You guys. I love spring. I don’t just mean I like it, or that I simply enjoy having warm weather again. No. I LOVE spring. I’m one of those people who are strongly affected by the weather – long endless cloudy days can put me in a weird funk if I’m not careful. The year we lived in Seattle was the cloudiest they had on record in 50-something years and I felt it. I constantly longed for blue skies and warm sunshine!
My roommates in college laughed at me when we were choosing our apartment for our final year at Wheaton. My only request was that we choose an apartment with South-facing windows. Winters in Chicago can get pretty gloomy and I’d already lived through three of them, so I figured the least I could do for our sanity our senior year was to ensure we had enough light in our apartment through the winter. Weird, I know. But I’m pretty certain we ended up with the absolute best and sunniest apartment on campus – on the top floor looking South over the train tracks and the Prairie Path. It made such a difference on those sunny-but-frigid winter days to have warm light filtering in past the pine tree outside our window, rather than the cold damp light reflecting off the parking lot on the other side of the building.
All that to be said, I’m incredibly thankful that spring has arrived in full-swing here in North Carolina. First of all, that means more light. And second of all, more color. Over the past several weeks, our yard has transformed from a barren brown wreck to a lush green jungle, budding and blossoming with new life. The birds are nesting under the eaves of our porch and in the helmet of an old metal knight that rests against the side of our house, a relic from the days my mom used to teach Medieval history to her sixth graders. Last fall my parents scattered grass seeds in our back yard before they moved into their new house. Now that they’ve moved and taken their menagerie of rescue dogs with them to the new house, our two pups have room to run and the seeds my parents spread last fall have just taken root and begun to carpet the backyard in spurts and sprouts of green.
We’re late getting our garden planted this year, but we’re excited about the little potted veggies we bought the other day – they’re sitting on our front porch waiting for their place in our little garden plot. Tell of crazy thunder storms this week made me hesitate to plant them right away – I imagined the delicate little tomato and jalapeño sprouts bending and swaying in the wind, getting buffeted about by the torrential downpours we’ve heard so much about. So there they sit, watching the garden from the porch, waiting for their turn in the sun.
We’re fast approaching strawberry season, and this smoothie recipe is a great way to use a few of those juicy red berries you may have in your fridge. If you’re lucky enough to have a pick-your-own strawberry patch nearby, you need to get on that. We have one just a five minute drive from our house and I plan on stopping by there the moment I hear there are strawberries for the picking. OH the heavenly smell when you pull over at the little road-side stand and hop out of your car – the warm, sweet aroma of strawberry heaven. The sun on your skin as you meander up and down the rows of carefully planted berries. You wander about, looking for the perfectly ripe berries, “taste-testing” a few along the way, the sticky juice running down your chin and arms. That is spring to me.
One of the keys to making the perfect smoothie is using at least one frozen fruit. By using frozen berries or peaches, you don’t have to use any ice in your smoothie – this will chill it and ensure it doesn’t get watered down! Be sure to thaw your frozen fruit slightly though so you don’t destroy your blender. We had an ugly avocado-green blender in our kitchen growing up and it would jolt to a stop and groan under the pressure of having to blend anything frozen – I’m always shocked at how scary-powerful our blender is now. That being said, it’s better to be careful and not have a small appliance disaster on your hands.
I know I’m always telling you to adapt my recipes to suit your preferences, but I really do mean it! I’m more of an artist than a scientist, and I’m learning that my preferred recipe style reflects that. I enjoy making things with an open mind, adding a little of this and a little of that, rarely making it the same way twice. This smoothie recipe is no exception – sometimes I add frozen raspberries and blackberries, a different flavor of yogurt, or use milk instead of orange juice for a smoothie that tastes a little more like a milkshake. Make this your own and let me know how it goes!
Strawberry Banana Peach Smoothie
Ingredients
- 1 banana peeled
- 2 c frozen peaches slightly thawed
- 1-2 c strawberries hulled
- Several heaping spoonfuls of plain or vanilla if you want it sweeter Greek yogurt
- A large splash of orange juice or milk
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.
- Taste and adjust to your preferences.
- Add more orange juice (or milk) to thin if need be.
