Weekend Warrior Smoothie

Usually we're obsessed with granola (the perennial favorite is here) but we go through other breakfast phases too. And this week we've been all about smoothies. 

Many of my most adored smoothie recipes come from one of my favorite blogs, LA in Bloom. I'm so inspired by Heather's stylish LA life, complete with flowers, fabulous dinner parties, and drop-dead gorgeous fashion. But I'm secretly even more envious of her morning routine. There's just something about a super-healthy smoothie followed by yoga, a spinning class, or a long hike that seems so quintessentially Southern California. 

Now that the days in San Francisco are getting a little warmer (August, September, & October are typically our warmest months, just in case you didn't know), the Vitamix has been revving almost every morning. 

Our new favorite is from True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple Pure, a yet-to-be released cookbook by Andrew Weil, MD, Sam Fox, and Michael Stebner.

I know what you're thinking: Who needs a recipe for a smoothie? 

It turns out we do. Without it I would have never thought to add ground flax or homemade apple sauce* to a smoothie, and I would have never put agave on our grocery list. But what I like best about this smoothie is the name: The Weekend Warrior.  

Go forth and conquer the holiday, my friends. 

Weekend Warrior Smoothie

True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple Pure; Andrew Weil, MD, Sam Fox, and Michael Stebner

"An all-natural alternative to protein shakes, the Weekend Warrior... provides steady energy. It is the perfect fuel for home renovation projects, Ultimate Frisbee, or other day-off excursions."

1 banana

1 Tablespoon almond butter

1 Tablespoon flax meal

1/2 Greek style vanilla yogurt

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice

Put all of the ingredients plus 1/2 cup ice cubes into a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and serve. Makes one serving.

* Who needs a smoothie recipe, indeed. I used plain Straus yogurt and 1/2 cup of homemade apple sauce in place of the juice. Because I knew the sauce was made with some sugar, I left out the agave. In the future, I'd make this again with unsweetened organic apple sauce. It adds some thickness to the smoothie that I like, and makes it seem extra healthy. An apple a day, right?