Smoothies

Can I get some of your best smoothie recipes?? The ones I make come out watery and unfulfilling. I've heard of people adding almond butter and/or flaxseed oil. Anyone do this? thanks!

Also, what do you use to blend your smoothies? Anyone recommend or not recommend the magic bullet?

I use canned coconut or regular milk, sheep's yoghurt, banana, frozen berries, avocado and some sort of raw chocolate (powder or the butter grated into it), vanilla, herbs (such as mint) or cinnamon for flavour. Not all at once, mind you. I think the trick to a good smoothie is keeping it simple and using something to give it good consistency and texture (like the avocado).

I have an ancient blender that still hasn't carked it, which I'm amazed by considering the abuse it's suffered at my hands.

Oh and if you're trying to lose weight, I wouldn't recommend my smoothies as a snack as they're pretty calorie dense.

I used a magic bullet a long time ago, but not for smoothies. If it works, use it! I found it very effective for things like hummus, so I can imagine it would be fine for smoothies.

I have a Ninja Blender and it's pretty badass.

What is your liquid base? What are you making? Check out[URL="http://primalsmoothies.com/"] Primal Toad [/URL]for some smoothie ideas. These aren't necessarily protein based, however.

My two standards are probably not creamy enough for you. Strawberries + almond milk + ice in the cheapie Walmart version of the magic bullet. Strawberries + greens (spinach mostly, but collards also) + water + ice in my regular blender mostly because I make a larger quantity when I do this one. I don't use much water - just enough so it blends to a drink. I think it's thick, but it may not be what you're looking for. Oh, and red (strawberries) + green (greens) = one nasty color, so don't expect kids to drink this. heh.

I use a standard blender. Nothing fancy. Here is our favorite recipe:

1/4 cup water
fresh kale leaves, filled half way up the blender
1 banana
1 kiwi
1 spoonful of almond butter

Blend water and kale until smooth and kale is chopped up small. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

The banana gives it a nice yogurt like texture but you could switch out the kiwi to mix up the flavor.

Actually, I found that adding raw eggs (probably should only use local/fresh eggs, not conventional) really improved the overall "texture" of smoothies for me. I used to make them with a scoop of whey protein powder (flavored), canned coconut milk, sometimes with canned pumpkin, whatever spices I wanted, a banana, and an egg. Really thick and smooth.

It's the amount of the frozen matter that makes the drink thicker, rather than nuts. about 1 or 1/2 of frozen banana (I peel and freeze mine in 1/2 chunks) and 1 to 1/2 cups of berries make a super-thick smoothie in a Magic Bullet (I do everything in my MB) with about 1/2 cup addition of egg whites and/or coconut milk.

For non fruit containing smoothies, I find that tomato paste (~ 2 tbsp) + avocado (~ 1/4 avocado) works as a thickener if you stuff a bunch of spinach in with a bit of celery and cucumber. Lime juice, spice of choice, and it's pretty nice gazpacho/smoothie with no fruit.

My daily morning smoothie, blue berrys, almond slivers, ground flax seed, flax seed oil, coconut oil, coconut milk, Ice, scoop hemp protien powder, and water. I use a magic bullet (it was a gift), love it, if it ever dies, I will buy another....

I'd like to know some of your standard recipes that are coming out watery.

I don't like mine super sweet, so I've been quite happy with this:
1 banana
1 avocado
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
2/3 cup of kefir
maybe some berries

which usually still ends up very thick...so i'll thin it out with strong green tea or other liquids.