As those of you who’ve been with me for a while would know, I bought a Vita-Mix earlier this year in a post-Christmas haze of gift-glory. I loved the expensive blighter then, and I love the expensive blighter now. However, due to a number of factors coalescing at once, I haven’t actually used the expensive blighter in about two months.
Blame the fact that bananas currently cost around $2.50 each, blame the weirdo protein powder I brought back from the US that made one particular smoothie taste like vomit, blame my invisible friend Gertrude who tells me I should only ever eat things that can be cut into polka dots… no matter what the root cause, I have to ‘fess up that my life has been smoothie-less of late.
Until now.
The fact of the matter is that while I’m very good at eating vegetables, fruit tends to fall by the wayside if I don’t make smoothies.
… Aaaaand I just deleted an entire paragraph about my fruit-eating habits, because I realised it was Not A Very Good Story.
Here is A Good Story instead:
Once upon a time, there was a caterpillar called Deedle. Deedle decided that she wanted to climb a tree, and so she inched her way up the trunk of a Chinese Elm.
The End.
A week or so ago, I decided I needed to get back on the Vita-Mix bandwagon. I sure as all get-out wasn’t going to spend $2.50 on a banana, so I instead spent $80 on raw vegan protein powder.
My logic is flawless.
It was totally worth it, though. While I’ve tried a few American and a few Australian protein powders and have found them all unpleasant, this Sunwarrior business is the business.
And the smoothie I made Rocked. My. Socks.
Enjoy!
Vanilla Cherry Berry Green Smoothie
Serves 1
1 cup (100g) frozen cherries
3/4 (70g) frozen blueberries
2 handfuls baby spinach (what, you think I weighed the baby spinach? Nope. You’re on your own there.)
1 scoop Sunwarrior Vanilla Protein Powder
2 tsp chia seeds (optional)
3/4 cup water or non-dairy milk
4 ice cubes
Blend! Blend away!
Question Time: Can you think of a two-sentence story capable of beating mine in awesomeness? Go on. I dare you to try.
{ 82 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve heard lots of good things about vita mixes. Maybe I should give one a go-I don’t tend to eat much fruit either during Winter but I love vegetables
I think I could totally take on that spinach because there are cherries and blueberries in it!
I bet you, with your all-encompassing-awesome-powers, could wrangle yourself one for free if you reviewed it. And then I shall cry
I absolutely couldn’t taste the spinach at all in this one. With some smoothies I can (but I quite like the slightly grassy taste), but not at all in this one! That said, I haven’t yet moved up to the big guns of kale green smoothies… though that’s more because I can’t find kale here!
80 bucks on protein powder? No way. Your smoothie looks intriguing BTW, though not 80 bucks of protein powder intriguing. And what if this was another brand that made your smoothie taste like vomit? It’s a big gamble to take.
It was, but I did a lot of research and got advice from people’s whose tastebuds I trust infallibly (i.e. people who make desserts often, or who hate orange just as much as I do
) It was expensive, but I figure I almost never drink alcohol, and rarely buy clothes, so I’m allowed to splurge every now and again on something like this 
Every time I go into Whole Foods I think “I’m gonna do it this time, I’m gonna buy the $70 jug of protein powder and I’m gonna use it every day!” And then I don’t buy it.
I’m sorry, you lost me in a whirlpool of envy as soon as you said “Whole Foods”.
I read about this on Twitter earlier and was waiting for this post. Yessss
Oh gosh, really? Teehee! That’s funny, because I didn’t originally intend to post this, but then some of the photos were purdy….
Love your site! Just found this and I will be staying awhile to peruse. Thank you for sharing.
Aw thanks! I hope you keeping enjoying it
Oh your dollar and cents logic surpasses even my own! Gorgeous smoothie.
BANANAS ARE $2.50 EACH?! Good lord. No wonder you wanted a banana-less smoothie!!
Yes, see? It’s unfathomable (or fathomable, actually, because it’s the result of the cyclones and flooding up in QLD, where most of the bananas in Australia are grown). *sob*
A better story, eh? Well, once on the Ricky Gervais Show, Karl Pilkington ate a beetle because he thought it was licorice.
But more importantly, did it taste like licorice?
