Witches' Brew

Mike, Van, and I taste-tested several different recipes for green juice and after all was said and done we couldn't agree on a favorite. So I have posted my favorite and Mike's favorite. But regardless of which one you choose, both are full of healthy vitamins and nutrients that can leave you with the confidence of knowing you started the day off right with a great breakfast. Plus, it is an easy way to get you kids to eat their greens! An important tip for both of these recipes: blend up your ingredients VERY well. They need to be super pureed so you aren't drinking a chunk of green stuff.

This recipe is Van and my favorite. If my 2-year-old will drink it, I can assure you, you can't taste the vegetables at all. I liked this recipe because spinach leaves come pre-washed and cut so there is no additional prep work needed. The banana adds a thickness to the drink that makes it seem more shake-like. I used orange yogurt for additional flavor which was delicious. Once you get the basics of the recipe you can easily substitute the fruits and juices for things you have on hand.

Serves: 2
Start-to-Finish: 10 minutes
Recipe By: Amber Brunson

Ingredients:

1 banana, chopped
1 cup pineapple juice
1 (6-oz) container yogurt (any fun fruity flavor will be great but you can also add plain yogurt)
1/2 apple, cored, peeled, and chopped
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach leaves

Directions:

1. Put spinach and pineapple juice in blender and blend until smooth. (The juice helps the spinach move though the blades.)
2. Place the banana, yogurt, and apple into blender.
3. Cover, and blend until smooth, stopping frequently to push down anything stuck to the sides.
4. Pour into glasses and serve.








This recipe is Mike's favorite. The coconut-pineapple combination gave the juice a pina colada flare. Because the pineapple is pre-cut and frozen you don't have to do any chopping for this recipe and, after blending the pineapple, the drink has a slushy feel. For those of you wondering what kale is, imagine this: if parsley and green lettuce got married and had a kid it would be Kale. It has a very light flavor that is easily covered but leaves the drink with a "wheat grass" taste that makes is feel healthy and refreshing.

Serves: 2
Start-to-Finish: 10 minutes
Recipe By: Amber Brunson

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh kale
1 cup frozen unsweetened pineapple chunks (if you don't blend well this will be chunky)
1-1/2 cups pineapple-coconut juice
1 (6-oz) container pina colada flavored yogurt

Directions:

1. Put kale and pineapple juice in blender and blend until smooth. (The juice helps the kale move though the blades.)
2. Place the pineapple and yogurt into blender.
3. Cover, and blend until smooth, stopping frequently to push down anything stuck to the sides.
4. Pour into glasses and serve.