Dare I ask what's in that jar? The art to my kale smoothies.

I tend to show up at work or class drinking out of big jars with blue, pink, green, yellow or purplish contents peeking out behind the peeling labels. Students and coworkers always want to know what in the world I am drinking. While many of the ingredients vary daily, there is

one core ingredient that seems to always be in there. Kale, of course!

Today my friend Molly wanted specific instructions on how to replicate one of my smoothies. She thought my smoothie was so delicious that when it was gone she was still sticking her fingers in the jar and licking them. After years of questions about what I put in my smoothies, it's you, Molly, that finally convinced me to write this post by all of your finger-licking-appreciation, so this post is dedicated to you.

While I don't have a regimented list of ingredients and amounts, I seem to gravitate towards these basic components:

1. Fresh
2. Wet
3. Frozen
4. Dry
5. Sweet

Every time I make a smoothie, I usually use some combination of at least the 1st 4 components: fresh, wet, frozen, and dry. I don't always feel the need to add a separate sweetener, depending on my mood of the day and the other components. For example, if the wet/liquid component is already sweet (sweetened almond milk or some leftover sweet tea from my roommate's kombucha process) I don't feel the need to add honey.

Fresh

• kale
• banana

I almost always start my smoothies with fresh kale. Sometimes, if I have fresh bananas, I might add a banana if I am in the mood for the flavor and texture.

Wet

• green tea
• almond milk
• kombucha

Once I add the fresh kale I add some liquid and start the blender to get the kale broken down into the smallest pieces possible before adding the frozen pieces. I don't have a fancy blender so it's much more important for me to add things in stages like this. I have noticed when graced with the chance to use a fancy blender that the order might not matter. If that's the case, well then, lucky you!

In any case, I usually pick green tea or almond milk for the wet/liquid ingredient. Green tea is a lighter drink, and caffeinated for a nice pick me up in the morning. Almond milk can be more filling, which can be nice if I am eating a lighter breakfast. It also makes it have more of a desserty taste. Occasionally I will add a bit of both.

I currently live with a kombucha maker, and will sometimes use kombucha for part or all of the liquid. I find that kombucha is great for digestion, but I also love it plain, so I don't always feel the need to add it to my smoothies. When I do, they have a bit more bite, and are fascinatingly bubbly.

Frozen

• pineapple
• blueberries
• strawberry
• mixed berries
• mango
• cherries
• (banana)

I never use ice in my smoothies, but rather frozen fruit, in order to get the icy texture. I try to always keep frozen fruits like those above on hand. If I happen to have fresh fruit like bananas that is about to over-ripen before I eat it, I'll chop it up and stick it in the freezer for this purpose. I like to use pineapple often because of its anti-inflammatory benefits. Blueberries are also super healthy and I used to add more of those than anything else, but my tastes tend to change with time and the seasons. Mixed berries can be cheaper and they work well too. I find that I don't need to add many strawberries to amp up the flavor. Cherries are some of my favorite, and also add great flavor with just a few, but tend to be harder to find. Depending on the strength of the blender, you might find it helps to add them a little at a time, stop and stir, and perhaps add more liquid.

Dry

• powdered ginger
• ground flax seeds
• Super! Rainbows! Love! Go! Powder

Ginger is another ingredient I like to include for its anti-inflammatory properties. I put a lot in and make my smoothies almost spicy once in a while. Flax seeds have numerous health benefits as well. My favorite dry product to add is Super! Rainbows! Love! Go! Powder, made by Worts and Cunning Apothecary, which includes copious amounts of spirulina, gutu kola, and a variety of other happy and energizing herbs for "Your Daily Dose of High Fives."

Sweet

• honey
• agave

Sometimes I want to add a little more sweetness to my smoothies, and if I do, I will add either honey or agave. I suppose if you had maple syrup on hand, that would work well too.

So, Molly and the rest of the world interested in my kale smoothies, have fun with these guidelines and experiment with different components and amounts. The possibilities are endless, and they all feel good in your mouth and in your body! Enjoy!