Cultured Milk Smoothie

I tried something new for breakfast today...a smoothie!  I've never had a smoothie for breakfast...or maybe at all.  They always sound good, but I like crunch when I eat.  It didn't sound that appealing to just drink my food.  But as I'm trying to heal my digestive system I realize I need more cultured dairy products.  And this is an easy way to fit more in.  This is a recipe from Nourishing Traditions.  And it tastes great!!!  Justin and I both really liked it.  It was like a tropical shake (I used banana, strawberry and pineapple).  Plus it's so healthy with protein, fat, good bacteria and fruit.  I like that it's versatile.  I mostly used their basic recipe but you could use any kind of fruit or veggie in this.  I made it with yogurt today since that's what I have.  I'm hoping to make it with kefir soon...after I make some kefir :)  I was surprised by how easy this was to make.  Only takes a couple minutes.  I'm glad I tried it.  I'll be making smoothies more often for sure.  I pretty much stuck to this recipe, except I only used one egg yolk instead of two.  Ease into the whole raw egg thing :P  This made a good amount for Justin and me to split.

*Edited 7/9/10 - Just wanted to add that these taste great with kefir too!  And a variety of fruits.  I'll add a running list of combos I try.

*Edited 4/18/11 - I now make my smoothies with kefir, egg yolks, fruit/veg, coconut oil and honey to make them GAPS-legal.

**Also, if you are new to coconut oil, start with a small amount.  It could be hard for your stomach to handle a lot at once if you don't eat it regularly.

Cultured Milk Smoothie
Makes 3 cups

1 1/4 cups whole milk buttermilk, kefir or yogurt
1 ripe banana or 1 cup berries (fresh or frozen) (I use a combo of fruit and avocado)
2 Tbsp. coconut oil (preferably in liquid form to mix well.  melt it first if it's solid)
2 egg yolks (I use 3 yolks for a full blender of smoothie)
3-4 Tbsp. maple syrup or honey

Place fruit, avocado and kefir in blender and process until smooth.  Add remaining ingredients and process until well blended.

I usually serve it in a tall glass with some chunks of fresh fruit added.

Fruit/Veg combinations we've tried (and liked)
*Strawberry, banana, pineapple
*Cherry, blueberry, pineapple, avocado
*Strawberry, banana, blueberry
*Blueberry, peach, banana, avocado
*Strawberry, kiwi, avocado
*Blueberry, cherry, avocado
*Strawberry, pineapple, avocado