The frozen banana...ice cream's second cousin

I must apologize for not sharing this sooner! I thought I had, and even uploaded a photo of it weeks ago, but totally just didn't get around to it. There are two kinds of people in this world...those that LOVE ice cream and those that are just okay with it. I don't think I LOVE it, I am more of a cake person, but being in Texas during the summer makes you love anything cold. For years, I have adored this cool treat, assuming everyone else on the planet knew about it and loved it. Turns out, I was horribly wrong. Almost no one knew about banana-peanut butter smoothies!

Bananas do some interesting things when they are frozen. If you blend them just right, they become the creamiest frozen treats around. They rival even the tastiest ice cream! I will have plenty of notes/variations below, but here is the recipe for the best tasting smoothie I have ever had.

Jen's Monkey Business Smoothie (You could also call it "The Elvis")
Makes about 16 oz (enough for one adult or two children)

1-1/2 cups frozen, sliced banana
2 T all natural peanut butter
roughly 1/2 cup milk (doesn't matter what kind, though I tend to use almond)
honey or agava nectar
1/3 cup plain (unsweetened) yogurt (I like to go for the Greek for extra protein)

Directions

1. In blender bowl, add everything but the honey or agave nectar to the blender pitcher. Pulse a few times to get things going, then turn it up to it's highest setting.
2. Turn the blender off, and check the consistency. If you want it thicker, add more banana and/or peanut butter. If you want a thinner smoothie, add more milk. At this time, add the honey or agave nectar to your liking. You'll find that if you use Greek yogurt, you will have to use a bit more sweetner to overcome the tartness.
3. Blend a couple seconds more to get everything mixed, pour into a chilled glass, and enjoy!

Notes:

This is a great quick breakfast. It keeps you full for at least a couple of hours, and can be poured in a traveler's mug to go.

Children will like this, for no other reason than the the name!

To make this a truely fun frozen treat, pour the smoothie into ice cube trays or popcicle cups. It will taste just like those banana "bomber" treats from my childhood.

You can puree frozen banana with milk and add it to an ice cream maker. Frozen, healthy goodness! To top it off, add a drizzle of caramel sauce and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Frozen bananas foster, done! (for an adult version, make a simple syrup of rum, brown sugar or xylitol and a touch of cinnamon)

One last thing, this is NOT a low-carb treat, but it is high in potassium, calcium, protein and has a boost of magnesium.