Apple Pear Almond Smoothie

Every time I'm cleaning up my act, I look to Meredith Baird's Everyday Raw Detox for inspiration. I got the idea for this smoothie partly from a recipe of hers called "Fall Fixer" and partly from my insatiable desire for apples and almond butter, which I eat almost every day. And often twice a day. It's fast, portable, and delicious. Even faster is this smoothie. I thought I'd try blending my favorite combination to see what happens. I eat the two together so often, I'm surprised I didn't try this sooner. It's no surprise how it turned out.  I added a jalapeno pepper to give it some heat. I have to admit, sometimes I'm not sure when I throw something into the blender, but I've learned over the years that really unexpected pairings can delight. So it is with the pepper in this recipe. It's just enough heat to give the smoothie a kick without overpowering it. Paired with a steaming cup of hot cinnamon black tea, this is a perfect start to the morning.

Apple Pear Almond Smoothie:

2 apples chopped and seeded
1 pear chopped and seeded
1/2 c. coconut water
2 T. raw almond butter
2 inch chunk of ginger
1 T. chia powder
2 medjool dates
1 T. flax oil
1 t. cinnamon
1 jalapeno pepper
1 t. vanilla

Blend apples and pear with coconut water until it's an applesauce consistency. Blend the rest of the ingredients with the apples and pear until you have a smoothie consistency.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy. Serves 1-2.