Saturdays with Rachael Ray: Nut and Honey Smoothie

My sons and I have smoothies as part of our breakfast almost every weekday morning. They’re such a perfect breakfast for us. They’re portable and healthy and I can sneak extra nutrition into them without the boys ever knowing the difference (some things I’ve tried with success, FYI: spinach, shredded zucchini, and cooked cooled carrots). I’m always on the lookout for new recipes, so when I saw this smoothie in an older issue of Rachael’s magazine, I was all over it. Andrew and Will are peanut butter fanatics, so I knew this would be right up their alley.

To me, a smoothie just isn’t a smoothie without yogurt in it. I realize I may be alone in my thinking here, but I always, always put yogurt in my smoothies. So I add a container of low-fat vanilla yogurt to these, and I love the texture and flavor it adds. I also use a combination of almonds and peanuts instead of just almonds. The boys go nuts for these smoothies – Andrew calls them “peanut butter sandwich smoothies,” which is super cute – and I’ve made them countless times now. I toast the nuts the night before and whip up the smoothies quickly before we head out the door in the morning. I’ve also added a banana to them, which is really good.

You probably have all the ingredients on hand for these already, so give them a shot! And be sure to check out Taste and Tell’s Saturdays with Rachael Ray for more great recipes!

Nut and Honey Smoothie
adapted from Every Day with Rachael Ray

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, toasted
1 6-ounce container low-fat vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
4 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups ice cubes
A few splashes of milk

Using a blender, mix the almonds, peanuts, yogurt, peanut butter and honey on high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the ice cubes and blend until slushy, about 15 seconds. Add a few splashes of milk if smoothie is too thick.