green almond pear smoothie

Yummy note: I can't believe I am doing a post about a "green smoothie." Seriously. I feel like I just stepped out of the Dr. Seuss book...  I really never thought about drinking or even making my own green smoothie before, it just seemed weird to me. I like my fruit smoothies..strawberry, banana, and orange, you know, nothing too crazy, and usually no vegetables in them. I knew I had to throw out any of my previous thoughts and keep an open mind to it and just try it. I mean I do it with my kids day in and day out, so I should take my own advice and just try it. So an open mind, and a few ingredients later, I had made this delicious smoothie from Get Healthy with Heather. Yes, I admit it, I liked it! and my husband did too! (and he isn't much of a spinach fan.) This green smoothie recipe would even make Popeye proud. This is exactly what the Secret Recipe Club is all about, trying new things you'd never think of and being introduced to some wonderful bloggers, like Heather. I've always heard about how awesome these "green" smoothies are for you though, but I could never get brave enough to take the plunge, until now. Get Healthy with Heather had so many amazing smoothie ideas on her site, you should check it out for your own inspiration. Besides recipes, Heather has some great home fitness and health posts to read up on, too. Go over and check out Heather's site, and give her some comment love and best wishes, as she will have her hands full very soon, as she is expecting a baby in just a few weeks!  Good luck, Heather! and now on to the feature, a Green Almond Pear Smoothie!

Green Almond Pear Smoothie 

Ingredients:
a frozen pear (peeled, cored, chopped up and frozen ahead of time)
2 cups of baby spinach
1 1/2 tbsp of almond butter
1 cup of milk
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
handful of ice

















Directions:
The day before you'd like to make your smoothie, you will need to have some chopped up frozen pear pieces. So make sure you do this ahead of time or just keep some fruit pieces in the freezer for handy.
















In a blender, combine all of the above ingredients. I actually threw mine into my Baby Bullet, basically a smaller version of the Magic Bullet, but cute. :)





















Blend ingredients together for a few minutes, or until smooth. You may need to stop and stir it a few times, if needed, depending on the power of your blender. Once smoothed, Add a bit of ice at the end to achieve your desired smoothie consistency.

Go on.. Just try it. Don't be afraid of the green. Must drink with a cool looking straw, right? I learned this trick from Heather, as she has had some cool looking straws and glasses for her smoothies! :)

Yummy note: Look at the flecks of almonds from the almond butter here, it is one of the more pronounced flavors in this smoothie, so if you are not a big almond fan, make the switch with a different nut! I made one with creamy peanut butter instead, and it was equally delicious and creamy if you are not a fan of the texture. If you have any food allergies, like in my family, you can easily make swaps with the milk and the nut butters and be creative.