Papaya the Sailor Man

It's been far too long between smoothies, I'm afraid. But this morning's sure does feel great! It's pretty basic since my fridge is pretty bare, but sometimes simplicity is just what the body needs. I'd like to try this recipe again and beef it up with some avocado, or perhaps some coriander, or even some nuts. Any suggestions?

2 teeny weeny bananas
1 cup Balkan style yoghurt
1 cup papaya (ripe)
1 cup raspberries
1 cup milk

So in this smoothie I did something that I almost never do - used milk. Why don't I use milk? Dunno. But after this smoothie, I think maybe I'll try it more often, since it really adds a nice smoothness and creaminess to a smoothie. Of course vitamin D and calcium are all good things, too, and protein... The papaya and the raspberries balance really nicely. Papaya contains an enzyme called "papain" which helps digestion, though it's more concentrated when the papaya is unripe (papaya salad anyone??). It's also an excellent source of vitamin C (more than 50% of RDV), and decent source of folate (30% RDV). It's also available pretty much year- round, which is nice. How about use half of the papaya for a nice salad, and the other half a few days later for a smoothie? Genius! Smoothie on!

Sweet Sweet Sergeant Pepper

Props to my dear husband for this creation. It's great, because he's gutsier than I am (in his own words, when I asked him what's in it, he said "Everything but the kitchen sink"), and he's starting to get really adept at smoothie creation... It is an art, you know... My husband has been working really hard lately to get back in shape and lose a few pounds, and one of the things he's been doing is incorporating fresh, raw veggies into every single meal. Smoothies are a great way to mix it up (hehehe, yes I'm so punny) rather than always munching on celery sticks. I'm not dissing celery sticks, though, I swear, but you all know where my loyalties lay. So stay strong, because this concoction has some interesting goodies in it:

2 bananas
2 apples
1 avocado
1 cup balkan style yoghurt
1 handful red grapes
1 handful baby carrots
1 handful sweet peas
3 small sweet yellow peppers
1 handful broccoli
2 cups orange juice

One of the notable things about this smoothie is the lovely fragrance. You really don't notice how sweet those peppers smell until you put them into a smoothie. I have to admit, the flavour takes a little getting used to, but really, it's surprisingly nice once you give it a chance. Smoothies are a lot like life in that way, sometimes it's a little hard to get out of your comfort zone, but once you do, you reap the rewards. Smoothie on everyone, be gutsy!

Let me know what you thought of this smoothie in the comments below!