Pink Detox Smoothie

It seems like I have been going through a serious baking/cooking phase on the blog.  And while I love sharing new recipes, one of my New Year's resolutions for 2014 was to improve my photography skills and broaden my range. After struggling for the first few weeks to find people/things to photograph, (this awful winter has really made going outside painful) I realized that I needed to start photographing something that I love and have daily access to.  So with that in mind, photographing what I eat seemed like the perfect solution (I can only take photos of my husband so many times before he gets bored).  So I will be using the blog to start sharing all of the recipes I make for Stephen and myself on a daily basis (as well as sharing whatever else I'm photographing)!

Cooking has always been such a fun thing for me. I have so many fond memories cooking alongside my Mom growing up, however, I didn't really start cooking on my own until I left for college. When Stephen and I got married, I found that cooking was really a way for me to tap into my creative outlet and just have a good time (most times dancing/singing along to Pandora Radio).  Almost two years later, my cooking skills have definitely improved, and I have realized how much I love challenging myself to try new things and experiment.

Anyways, enough about me! Let's talk about today's recipe!  How gorgeous is this smoothie?! When I saw a similiar recipe on ohsheglows.com I knew I had to make something similar! What I love is the amount of fruits and veggies packed into one serving, and of course its bright pink hue! I am a firm believer in leading a healthy lifestyle filled with variation!  I love eating fruits and veggies, but I also enjoy a good dessert (with butter and real sugar) and I think the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is viewing food as a way to fuel your body. When I look at my food in ways to give me energy, keep me full, or even improve my complexion, I tend to eat more "real" foods and feel so much better when I do!  And while eating sugar in excess isn't recommended, I do believe that forgetting about the calorie count and indulging in a yummy treat is totally acceptable (and suggested!).

Here is what you will need:

1 cup coconut water (I used ZICO)
1/2 cucumber (roughly chopped)
1 cup strawberries (I used fresh, but frozen works as well)
2 bananas (I used fresh, but frozen works as well)
1 beet (I cooked mine the night before and refrigerated over night so it didn't make the smoothie hot)
1/4 c. beet juice
1 tbs. coconut oil
Juice of one lemon
1 apple (I used a green apple roughly chopped)
2 cups. ice cubes

notes:
*If you want some added sweetness you can add a tablespoon of honey.
** Adding Chia Seeds will thicken the smoothie and add protein