A Golden Smoothie

Usually when my husband and I travel, we’re fortunate to be able to do that together. For the first time in a while, that wasn’t the case this weekend. My husband’s in the Bay Area working and I’m in Ashland hanging with our dogs – one of which is needing extra care these days (her back legs are completely paralyzed) – and up until this evening, my two stepchildren (with the assistance of my mother in law, because let’s face it – one 6+ foot-tall nearly 15-year-old boy and one 8-going-on-20-year-old almost-taller-than-me boy, is a lot for a girl to deal with single-handedly).

What does single step-motherhood require? Doughnuts for breakfast? Obviously. With the off-set of a good smoothie that’s filled with other-than-sugar goodness. While 14-year-old Vincent isn’t keen on bananas at all, thrown into this smoothie, they’re both hardly recognizable and offer some substance to the drink. (Plus, 8-year-old Silas was more than happy to include an ingredient his big brother doesn’t approve of… Since said-big-brother was still asleep at 11, 12, 1, 2…)

This recipe is large enough for three gigantic smoothies. It can be halved easily. Great for a summer meal or beverage, this smoothie is not overly sweet, but delicious and filling.

A Golden Smoothie

Yields three or four HUGE smoothies.

Ingredients:
2 medium sized ripe bananas, peeled
1 large mango, peeled and seeded
½ a small cantaloupe, rind removed
2 large ripe peaches, halved with seed and stem removed
8 oz. greek peach yogurt (or your preferred thick yogurt flavor)
10 oz. frozen mangoes
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and completely combined. Serve immediately, cold.