This winter has been unusually strange. From a green, warm Christmas to a rainy, snow-free February, I’ve been waiting for truly cold weather that never arrived. While my husband and sons ran outside singing about the weather and spinning with their arms like Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music, I kept checking my yak trax, gloves, scarf and parka—just in case. More than thirty winters in Northern Michigan and Western New York leave you ready for anything.
Instead of the usual clear signs of winter—blankets of snow and icicles—the season felt stalled, as if everything were waiting on the edge of its seat for a big storm that might never come. Even so, maple season is beginning: the sap is running and steam rises from the sugar shacks across the countryside. That’s a reliable sign that spring is on its way, and even if winter stages a late appearance, it will be brief. Knowing that helped thaw my cold, winter-loving heart.
What has felt most “wintery” lately is my predictable late-winter craving for greens. I want food that looks fresh, leafy and full of life—not artificial green like a Shamrock Shake (though I don’t mind one or two of those each season). Since my husband gave me a thoughtful Vitamix for Valentine’s Day, I’ve embraced green smoothies wholeheartedly.
For those who haven’t tried a green smoothie: You might wrinkle your nose at the idea of adding spinach to a smoothie, but you really don’t taste it. It’s surprising how well the flavors blend. The main reason I started making them was to increase vegetable intake for my family. Even as a vegetable lover, I sometimes struggled to reach the daily recommended amount, and my two youngest children were particularly anti-veg. Green smoothies changed that — my kids love them and now get far more vegetables than they did before. That’s a win in my book.
I’ve blended spinach into many smoothie variations, but last week I landed on our favorite: a green twist on an Orange Julius. I saw inspiration on Pinterest and from Green Lite Bites and created my own version. If you’re not familiar, an Orange Julius is a classic mall beverage: a thick, sweet, vanilla-orange slushy that feels indulgent and creamy. My usual Orange Julius uses frozen bananas for sweetness and thickness; turning it green only took adding a couple of handfuls of spinach.
These Green Orange Julius Smoothies are a bright, cheery reminder that spring is coming. They helped me finally embrace the shift in seasons. The smoothie is creamy, vibrant, sweet, vanilla-scented and surprisingly orange in flavor despite its green color. With St. Patrick’s Day close at hand, blending green and orange feels like a small, festive celebration of both spring and my Irish-American roots.
Wishing you all slàinte mhòr this season!
Green Orange Julius Smoothie
Rebecca Lindamood
5 minutes
5 minutes
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach washed
- 1 cup 100% orange juice concentrate
- 1 1/2 cups milk whole, 2%, 1% or skim
- 1 large frozen peeled banana broken into chunks
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Instructions
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Pour the milk into the blender first, then add the remaining ingredients. Secure the lid and blend on high until smooth.
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If your blender isn’t very powerful, stop and scrape down the sides or move the mixture with a spoon a couple of times, then blend again until fully smooth.
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using the exact ingredients you use with your preferred calculator.
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