Superhero Antioxidant Smoothie

Wonder Woman Antioxidant Smoothie 

I’ve been drinking 2-4 cups of this smoothie for almost a year and I never get sick anymore! My family comes down with a cold and the virus just passes me by. The secret ingredient is my hibiscus elderberry tea. I brew it in large 4-8 cup batches at the beginning of the week to have on hand for my daily smoothies so that it’s fast and simple. Mix up the veggies every day if you can to get a variety of vitamins and you will be feeling fierce and alive in no time! Notes: I think a vita mix blender is worth the money if you can swing it but the recipe can be scaled back for a bullet blender also (which is what I use when I travel). You can pack it in your carryon, but know that they will for sure pull aside your bag and swab the mother of the blender to make sure it’s nothing crazy. I usually double this recipe and feed it to my four boys when they get home from school. Lastly, I think it’s worth going organic on your produce. Costco has the best prices on organic frozen fruit.

Hibiscus Elderberry Tea

4 cups boiling water
4 rounded Tbsp loose leaf hibiscus tea (buy on Amazon or your local Vitamin Cottage Grocers)
4 rounded Tbsp dried elderberries ((Amazon or Vitamin Cottage)
1/2 cup raw unfiltered honey
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
Pure Liquid Stevia drops
32 oz French press (I bought a stainless steel one off of Amazon for $22 that works well)
1 quart mason jar for storing
1 16 oz mason jar for storing

1. Start heating the water to a boil (I love my electric kettle because it’s so fast). Put the Hibiscus and elderberries in the French press.

2. Pour the boiling water into the French press and cover for 5-10 minutes.

3. Press the tea down and pour into your mason jars leaving room at the top for the lemon and honey

4. When the tea is almost cool stir in the lemon, honey, and add stevia to taste. The tea is very concentrated so if you want to drink it iced throughout the day you will need to dilute it with more water. I like to brew it concentrated so that it takes up less room in the fridge, and then add the water later as I use it. Store with a lid in the refrigerator for up to seven days.

For the smoothie

1 cup hibiscus elderberry tea
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups veggies (power greens, summer squash, cucumber, sweet potato, you name it)
1 1/2 cups frozen fruit (I usually do a strawberry , raspberry, wild blueberry combo)
1/2 inch square of fresh peeled ginger (optional)
Lemon juice 3 Tbsp approximately is helpful to add if you need to cover up strong flavors like Arugula or celery
Pure liquid stevia 2-10 drops
Mason jar with lid
Manuka Honey for an extra antibacterial kick or wildflower honey to taste. Maybe 2 Tbsp to start with.

1. Combine the tea and water in your blender. Push your veggies down into the water until you reach the 4 cup mark on your blender (that way you know you got two solid cups of veggies without measuring.

2. Top with fruit, lemon juice, and honey, and two drops stevia. Blend until smooth and then taste test for sweetness. You might need a little bit more water if the blender is struggling. Add more stevia if needed. Drink immediately for maximum vitamin content. Pour extras into into mason jars with lids and store for up to two days.