Oregon Transplant: Apple Pie Smoothies

I loooooove smoothies. Love them. More often than not, I have a smoothie for an after-dinner snack. It's so easy to keep the essentials on hand. Frozen fruit, greek yogurt, almond milk, orange juice- all convenient to keep at home. Or in the case of this smoothie, I used fresh fruit but added ice. There's just a million combinations and possibilities out there. I came up with this one when I was craving a smoothie and staring at a large bag of apples sitting on the kitchen counter. You'd think the hubby and I were horses with the amount of apples we eat. Once I threw the apples in my smoothie, it just seemed natural to add a little bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to give the concoction an apple pie flavor. And it does. Deliciously.

So, happy Thursday everyone! It's almost the weekend after another long week. I (and now the hubby) am still sick. I've been sidelined with this nasty cold for a week and 2 days now. It's strictly in my lungs now, and that's the most frustrating part. Running while coughing up gunk from your lungs is not desirable. So I've been resting, and trying to get better. And... I'm pretty tired of resting. I'm usually on the go, I have lots to do, and I usually have tons of energy. Not so much right now. I'm really hoping the remainder of this cold goes away on its own, I'm not really relishing the fact I might have to go to the doctor. I'm definitely one of those people that avoids the doctor as much as possible.

My plan for today, since I'm still not feeling awesome, is to roast a pumpkin. You know, to make homemade pumpkin puree. I've got 4 amazing pumpkins sitting on my porch as decoration, I think it's time to delve into one of those suckers. I'm picturing all the stuff I'm going to make with homemade pumpkin puree, and getting very excited. I see a Pumpkin Pie Smoothie in my future :) Plus, my pumpkins are pretty big. I should have plenty to freeze. Pumpkin treats year round!

I've never been one to only eat certain things at certain times of the year. I like pumpkin in the spring, and summer too. I like soup in the summer. I like salads and berries in the winter. The only convention I stick to is, I don't eat Chicken Parmesan in the summer. It's a winter-dish only. Don't ask me why, I'm just very stubborn about that rule. In fact, it's getting to be that time of year when I start craving Chicken Parmesan. Crunchy, saucy, cheesy... yum. It might be time to put that one on the menu...

Wow, I got really off-track there. Started out talking about smoothies, apples, and fruit, and somehow winded up waxing poetic about Chicken Parmesan. What can I say? The mind doth like to wander...

So, to surmise- if you like fruit and fruity drink concoctions, this is for you. If you like apple pie, this is for you. If you like somewhat healthy drinks, this is for you. I love this delicious, spicy, apple-iscious smoothie and I think you will too.

Have a great day everyone!

Ingredients (makes 1 large smoothie):

2 apples, chopped

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup almond milk

2-3 tsp honey

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1- 1 1/2 cups ice

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth. Add more or less honey to make smoothie sweeter. Add more ice to make smoothie thicker, if desired.

2. Pour into glass. Sprinkle top with cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe