Funky Monkey Shake

When do you make smoothies? I know for most people they’re a breakfast but around here they’re an afternoon treat. And mostly that’s because I’ve never suggested to my kids that getting out the blender is something that I’d consider. Does that sound mean? It does, doesn’t it? But listen, our kitchen is so small that all our appliances live tucked away in high cupboards rather than nicely displayed on a counter. Ah, for a bigger kitchen…. If Esme and Julian know there are frozen berries in the freezer they’ll ask me to whip up a smoothie for them every day. Usually I just freestyle and throw in whatever we’ve got: yogurt, fresh and frozen berries plus a little orange juice to thin it out. But I’ve been thinking about how I’d make a shake more appropriate for breakfast and came up with this.

I like the added protein that the almond butter and Greek yogurt lend and the bananas make it more filling. Since you’re using a natural almond or peanut butter, the added texture of the flax goes undetected by picky eater. Putting a couple of bananas in the freezer the night before you want a batch of these makes all the difference. It’s cool, creamy with just a bit of sweetness. The kids loved them and they were definitely more filling than our usual treat smoothies.

What are your favourite combinations? 

photos by Maya Visnyei

Get that blender in the sink with some water before it gets gunky and becomes the hardest part of this simple recipe. Okay, maybe I could do this some morning…