Yum!! I have been buying bananas recently, even though they’re so expensive! I missed them too much. I stretch them out though – 1 lasts for 3 breakfasts
Your smoothie looks amazing, despite the freezing weather!
Heidi xo
I was starting to feel tempted to do the same, but I think I can wait now that I’ve discovered smoothies *can* be just as thick and delicious without them. The only way I really like bananas are in smoothies (or banana bread… mmm…)
*laughs* Yes, there is a bit or craziness in deciding to bring back smoothies as soon as it starts moving into winter here…
I love this, Hannah. I wish bananas were cheaper by now, but we’ll just have to be patient
I’ll bookmark this!
Thanks Maria! It’s really delicious, and I bet could be just as good without the protein powder and with, instead, some vanilla extract and maybe raw almond butter? Nom nom nom!
Chia seeds are never optional!
Did our conversation about Canadian-Australian money lead to this urge to use your blender again? Haha!
*laughs* I wish I could say yes, but I’d already ordered the Sunwarrior at that point. The conversation definitely helped though
Yummmm!!! I got a similar mixer/juicer 2 months ago, haven’t touched it yet. Now i can try it out using this recipe
Oooh, a juicer? You’re more hardcore than me then
Definitely give this a go! And if you don’t have protein powder, I say just add some sweetener, vanilla extract, and maybe a nut butter or something rich and delicious 
Ooh, yum! I love cherries and this sounds like a perfect blend of ingredients. Definitely sufficient to make up for the sad loss of affordable bananas (or perhaps nearly sufficient…). A worthy reunion with your VitaMix!
Thanks Kari! The funny thing is, I just realised that frozen cherries might actually be a similar price as bananas… *laughs at my own stupidity* I miss America and its plethora of affordable and varied frozen fruit!
Vitamix…that is cool. I just wish some fairy magically drops a vitamix in the kitchen one night
That’s how I feel about 90% of the food products you have access to in America that I don’t
You deserve a medal for courage buying that protein powder. How many bananas will it be equivalent to?
At $2.50 each? 32. And I know I’ll get more than 32 smoothies out of this protein powder, so it truly is perfect logic
Hey grandma, you know what? You could have the protein powder! It’s made of brown rice! Want a smoothie? 
Gosh, $80! But then – it’s all about priorities. I spent $40 on a bottle of cherry syrup because I heard it made you get to sleep easier, even the guy at the counter of the supermarket said “gosh, that’s expensive”. (the syrup generally does what it’s supposed to, thank goodness). What would you recommend as a substitute for the powder?
Capsicums here are going the way of your bananas – you’re lucky if you can get them for under a dollar each.
Hahaha, I love it when even store workers acknowledge that the food you’re buying is ridiculous expensive (it’s even better when they have no idea what it is). Also, does it really help with sleep?! Because I think I’ll need to buy some myself in that case!
As a substitute for the powder (and this is what I’ve done in the past), I’d use some sweetener (honey/agave probably), vanilla extract, definitely milk instead of water for creaminess, and a spoonful or two of a nut butter – peanut, almond, cashew… all good!
That looks deliciously thick and creamy but I’m afraid I can’t eat anything frozen unless the temperature is at least 35 degrees C!! I’m still waiting for you to make soup with your Vitamix and show us the result. I vote for cumin in the soup!
I love Vital Greens Phyto-Protein. You’ve probably tried it but didn’t like it??
I’m completely ready to admit that it’s insane for me to have decided to get back into smoothies when the weather has started reaching minus degrees overnight
I don’t know if I’ll manage to keep it up once I’m back at my non-central-heating home! Ah, yes, soup! I’ll keep cumin in mind 
No, I haven’t heard of/tried Vital Greens Phyto-Protein. Is it an Aussie brand?
Darling I thought everyone knew about http://www.phytoprotein.com.au I like the vanilla and chocolate versions. It is packed in Australia (all pea protein is imported). It is vegan, gluten and dairy free.
I’m not vegan, but I enjoy it a couple of times a week with fruit and chia seeds.
Oooh, Margaret, thank you! I think I might have to force myself wait until I’ve finished the Sunwarrior to try this, but I think it’s very likely to appear in my cupboard in future
Also, hurrah for chia seeds! Do you make smoothies or pudding?
