For some reason, I am obsessed with smoothies and shakes, so you will see plenty more of them here in the future. Usually they involve fruits and/or vegetables but today I was wanting something cofee-flavored. I like the combination of coffee with the natural sweetness of banana and vanilla. Gives you an energy boost (especially if you use caffeinated coffee!) plus protein from the protein powder. I liked the result of this experiment, and my husband gave it high marks too. This makes enough for one very tall glass or two small servings.

Ingredients:

1 heaping tablespoon of instant coffee OR instant coffee substitute (I love Dandy Blend, a coffee-like drink mix made of roasted dandelion root)

1/2 banana, preferably frozen and pre-sliced (I always keep a bag of frozen sliced bananas in the freezer for smoothies, it’s very handy)

1 cup of soy or almond milk (my preference is the unsweetened vanilla flavor) – or dairy milk if you like

4 tbsp (or one small scoop) of vanilla flavored protein powder (soy or whey-based)

6 ice cubes

In a large mug, dissolve the instant coffee/coffee substitute in 1/2 cup of very hot water and mix until dissolved. Then add the milk. Add contents of mug to a blender along with banana, ice, protein powder. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!