I needed a bit of a lift today after the exceptionally long weekend of festivities. Not only was it the 4th of July, where I was busy BBQing and roasting in the Texas heat... but, it was also my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!

Now, I feel as if I should start off by saying that I am generally not a smoothie fan. I would much rather indulge in eating my calories rather than drinking them (unless they are in the form of wine, of course - hah!)  Plus, the task of actually making a smoothie always seems incredibly daunting to me... That is until I got my new handy immersion blender for my birthday!

I've been more than eager to use my new gadget, but haven't had a chance to... until today! While I was staring at the tippy top cabinet at my giant food processor this morning, I was really about to call it quits and crawl back into bed. Defeated. Then it hit me... and I remembered that my immersion blender said on the box that it did smoothies too. Perfect!

We have all heard of the famous 'Green Monster Smoothies' that are supposed to be sooo good for you. So this is sort of my fun little 'purple' play on the tasty green treat that so many out there have grown to love.

Of course, I was a little hesitant with the notion of a smoothie, but this was absolutely amazing. It really hit the spot for me and gave me the boost that I so needed this morning. Plus, it kept me full and happy on through to lunch. No snack required!

There's only good stuff in here too. Calcium, protein and fiber. You just can't go wrong with it.

If you're a little scared of smoothies, as I tend to be, then this would be a great place to start as a beginner!

And yes, if you prefer almond milk (or some other milk alternative) - feel free to swap it for the milk that I used.

Skinny Purple Monster Smoothie
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 2 • Size: 1 Smoothie • Calories: 258.1 • Fat: 5.2 g • Carb: 40.8 g • Fiber: 8.6 g • Protein: 15 g • Sugar: 25.4 g • Sodium: 84.9 mg

Ingredients:
1 Medium Banana
1 C. Frozen Blueberries
1 C. Frozen Mixed Berries
1/2 C. Fat Free Milk
1/2 C. Reduced Fat 2% Vanilla Milk
1/2 C. Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt
1 Tbsp. Chia Seeds

Directions:
Toss everything into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and delicious.

Enjoy right away!

And yes, pink straws make everything taste even better.