This morning our driveway was a solid sheet of ice. See?

But instead of lacing up my skates, I thought it was the perfect morning for a smoothie.

Or not.


I had one anyway. So I thought I’d share my favorite ingredients with you!

First up… frozen bananas.

They absolutely MUST be frozen. They give smoothies a creamy, ice-cream like consistency.

At the beginning of every week, I freeze a bunch of bananas. I slice them before freezing. They are easier to whip up that way.


Milk.

Oh yes… milk. Trust me, back in my heyday I used water for shakes. I don’t know what a heyday is and if I’ve even had one, but I’ll tell you one thing: water mixed with protein powder? That is not a way to live. At least not for me. Give me the goods! My three favorite milks are cow’s skim, unsweetened vanilla almond, or vanilla coconut. I only love the last two because of the vanilla flavor.


And speaking of vanilla…

Extracts make smoothies taste so delicious. It doesn’t have to be vanilla. But use one!


Creamy yogurt.

I love yogurt. I’ve been eating greek yogurt for years, with Fage still coming in at number one. This has taken the place of protein powder in my shakes. I’m pretty much over protein powder.


More frozen fruit.

I don’t always use it, but I love it when I do. My favorites are strawberries and cherries.


Gross greens.

Obviously, I don’t get enough vegetables through out the day. Even though I’m trying, it’s really not a secret. So I throw some in the shake and don’t taste them at all. Trust me, if I can’t… you won’t be able to either.


Nut butter.

Any kind will do. I don’t always add it, as it depends on my flavor combinations, but I love it. And it gives me some staying power.


Cocoa!

Because you can never have enough chocolate.


There you have it. Those are my favorite things for a delicious shake. If I had to pick one, I’d go with the frozen bananas. You just haven’t lived until you taste a smoothie with frozen bananas.

What is your must-have smoothie ingredient?