Guys!  It’s 2015!  How did that happen?  Wasn’t Y2K, like, yesterday or something?  No?  It was 15 years ago?  Oh, okay.  Just checking. (!!!)

I digress.  In other news… Raise your hand if you made a health and wellness-related resolution!  (I see you! But not really, ’cause that’d be creepy.)

If you did make such a resolution, this post will be right up your alley.  If you didn’t, this post will still be right up your alley, because smoothies are delicious and I’m coming at you with one of my favorites: a berry banana smoothie with almond milk and other goodies.

But first, a quick life update to explain why I’ve been MIA these past several weeks.

As I was blending up the smoothie for this recipe, I couldn’t help but realize my life these days has very much resembled the fruits, veggies and nut butters in my blender — swirling round and around in circles at warp speed.  Minus the blades, thank God.

I suppose the holidays will do that to you though, eh?   Work has been crazy, but no shocker there.  I work in the ski industry and we’ve just entered peak season.  I was also fortunate enough to be able to head back to New York for a couple of weeks to spend time with family and friends.  My December in a nutshell:

• Two of my good friends tied the knot on 12.13.14.
• I brought Kevin to Manhattan to experience New York City in all its Christmas glory.  We did it all — we saw the tree at Rockefeller Center, went ice skating in Bryant Park, perused the Bryant Park holiday market, saw the Christmas Spectacular, checked out the Macy’s windows and other beautiful windows along 5th Avenue, spent hours in F.A.O. Schwarz, strolled through the Park Plaza hotel, and so on.
• I spent lots of quality time with my family.  They’re the best.
• And of course, I snuck in some snuggle time with my favorite little nugget of a nephew, Brayden.

So, needless to say (but I’ll say it anyway), it’s been a busy few weeks and I haven’t been able to cook, let alone write, while on the road.  Now that I’m back in San Francisco with no travel plans for the next few months, I’m looking forward to cooking and writing up a storm!

So!  Back to the smoothie. This berry banana smoothie is a powerhouse of protein and antioxidants.  It’s my go-to elimination diet-friendly breakfast recipe.  It revs up my metabolism first thing in the morning, fills me up, and tastes absolutely delicious.

Oh, and like most smoothies, it’s super simple to make.

Drop your ingredients into a blender.  Yes, even the kale.  (Promise you won’t taste it!)

Turn the blender on a slow speed (or pulse) until the frozen berries are sufficiently chopped, and then turn up to a higher speed.

Keep the blender on until the smoothie looks real… smooth.  Should be 30-60 seconds.  In the meantime, I give you permission to put your mug real close to the action to watch everything swirling around.

Turn the blender off, pour your beautiful, delicious creation into a glass, and voilà!  Your smoothie is ready to go.

Unless of course you want to get fancy and sprinkle some coconut flakes on it.

So go ahead.  Drop the bagel.  (Bet you never thought you’d hear me, New York bagel snob, say that, eh?).  It’s okay.  You’ll be glad you did once you sip on this bad boy.

Berry Banana Smoothie with Almond Milk

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time:  1 minute
Makes: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup frozen berries
• 1/2 banana, cut into chunks
• 1T almond butter
• 1T shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup kale

Instructions

1. Drop all of the ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend the ingredients together, starting on a low speed (or pulse) and moving to a higher speed once the frozen berries are chopped up nicely.  Total blend time is usually 30-60 seconds.
3. Pour into a glass or travel mug, sprinkle with coconut flakes if you’re into it, drink up and enjoy!