Summer Smoothie

Growing up, my older brother was always making smoothies. He would add a bit of fruit and a bit of ice, blend it up, taste it. Add a little more milk, maybe a little juice, more ice. Always more ice. Then he would share some with us, and it unfailingly tasted great. We all loved going to Orange Julius with my mom when we went on mall trips as young kids. The Orange Julius’ tasted so smooth and creamy, and I loved the name of them: Julius. I liked saying it.

Yesterday afternoon, I decided to make my version of a smoothie. It’s not just fruit, dairy, and ice. There are a few surprising ingredients as well: almond meal, oats, and wheat germ. I use yogurt instead of milk, and it makes one thick, satisfying smoothie. You can use any fruit you want. The general rule is a few pieces of fruit at ¼ cup to ½ cup each.

Summer Smoothie
Serves 1

1 tablespoon oats
1 tablespoon wheat germ or wheat fiber
1 tablespoon almond meal
¼ cup yogurt
1 small banana
½ peeled peach
¼ cup blueberries
1 tablespoon honey or agave nectar
2 ice cubes (from a large tray)

Add first three dry ingredients to blender and grind to a powder. Add everything else and blend. Adjust the amount of ice or add milk depending on how thick you like your smoothie. Enjoy!