Avocado OJ Smoothie

Don't judge a smoothie by its color.

My brother-in-law, Gene, was in town for a visit last week.  A newly retired Navy SEALS, Gene is the epitome of strength and good health.  He introduced our family to an easy and nutritious smoothie using avocado, orange juice, water, ice, and honey.  The result tasted just like those Orange Julius drinks sold at malls that I used to beg my mom for when we were growing up.  

Gene didn't measure out his ingredients so I don't know the exact ratio of orange juice to water in the drink.  I tried to recreate it the next day (serious love at first sip for me) and used no water, just all orange juice.  Still delicious...even if it wasn't quite as good as Gene's.  We used calcium-fortified orange juice as our milk-allergic kids could always use the extra boost. 

Avocado OJ Smoothie

1 large very ripe avocado
2 cups orange juice
crushed ice to taste
Honey to taste (for this recipe's proportion, I used about 1.5 Tbsp)

1. Remove pits from avocado.  Dice avocado and lightly mash with a fork. 
2. Blend avocado and orange juice with blender.  Add crushed ice and blend until you reach a consistency you like.  (Ours was a little thicker than juice, not as thick as a milk shake.)  
3. Blend in a teaspoon of honey.  Taste for sweetness and add additional teaspoons until you get your desired sweetness.

My kids loved the ultra-smooth smoothie.  My husband did, too, and he has our eagle-eye for texture and odd aftertaste having been the guinea pig for my unusual concoctions for many years.  No one could even tell there was avocado in it. Not only was it yummy, it seemed to satisfy my sweet tooth.  This was a pleasant surprise since I'm trying to kick my addiction to refined sugar.

I've seen similar recipes that add banana, raspberries, or additional vegetables.  I may try variations in the future but I have to say, I do love this simple recipe and could live without messin'.