Gluten Free A-Z : September 2021

Pumpkin season is finally here, and I'm enjoying my annual chocolate pumpkin smoothie.

This cocoa/chocolate pumpkin smoothie might look simple, but it's rich and delicious tasting. Unsweetened cocoa has all the chocolatey flavor of chocolate without the fat and sugar.

I sweeten the smoothie with a ripe banana and it is flavored with pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spices.

Shake, Chocolate, Banana, Drink, Drinking Straw, Cute

As soon as it starts to feel like fall, everyone starts looking for pumpkin recipes. Truthfully, I have one basic recipe for this delicious smoothie, and I vary the spices and add-ins seasonally.

So in the fall, I add in pumpkin puree- link to easy recipe (make my own ) and pumpkin pie spices; in the summer I might add frozen blueberries or frozen strawberries to the basic recipe.

Pumpkin is a vegetable that contains a significant amount of nutrients and is rich in Vitamin A. It's a nice addition to fall recipes.

I love this tasty smoothie, and I think you will too. Drink it for a pick me up that provides excellent nourishment which we all need to avoid burnout and fatigue. Actually, I often drink one for breakfast if I'm in in a rush. Kids love it too.

I make my smoothie in a blender or in my Nutribullet.

The recipe is flexible and you can add add a variety of ingredients to it depending on your personal preferences and needs.

I always include a handful of fresh greens such as baby spinach or baby kale for calcium, alkalinity, and body cleansing. The slightly

"green" flavor of the spinach is overpowered by the other ingredients, and I don't detect its taste at all.

I'll share my basic recipe with you first and then add the choices for my seasonal variations.

Basic Cocoa Smoothie Recipe Ingredients :

1 heaping tablespoon unsweetened (link) organic cocoa powder ( I use this one)

1 ripe banana (or a frozen banana if you want a cold smoothie)

1 handful of fresh baby spinach

1 and 1/2 cups of nut milk

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 date (which I soak in the nut milk for 15 minutes if it needs softening)

For a pumpkin smoothie I add:

1/8 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree

or go crazy with any of these additions for other seasons

1-2 dates for a sweeter taste
1 cup of frozen wild blueberries - these are not sweet but contain a host of health antioxidants (Costco or BJ's sell them)
1 cup of organic frozen strawberries
1 handful of baby kale
pinch of cardamom
drop of rose water
1 heaping tablespoon of PB2 (peanut butter powder)
chia seeds (link)- lots of health benefits such as Omega 3 fatty acids- I buy these chia seeds
flax seeds (link), ground -I use a coffee mill and grind mine fresh each time - also a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids- I buy this one

Directions:

Blend everything until smooth; I use a blender or NutriBullet

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