Red, White, & Blueberry Smoothie

Here is a recipe for a beautiful patriotic treat that can be served as breakfast, dessert, or as a refreshment. You can create the 3 color layered effect, or simply blend all ingredients together.

(Makes 2 Smoothies)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of frozen or fresh blueberries (I prefer frozen fruit because it creates a thicker smoothie and does not get watered down by the added ice you need when you use fresh fruit)
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh strawberries
• 1 cup of frozen or fresh raspberries (optional - you can use 2 cups of strawberries instead, but the raspberries create a deeper red color for the smoothie)
• 2 bananas (sliced and frozen)
• 2 cups (about 2 handfuls) of fresh baby spinach
•  2-3 cups of coconut milk (or you may substitute almond, cashew, or cow's milk)
• 2 Tbsp of ground flax  seeds (or you may substitute hemp seeds)
• 2 scoops (or 1 packet) of vanilla protein powder of your choice (optional - to make it a meal replacement shake rather than just a fruit smoothie)

Directions:

• If you DO NOT want to create the separate colored layers, simply blend everything together at once in a high speed blender (Vitamix, Blendtec). Pour into 2 glasses and garnish with some of the berries. If your fruit is not frozen, add about 1-2 cups of ice (to create desired thickness) to make it cold and frosty.
• If you DO want to create the 3 colored layers for your smoothie, you must blend the ingredients separately to create the "stripe" effect as follows: 
• First, starting with the blue layer - blend the spinach, blueberries (if not frozen, add about 1/2 cup of ice/4 ice cubes), and about 1/2 - 1 cup of milk (to create the desired thickness of the smoothie). Pour into a large cup and put in the freezer for a few minutes until you are ready to assemble all the layers.
• Next, to create the white layer, blend the bananas, protein powder (optional - if you want to add more protein or make it a meal replacement), and 1/2 -1 cup of milk (to create the desired thickness of the smoothie). Pour into a large cup and put in the freezer for a few minutes until you are ready to assemble all the layers.
• Finally, to create the red layer, blend the strawberries and raspberries (if not frozen, add about 1/2 cup of ice/4 ice cubes), ground flax seeds, and  1/2 -1 cup of milk (to create the desired thickness of the smoothie).  Pour into a large cup and put in the freezer for a few minutes until you are ready to assemble all the layers.
• When you are ready to enjoy your smoothie, find 2 clear 12-16 oz glasses or Ball jars/Mason jars. First pour half of the blue smoothie into each of the glasses, then pour half of the white smoothie into each of the glasses, then top with half of the red smoothie into each glass to create the 3 layers.  
• Garnish with a fruit skewer if desired.
• Enjoy!