I LOVE SMOOTHIES! Don’t you?!  This past week, a few friends and I were discussing our love for smoothies. As we chatted, I began to share one of my favorite smoothie recipes.  My friends requested  that I post this on Sporty Afros so they can remember it. Ha! I am keeping my promise! So here is my simple, quick and healthy smoothie with a quick breakfast bonus meal too.   Here are the items I used in the smoothie minus yogurt. I used Plain Fage Greek Yogurt, which was on sale at Kroger’s. For this smoothie, I recommend any protein that is unsweetened. Both flavored protein powders and yogurt can enhance the flavor of your shake. The Spiru-tein brand is generally sold everywhere and affordable.  I prefer the brand SunWarriors but it is rather expensive. I used a handful of frozen whole strawberries and blackberries. Any fruit ending in -Berries (straw, black, blue etc) is good to add.     I now make my own “nut milk.” It is very simple, affordable and healthier to make rather than purchasing cashew or almond milk from the store. Here is how I make nut milk. At night, I put a handful of nuts in a glass jar. I fill up the jar with about 1/3 cup of water and screw the lid on it. In the morning, I open the jar and dump  everything into the blender along the other ingredients listed above. (Note: I typically drain the liquid from the soaked nuts but sometimes I forget. )   To add a bit of sweetness to my smoothie I add in a teaspoon of  Xylitol, which I use instead of sugar. Xylitol is an all natural sweetener. It can be found in berries, fruit, vegetables and mushrooms. It also occurs naturally in our bodies. Did you know, the average size adult manufactures up to 15 grams of xylitol daily during normal metabolism? Click here to find out more about Xylitol. BTW: I purchased Xylitol online via MyNaturalMarket. I love this site! I have been a customer  for over 3 years. I purchase a variety of proteins powders and vitamins from them. My Natural Market always has quick shipping, great selection and the best prices.  I literally dump everything into my magic bullet blender. This blender is a very a cost effective and easy to clean..  Soon, I will upgrade to a Ninja blender. One day, God will bless me with a VitaMix! *sigh… Anyway, while the blender was moving and grooving,  I decided to make a quick breakfast to go along with my smoothie. I made my first batch of sunny side-up eggs and added a little bit of spinach for flavor and color. Confession: I am slowly having to adjust my vegan lifestyle and meals and eat dairy from time to time, I’ll share more about that later.   So here is the final result! I know it started off as a smoothie post but you guys know I had to add in something else. This is a quick and easy protein packed breakfast. It took me 15mins to make from start to finish! Here is the list of the other food that is above:

• Organic cage free eggs- sunny-side up with organic spinach drizzled in homemade lemon vinaigrette
• Organic Tomatoes with fresh cracked pepper
• Sauteed Shiitake mushrooms - Shiitake mushrooms are very thick and “meat” like. They also contain Vitamin D, lentinan and are known for their tumor and injection fighting abilities. 
• This smoothie is roughly around 200-250 calories in a 12ounce serving size.
• Tip: Add in your biotin pill or flax seeds to your smoothie for a vitamin quick boost!  :-)