Purple Power Smoothie

I started making these this winter, with elderberry juice I extracted in the fall and Coronation grapes grown on the Niagara peninsula that I froze. I occasionally changed up the grapes for other frozen fruit --and got varying shades of purple because elderberry purple endures!

They became a daily feature of my breakfast and they sure helped me pull through the cold weeks of February, as well as boosting my immune system so severe colds passed me by.

The only sweetener in this smoothie is the fruit used. Fat content is dependent on the yogurt used.

You will need:

• a blender -- this is a smoothie, after all! -- I use a 2 qt capacity one, into which you can add 6 cups of ingredients to start
• measuring cup -- if you're not comfortable "eyeing" proportions
• kitchen scraper -- to get out the last bit of yummy smoothie from your blender
• glass -- for imbibing
• glass jar or bottle -- to store what you don't drink right away

Ingredients:

• 1 cup elderberry juice -- major immune system booster and high in anti-oxidants
• 1 cup Coronation grapes, or other blue grape (substitutes: blueberries, black raspberries, blackberries) -- more anti-oxidants and some sweetness
• 1 1/2 cup yogurt (I really like Astro Balkan Yogurt in this) -- protein and beneficial bacteria source
• 1 fresh or frozen banana -- minerals (particularly potassium) and more sweetness
• 1/2 - 1 cup water or milk (more protein) (or ice cubes in the summer for a truly cool smoothie!)
• 1-2 tablespoon hemp seed -- omega-6 source (ground flax seed also works)
• 1 tablespoons nutritional yeast -- more protein and lots of B vitamins

Add all of the above to the blender. Put on the cap securely and blend. I usually start at a lower speed to macerate the frozen fruit, then go to a higher speed to make it truly smooth.

Slosh the blender to check the texture. Too thick? add more liquid. Too thin? add more fruit.

I like to add a half cup of crumpled dried kale and/or dried dandelion greens for an extra punch of vitamin A and minerals, blending at high speed to incorporate.

Pour into a glass (or glasses, if sharing) and enjoy. This makes 5-6 cups of smoothie. Leftover smoothie can be stored in the fridge for about five days. This and a whole-grain bagel with peanut butter or cream cheese will power you through the morning.