Actually puddings because I prefer to eat a meal with a spoon than drink it. I’m gluten intolerant and the only thing I miss is porridge…..so I kind of fool myself into thinking I’m eating a kind of porridge for breakfast.
Margaret, once again our hearts are in the same place: after I took these photos, I poured the smoothie into a bowl and ate it with a spoon
That looks rather inviting! I’m quite intrigued by the flavours, and why everyone seems to love Vitamix (I have a blender already, but a difference brand.)
I’ve never had any blender before, but I think the main appeal is that this is the absolutely MacDaddy of blenders that can cut through anything and everything in seconds – you can even make flour out of whole grains (not that I’ve tried that yet), and it can heat liquids in boiling in a matter of minutes because of how powerful it is. But all I’ve really done so far is smoothies
DUDE! How the heck are you eating this during the cold freezing awful weather we are experiencing? Seriously. I admire the healthy amongst us, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I wanna hear the ‘not very good story’ about the fruit…..
Teehee, Anna, trust me on this one: it was an incredibly boring not-even-really-a-story story, which I’ll never force you to live through
Oh, and eating this during the freezing weather? It may or may not have something to do with thermal socks and a bowl of piping-hot-roasted veggies straight after 
Who doesn’t love a banana to thicken a smoothie but there are alternatives – avocado or pumpkin might help or I wonder if even some unseasoned mashed potato might. I still buy bananas because I have them so rarely.
I have also not been making as many smoothies as I would like – it didn’t help when my blender fell apart while making a smoothie but I have a new blender now so no excuses.
By the way thanks for the inspiration to make lumberjack cake – has been my culinary success of the weekend (and there weren’t as many as I had hoped)
Holy moly, your “unseasoned mashed potato” just completely threw me through a loop, but then I remembered that I once made a cake out of mashed potato and it worked really well! (Wish I could find the recipe for that, actually…)
It’s funny, I think smoothie-making is very much about getting in (or falling out of) the habit. I’m trying to get back into a routine with it!
Oh, I was wondering if your mention of lumberjack cake in your post had something to do with mine! I didn’t want to say anything though in case I came across as super vain
I love that smoothie! The kind you made above is my favorite – with spinach, berries, (never seen frozen cherries around so I usually take an apple), and protein powder.
After trying several ones out, I’ve also come to love Sun Warrior rice protein. (I have to buy it via Amazon, and there’s only neutral flavor available here, but I also like that one.)
One day, I’ll buy myself a Vitamix …
Amazon won’t ship groceries to Australia
It seems like the world is determined to make me pay double for the crazy things I want when compared with everyone else! *sigh*
For some reason, my mind doesn’t like the sound of apple in smoothies. Wouldn’t it make it kinda.. grainy or something? I’m probably being an idiot. Am I being an idiot?
Funny, but I rather think berries add graininess (due to there little seeds). I like apples in smoothies.
Not an idiot!
Btw, my study is running during the next 2 weeks, so you don’t have to do it immediately.
I’ll definitely try apple soon then – it would certainly be helpful if I like them, as they’re plentiful and relatively cheap here!
Oh, and thank you! Now it’s just about remembering to do it! Feel free to remind me
Agreed! Apples are pretty awesome in smoothies. Papayas are great too!
Oh brilliant, two votes for apple! Wouldn’t it make the smoothie very liquidy though? Ah well, I bougt two fujis yesterday specifically for a smoothie today
$80 bucks? Really? That better be some amazing smoothie or you and I are going to have a long chat about managing costs young lady!
*looks shamefaced* I’m not that bad, honest! Crazy foods are my splurge… what I save on my meagre alcohol and clothes spendings I make up in bizarre vegan products. But never you fear, I’m still focusing on saving for travel, including Melbourne travel!
$2.50 for 1 banana- Yowzers!!! Your smoothie looks delish- who needs bananas when you have raw vegan protein powder instead
I know, it’s brutal! Enjoy your cheap bananas on my behalf, Melinda! And yep, raw vegan protein powder beats bananas any day
I have yet to find a protein powder (which I sometimes take when I exercise a lot) that actually tastes good. They all make me gag. But I have to say, with a good tasting protein powder, your shake sounds like an amazing deal! I totally agree with you though – why settle for ridiculously expensive bananas when you can get even more expensive protein powder!
