I’m not quite sure how it happened. But somewhere along the lines of the
last 2 years of self-employment, after years of a late-to-bed-late-to-rise
musician schedule, I have now officially become a morning show person.
Still working on the morning person thing. My body seems bent on the
whole nightowl thing. But the blogging world and Twittersphere are up
early, so about a year ago I turned on a morning show for the first time in
about a decade to help wake me up. And now I basically can’t go a
morning without tuning in to at least say a quick hello to Josh, Lara, Robin,
George and the gang.
Oh yeah, it’s GMA all the way at my place. Yes, yes, I know that 90% of it
is fluff news. But apparently their advertising has worked because they are
now totally a “part of my morning”. And I kind of wish Lara Spencer would
be my best friend. :)
Anyway, the other main part of my morning nowadays is smoothie-making.
I shared last week about how I’m back on the smoothie kick, so I have a
backlog of recipes photographed that I need to share with you. And this
chocolate chia smoothie is one of ’em. You could arguably call it a “shake”,
since it tastes so darn decadent and delicious. But don’t let that chocolate
fool you. This is basically a healthy green smoothie hiding behind a bit of
naturally-sweetened cocoa.
And it’s super easy to make. Here’s the skinny…
Basically, this is your classic chocolate green smoothie with a bunch of
extra chia seeds added into the mix. I had some fresh spinach on hand, so
added that in for my greens. Then I just added in a banana, some milk (I
used almond milk), unsweetened cocoa powder, a hint of vanilla and lots of chia seeds.
Oh, and I forgot to add ice before I snapped this photo. Be sure to throw in
about a cup full of cubes. (Or if you’re using a frozen banana, you may not need them.)
Then just pulse in a blender until it’s nice and smooth! If you feel like it
needs a little sweetening, you can add in some honey or your choice of
sweetener. But I loved it just as-is.
Such a rich and delicious treat, made all the more so knowing that it’s
actually good for you. I’d call it a perfect way to start the day. (And I kind
of think Lara would love it, don’t you??)
DESCRIPTION
This chocolate chia smoothie recipe tastes decadent, but is actually easy to make and great for you!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 banana, peeled
- 1 cup tightly-packed fresh spinach
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
- (optional: 1 tablespoon honey, if needed to sweeten)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately, sprinkled with extra chia seeds if desired.
