Jan

a Winter-y Berry + Kale Smoothie – peace. love. quinoa

Jan 07

The first thing I do every winter-y morning when I wake up is look out the window to see if we got any snow, rain, sleet overnight – even if it’s not in the forecast. This morning I woke up to an unexpected layer of fresh powdery snow, just enough to conceal what is underneath it. It seems as though the mornings are brighter, and more vibrant when the sun has the opportunity to beam off of a fresh coating of flawless, glistening snow. Even though there was a chill in the air this morning, I was all smiles getting out of bed, and I’ll give credit to the beautiful outdoor elements.

I decided to make a smoothie his morning, which I haven’t done in quite a while – I’ll blame that on the holidays + travel. I was craving color, something vibrant but contrasting to the outdoor elements. Plus I was all “new year, new me” style this morning, slightly mocking those who only stick with that theme for a few weeks after the New Year.

I don’t think I’m unlike others this time of year, after the holiday season where I’m consciously saving money instead of spending money, therefore finding contentment with being home, staying home, and enjoying the things and people that make up my home.

I found some leftover cranberries from Thanksgiving in my freezer, their jewel-toned beauty attracted me to them this morning. My friends would say “I was feeling it”. I blended them with some frozen berries, frozen bananas, and fresh kale that I had hanging around, and came up with a winning combination.

Although, it was not my original intention to share this recipe on the blog, I couldn’t help but just play around with a few photographs in the snow quick to see what would happen. And now I’m sharing.

a Winter-y Berry + Kale Smoothie

Author: peace. love. quinoa

Ingredients

1 cup frozen cranberries
1 cup frozen berries (blackberries, cherries, strawberries, or a combo of the 3)
1 banana, (optional: the banana can be frozen, which would have to be done in advance)
2 stalks kale, fresh & de-stemmed
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon flaxseed or chia seeds (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

Instructions