It’s a lazy Sunday evening as I document my quest to develop smoothie recipes that are both; easy to follow & taste delicious. This particular one brings a new ingredient to my repertoire: Celery! My lazy Sunday introductory comment was not very accurate, actually. Not sure if I can quite have a lazy Sunday per se anymore; not with my two little ones running around eager to enjoy the sun, the park & mama’s treats during hot summer weekends. I guess my lazy Sunday starts at 08:30 pm, when the little hands in my life are off to bed. And am off to smoothie land… my other happy place. If you’re new to this blog, please note all my smoothies are sugar, dairy & gluten free. They are made with whole foods & unprocessed ingredients that are jam packed with nutritional value.

I still remember the days when I used to mix banana, cocoa & cow milk and drink it in hopes of having a “healthy” do-it-yourself kind of drink. I was somewhat aware of chemicals and preservatives and all the inherent dangers of consuming processed food. Yet I wasn’t nearly as informed about the hormones that go into non-organic dairy. I had no clue cocoa was processed, while cacao is not. If the banana wasn’t ripe enough, I would add a tablespoon of sugar. Now I add 2-3 raw dates. My appetite hasn’t decreased, I don’t eat any less than I used to. And you don’t have too, either! It’s all about being well-informed about your food choices and what you put into your body.

This particular smoothie is my favorite detox smoothie to date. Am not even kidding, you will love it, too! I constantly read about all the cleansing & detox properties present in celery. Celery is extremely helpful in fighting chronic inflammation, shedding water weight, clearing your skin & even reducing levels of cortisol in your body. Cortisol is a stress hormone, and we all need a little less cortisol in our lives… don’t ya think? There is one little problem: I can hardly get myself to drink something that tastes remotely close to celery. If you ask me to eat celery in a stew or with baked chicken, or raw with homemade ranch- no problem. But there is something very unappealing about drinking it. A little “Je Ne Sais Quoi”.

Well, this smoothie has celery and tastes amazing because (ahem) you can’t taste it! Apples, pineapple, mint & kiwi work their magic. The taste is unbelievable, find out for yourself!

Makes 1 Large Smoothie or 2 Small Ones

• 1 Green Apple (peeled & sliced) If you want a sweeter smoothie, use Deliciously Red Apples
• 2 Ripe Kiwis, sliced in half & scoop out the flesh with a spoon
• Mint Leaves (A handful)
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 cup of water or coconut water
• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger (optional)

Blend on high until desired consistency is obtained, I like to use cold fruit as it tastes better cold. For an extra cleansing or diuretic effect, use 2 stalks of celery. Enjoy!!