Dairy-free Kefir Smoothies

While most of the country is back at school, we still have another week, since we don't start until after Labor Day.  I'm glad to have a little extra time.  I'm not quite ready for our really great summer to be over.  I know that fall brings its own joys, but I'm still loving having my guys home with me with days wide open to fill how we choose.

However ... I am starting to think about school days and trying to start each morning off with a nutritional bang.  That brings me to smoothies.  As I've written before, I love how you can quickly put together a breakfast (or anytime) drink that provides a full glass of good stuff.

This summer, we visited our friends at their summer house.  Liz and her two boys could not have been more gracious hosts.  They had a refrigerator full of food that was safe and delicious for my family.  One of the great things that Liz bought was So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir.  I had been meaning to give it a try, so this was a great opportunity.  We made smoothies with it, and my boys loved it so much they demanded that we buy more as soon as we came home.

This probiotic-rich beverage is a great smoothie ingredient.  Since I always add a little juice (usually apple juice) for some natural sweetness in my smoothies, the yogurt-y taste of the kefir provides a nice balance.

We've made several kinds of smoothies.  For example, we made an easy chocolatey treat with chocolate kefir, banana, and rice milk.  My favorite smoothie of late has been a blend of vanilla kefir, frozen peaches, cherries, and mango with some rice milk and apple juice.

It's nice to know that even if I'm not emotionally ready for summer to end, I'll be ready for school-day breakfasts!

This post was shared as part of Simply Sugar and Gluten-free's Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.  Please check out the other great recipes.

Happy Cooking!
Kim and Megan