Williams-Sonoma's Smoothie Week: Strange Smoothies

Smoothie.  When you first hear the word you probably think of a blended concoction of strawberries and bananas, or at least something along those lines.  Indeed, most smoothies usually involve some type of fruit or combination of fruits and a dairy product (milk for a thinner consistency or yogurt for a thicker drink).  But while smoothies may seem pretty standard, they can actually be pretty cool.  I personally love smoothies because of how customizable they are.  You can experiment with what types of fruit you use, what kind of milk or yogurt you add, adding sweeteners or spices, and even adding things like peanut butter.  There are probably infinite combinations of smoothie ingredients you could come up with, and they’re all probably going to taste delicious.

You can even make some pretty wacky smoothies (keep in mind that when I say wacky, I still mean edible and tasty – yes, adding something like ketchup would make it wacky, but would you really want to drink that?).  In my years of concocting different smoothie recipes, I have, in several occasions, stepped out of my taste comfort zone by adding some ingredients that you wouldn’t normally see in smoothies.  For instance: avocados.  Avocados are one of my favorite foods because they’re so versatile; you could pretty much eat them a different way for every meal.  Guacamole, sliced on a sandwich, or cubed on top of a taco are some of my favorite ways to serve guacamole.  But a smoothie?  Some of you might be thinking that sounds a bit far-fetched but just hear me out. 

Adding avocado to your smoothie will not only make it a beautiful green color, but it also adds a good amount of protein and healthy fats and makes the smoothie nice and creamy.  One of my favorite smoothie recipes is my Banana Bash Smoothie; it’s simple, healthy, and delicious.  And even if you’re not a big fan of avocados, still give it a try!  The other ingredients will add sweetness to the smoothie and you won’t even be able to taste the avocado.

Another uncommon ingredient I sometimes throw into my smoothies is raw oats.  Raw oats will help make the smoothie nice and filling, and they don’t have a huge impact on the taste.  I like to combine raw oats, peanut butter, a banana, and some almond milk (and sometimes if I want a sweet treat, some cocoa powder) to make a delicious and nutritious drink that feels more like a milkshake than a smoothie.

I encourage all of you to step out of your comfort zones and try some new and zany ingredients next time you’re making a smoothie.  Let me know what some of your favorite wacky smoothie recipes are!  Need a great blender to make super smooth smoothies? Check out Williams-Sonoma's blenders along with their Not Your Typical Smoothie album in Pinterest or Facebook.

Thanks for reading,

Lizzie Marie