Hi friends,

Can you believe that fall is upon us?! September 22nd we say goodbye summer. Although I love all things fall (especially my Apple Pumpkin Yankee Candle) I will miss the refreshing tastes of summer.

Enjoying Maryland crabs outside on a deck at a local restaurant

Okay seriously, this was ALL of my favorite things: Grapefruit crush (made with seltzer water), scallops, peas, and pancetta, can you say, YUM?!

But as I reminisce, I can't believe that the entire summer has gone by and I have not shared my smoothie recipe with all of you! Better late than never...and there's no rule saying smoothies are only for warm weather...so enjoy!!

mmmm look at that thick texture, spoon worthy...

TIPS: Smoothies are all about consistency. Personally, I prefer a really thick smoothie so that I can eat it with a spoon. Smoothie bowl, anyone? If that is not your preference just increase the amount of liquid that you add until it reaches your preferred consistency. Also, I recommend a big blender for this. This is the one I have (I have the 450 watt, with the tall blender and short food processor)- it can be found at Target for a good price! If you have a single serve such as this, or this, then I recommend halving the frozen ingredients to prevent too much volume. With these smaller blenders it often works best to add liquid first and after the ingredients are blended add some ice to reach desired consistency. If you have a big blender that has had its fair share of use and doesn't handle the heavy duty jobs then I recommend using crushed iced, adding the frozen fruit and the liquid and blending that. Once that base is blended add the rest of the ingredients. More liquid will also help tired blades.

end of summer smoothie

Ingredients

ice cubes (if your food processor is delicate, add half at the beginning and half at the end)
1/2 banana, frozen (I buy at least one banana every grocery trip. If it turns too brown to eat it I peel, cut into four pieces, and put in a ziplock freezer baggie, this way they are always on hand)
1 c frozen mixed berries
1/4 Avocado (trust me on this one... you can't taste it and it adds a spectacular creaminess)
1 big spoonful of nut butter (I prefer almond because it has a mild taste)
1 c unsweetened almond milk (more for a less thick consistency)
1 scoop of plain or vanilla protein powder (my favorite- in French Vanilla Creme)
sprinkle of ground flaxseed, optional