)
And even more expensive cherries, actually!
I realise today that while bananas are $13/kilo, I spent $15/kilo on cherries. Utter logic fail 
Since you mentioned caterpillars…
Once upon a time, baby Errign found a snack on her outdoor walker tray. It was a caterpillar.
That’s true, actually. I ate a caterpillar. Gross.
Smoothies however, are not gross. 
Does everyone who you tell that story to make an “mmm, extra protein” joke?
I hope never, ever to put insects in my smoothies.
Love the smoothie!
“Once upon a time there was a girl who couldn’t boil water. Then she became a contributor on a chef’s website and got published in a magazine and she’s still in shock about it all.” <—that would be me. In shock. lol
Oh wow, congratulations Averie! That’s amazing! Does the story end with “and then she holidayed in Aruba forever and ever”?
looks delish!
‘Twas!
Hmmm, that is expensive. But then I just bought some $80 boots despite having no job and therefore no income (I did, however, get M to buy me some more trail shoes which were more expensive). But then again, I once bought $400 ice skates. But where does one even get this ridiculously expensive protein powder thingy? And why does one need it?
Here is my story…and it’s true! But not quite as exciting.
There once were four beautiful barbies dressed in their finest pink outfits and they went for a wander in and over the hillsides of North Canterbury for hours and hours (and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours etc). They all got very tired and went to sleep on the bus all the way back home again.
You need those boots because those boots are made for walkin’, and that’s just what you’ll do… Hmm. Why do I need the protein powder? Well, considering I’m neither a raw foodist nor vegan… um… darnit.
I love your story because it comes complete with lots of magical hilarious pictures in my mind. Are you going to show me photos?
I agree- a lot of the raw vegan proteins have a tendency to taste like…well…dirt! This smoothie looks pretty darn tasty. As the temps warm up here, I’m drawn more and more to smoothies
And seeing as the weather was -9 here last night, it makes no sense that I’m currently drawn to smoothies
Never really tried vita mixes. How is it better though?
Because it can blend anything! For realz, totes… I hope anyway because it cost more than my left arm… In fact, I think it, or its competitor Blendtec, are the stars of those “will it blend” youtube clips
That smoothie seriously has my mouth watering. What a wonderful flavor combo!
Thanks Ada! It truly was wonderfully tasty
I’ve heard about how powerful vita mix is, and have been wanting to ask you where you got yours. My blender/food processor can’t even make nut butters – I’ve been dying to make all the lovely nut butters. I read in your other post that you bought it from an Aussie retailer. Do they have ship to Melbourne too?
The site was called Your Home Depot. It’s online, so you can certainly order from wherever you are
Also, I think they’re giving a bit of a discount right now, so you might get to pay a little less, woot! 
Yummy smoothie all around. I don’t think my story can beat yours but I’ll give it a try. “Once there was pinto bean named Minto, who dreams of a day where he could be a bean stalk. One day he found a nice place to rest his head and woke up 10 feet tall. The End”
Your story beats mine ten times over! It’s aspirational AND inspirational. Hurrah little pinto bean!
Wow those are expensive bananas — really makes me appreciate how affordable they are here now. I’m glad the protein powder was worth it and your smoothie does look rockin’ ;p.
Aw thank you! And yes, savour your precious precious not-expensive bananas!
Yayayay! I’m so glad you and your Vita-man have rekindled your affair. He’s a hottie. This looks delicious too. And you decided to try the Sunwarrior, woohoo!
I did! I’ve since read a lot of people complain about it being chalky, but I honestly don’t get that? Vanilla yumminess FTW!
You. Are. Hysterical! Just read your blog for the first time and I love it. I too am a health/fit/sweettooth living abroad. Kudos to you and your vitamix and I can’t wait to read more
Thank you so much Crista! You’ve made my night
Where are you originally from, if you’re living abroad?
I am not a fruit eater either but love veggies. I keep thinking I need to make smoothies to get my fruit intake, but I never get around to it. I can’t wait for bananas to go down in price too!
Ah well, in my mind eating lots of vegetables makes up for the lack of fruit
Sometimes it seems like bananas will never go down in price, though!