Pink Ribbon Smoothie

Vita-Mix developed this recipe for the Komen Northeast Ohio Race for the Cure ® (although I don't know exactly when). This recipe can probably be made in a conventional blender, but if you can fit a Vita-Mix into your budget and are serious about food and health, by all means do so (and no, I have no affiliation with them); among its many virtues, it can tear through icy jobs like nobody's business. I made my own modifications, which appear in parentheses. This smoothie has myriad health benefits which I won't list here, some of which can be viewed by following this link: http://www.vitamix.com/household/infocenter/race.html. The ginger, BTW, is crucial to this recipe--it really adds a punch! Seedless black grapes will give a spicier, somewhat less sweet result and frozen fruit can be substituted for all or part of the ice if desired.

• Ready In: 12 mins
• Serves: 1-2
• Yields: 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 1  cup red seedless grapes or 1  cup seedless black grapes
• 1  cup strawberry (fresh or frozen)
• 1  slice fresh ginger, peeled (to taste)
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt (or a similar amount of soy milk if a vegan smoothie is needed) or 1⁄2 cup  low-fat strawberry yogurt
• 1  cup  ice cube (OR frozen skim milk or soy milk cubes)
• 1  teaspoon  bee pollen (my own addition, with thanks to Rita L for getting me back into the habit! I use CC Pollen) (optional)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional, Penzeys has several wonderful varieties)

Directions

1. Wash fresh fruit and place all ingredients in the Vita-Mix container (or blender) in the order listed.
2. Secure 2-part lid.
3. Select VARIABLE, speed #1.
4. Turn on machine and quickly increase speed to #10; then to HIGH.
5. Blend for 30 seconds or until smooth (or gradually increase your blender's speed and process until everything is smooth.