops!) is the layer of soya vanilla Provamel yoghurt I poured on top. This goes seriously well with blueberries so be sure to give that a try! 

This smoothie got me thinking about the perfect smoothie consistency, mainly because I was arguing with my other half about it, I'm a thick gal myself (watch it!...) and he likes his on the runny side (1st world problems I know). So after much debate we came to a happy medium by adding a dash of water. 

Do you have a preference between thick and creamy or smooth and runny smoothies? What do you add to gain that perfect consistency? Let me know below, would love to hear your thoughts!

THE GREEN GRINCH SMOOTHIE

A perfect one for all you raw foodies out there, or if you just fancy a seasonally apt green Grinch smoothie to start your day right. I promise no Grinches were harmed in the making.

This smoothie may be green but it's also sweet, perfect for kids or if your trying to add more greens to your diet but your not quite used to the taste - I know drinking greens is usually something you have to gradually ween yourself on to and the best way to do that is by adding a few fruits to sweeten the mix.

 Look at that colour!

Ingredients (Makes 1 cup):

-  1 large ripe banana

-  2 cups of spinach

-  1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk

-  0.5 tsp vanilla

-  4 dates pitted and chopped

-  Ice to taste (depending on how cold/solid you like it)

-  Dried fruit to top

Instructions:

Mix everything in a blender until it becomes a smooth puree. You shouldn't be able to see any spinach or dates whirling around!

I found I was still hungry after just one cup so you could always double or even triple the ingredients depending on how much you want to make. Alternatively, pour the smoothie into a bowl (big wooden bowls are ideal) and add your own fruit, chia seeds, flax and protein powder on top, for a superfood smoothie that's nutritionally dense.