Strawberry-spinach smoothie (aka “I can’t believe it’s not pea soup!”)

As I write this post, it's a balmy 35F degrees outside, with a windchill of about 0 kelvin.  Well, crank up the heat, Dear Reader 'cos it's time to cool down with a smoothie!

This month we spotlight Rebekah's site Making Miracles. Rebekah grew up in various US states and, for a few years, in Senegal, West Africa.  Currently she, her hubby and baby daughter reside in Georgia, USA.  Besides sharing recipes on her blog, Rebekah also confides in her day to day life, including what her son and puppies have been up to.

Besides talking about a fellow blogger, I, as per the Secret Recipe Club rules, get to select, make and share one of Rebekah's many delightful recipes.  Quickly I spotted a recipe entitled "I Can't Believe It's Not Split Pea Soup!"  What a great teaser!  It just dares you to check it out.  Which I did.  And was especially thrilled to discover that it was a smoothie. I love smoothies! They are so easy to make, and a healthy way to enjoy a good-sized portion of my daily fruit and veggies.   Whether the weather is fair or foul (except for Thanksgiving, when it's fowl), any day is perfect for a smoothie!

Squint to see the strawb grains.

Rebekah only mentions the pea soup thing because that's pretty much what the finished product looks like ... the spinach green is muddied a bit from the strawberries, and the pineapple doesn't affect the color much.  Luckily it tastes so much better than it looks!

Maybe a little too thick?  Nah ...

Rebekah suggests adding the pineapple a few at a time until the smoothie is as thick as I prefer. I like my smoothies thick enough to eat with a spoon.  So I just tossed in the whole cup. And was not disappointed. Awesomely yummers!

Strawberry-spinach smoothie 
aka “I can’t believe it’s not pea soup!”
Adapted from: Making Miracles
Yield: 1 large serving

1 cup milk, plus up to an additional 1/2 cup if needed
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 loosely-packed cup fresh baby spinach leaves, well rinsed
1 small banana, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 - 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

You might want to add the pineapple later.

Combine milk, strawberries, spinach and banana in a blender or food processor.

I could eat this with a spoon.

Process for 30 seconds or until combined and almost smooth. While blender/processor is running, add pineapple chunks, one at a time via the feed tube or opening in the top, blending until smoothie thickens to your liking.

But if too thick, thin with up to an additional 1/2 cup milk.  

Unintentionally artsy ... I'm really a slob at pouring.

Pour into a tall glass, pop in a straw and serve. 

Important note! Because this post is participating in a blog hop, some of the recipes below might not be kosher.

An InLinkz Link-up