Need something fun and green to feed your family on St. Patrick’s Day – but hoping to avoid green food coloring? I’d encourage a tossed salad with spinach and other fresh greens, cucumbers, and zucchini – but I’m guessing your family might not think any of those foods are cute or festive.
Instead, I’m recommending an avocado. Am I the life of the party, or what?
These milkshakes are smooth, rich, and creamy. So what makes these green? Maybe you weren’t listening. I told you already. It’s avocados. Welcome to my way cool party. (We’ll end the evening by shelling some peas and shredding cabbage for slaw.) Rock on.
I personally love these green milkshakes. My family can’t decide if they agree with me or not. Is it because they know these have avocado in them, so psychologically, they think they taste weird? I’m not sure. I really can’t tell these milkshakes are made with avocados. To me, they just taste like a smooth and creamy, lightly sweetened milkshake. What my kids don’t drink, I will, so it’s all good. They can just stick with Asa’s awesome guac for their avocado intake.
Green Machine Milkshakes
3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
3 cups whole milk
4-5 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Serve right away. Makes 5-6 cups.
If this recipe isn’t exciting enough for you, might I suggest roasting some asparagus and steaming an artichoke? I believe it goes without saying that this is going to be the most fun and memorable St. Patty’s Day ever.
I’ve made something similar, but with banana, too! it helps mask the avocado taste! :)
Me too with banana and chocolate and dates. Though chocolate is not green for St Patty’s Day.
Sounds yummy! I LOVE avocados, so I can’t wait to try this. Got some awesome news to share!! I FINALLY got sucanat!! Woo-Hoo!! Can ya tell I’m excited?! He he he. The only grocery store I have near me is Ingles. They have a lot of organic, and “raw” foods, but I never saw it there, and one day I mentioned it to the store manager and he ordered it for me!! It came in this week and I bought it all. I can’t wait to start using it :)
Haha! Kelley, I feel the same way when I get sucanat! I’m out right now and I can’t wait to get some more! :) I just wanted you to know that you’re not alone in your excitement!
How funny, I have worked to ungreen our St Patricks Day over the years, aka no more green food coloring. I always make corned beef and cabbage(potatoes, carrots)on St Patrick’s day just as we had growing up. Though growing up, we also accompanied that with green jello salad, grasshopper pie (made with green creme de menthe) and to drink the kids got a rare treat of green 7-UP and the grown-ups drank green beer. Since I avoid giving my family artificial colors, I make my grasshopper pie with white creme de menthe, serve applesauce instead of jello and the kids get regular old white milk. It’s not as festive, but way healthier. Besides, holidays should be about traditional food, not gimmicks. I can taste the Irish soda bread already, yum!
I thought this was interesting – we’ll have to try it next year. My ‘traditional’ St. Patrick’s Day ‘special drink’, as my kids call it, is slightly less healthy but very yummy. I make milkshakes (preferably with ‘good’ vanilla ice cream – homemade is best) and organic milk or coconut milk. I add a bunch of baby spinach to make it green. Yes, spinach! It’s healthy, and you can’t taste it, and it’s fun drinking something green on St. Patrick’s day, so my family all drink it and laugh that we’re drinking spinach milk shakes! Sometimes I crush some Newman’s Own ‘oreos’ and stir them in for an added treat. :o)
oh yes, we make ones like this too, but with canned coconut milk (nature’s value brand from amazon) and frozen super ripe bananas. definitely with the vanilla.
the family loooooooovves it!
1 large avacado or 2 sm/med, 1 can coconut milk, 1-2 frozen, chunked, very ripe bananas, vanilla – and that fills up the vitamix about 2/3 of the way full. enough for 7-8 oz each for 4-5 people.
yum!
Thanks for the suggestion. I did one for the kids with milk and maple syrup and another for me with water and frozen cubes of coconut-almond milk. We used avocados, ripe frozen bananas, a few dates, and I even slipped some frozen spinach in! Yum! What a tasty way to start off my 10-day detox and get the kiddos some good green in on St. Patty’s Day. Thanks for all you do, Laura!
Wow – this is delicious!! My family loves it, too. Thanks for another great recipe.
This has nothing to do with the shake which looks yummy btw. I used to do yoga then watched a clip on YouTube by mark Driscoll on yoga and am not sure what to think. Is yoga ok for Christians? What do you think? I’d love your take!
I think it depends on the variety of yoga. I attend a class taught by a Christian, and it truly heals both body and heart – the Jesus way. :)
I always feel like sweet green foods should taste like mint, so I would add some (actually, probably a ton of) fresh mint to this and it’s just like a shamrock shake but without all the extra yucky ingredients. Yum!!