Kale and Berry Smoothie

There’s a vegan restaurant in our neighborhood in downtown Toronto that I’ve been addicted to for years. It has a vast menu of smoothies that are tailored to just about anything including curing a hangover and treating a chest cold. When Scarlett was an infant I made sure my stoller route always made its way past Fresh so I could duck-in and get a smoothie. I usually got The Anitoxidant – a blend of pomergranite, blueberry and banana. Other times I’d get a shot of wheatgrass or, if I was feeling especially sleep deprived and under the weather, one of their immune elixirs would do the trick. I’m a fan of the Immune Boost which has carrot, beet, apple, ginger, lemon, cayenne and echinacea. As Scarlett grew, Fresh was one of the first restaurants she dined in. And, like her mommy, she loves the smoothies. Of course, I’ve given them different names. The Antioxidant sounds so uninspiring to Scarlett so we call that one The Dora. Obviously, there is The Princess, The Cinderella, The Darby (that’s Tigger and Poo to you) and The Ariel.

Nowadays, I don’t get to visit Fresh on such a regular basis. Sadly, our stroller adventures have dwindled and are now replaced by activities like tennis or ballet. However, our schedule doesn’t keep me from being inventive with my own blender at home. Scarlett and I have  a lot of fun tossing everything but the kitchen sink into our mini-blender to see what kind of treat we can froth up. We’ve had a few flops. But, this little gem, is one of our successes. A nice dose of kale and berries is the kick in the seat your immune system may need.

Scarlett and I made this round of our own immune elixir for her nana while she was visiting. Nana loved the lavendar hue of the smoothie and downed her glass in just a few gulps. Since she kept steeling sips from Scarlett’s cup, I figured that meant she liked it. You have to keep an eye on those grandparents, you know. They’re always causing trouble.