Does that sound a little strange? Maybe not if you make smoothies more often than I do, but putting an avocado on it was a first for me this time. And luckily, it turned out great!

It’s been a while since my last post. I’ve been traveling for work quite a bit, and I’ve only been back a couple of days. Dave and I spent those couple of days enjoying being home! We gardened. We spring cleaned, we baked, we saw some of our very good friends. It’s been an excellent weekend. And you know what I have planned for next weekend? Nothing! Ahhhh.

Since I’ve been working on my Master Gardener certification from Oregon State University’s Extension office, I have learned so much about what to do in our backyard. I’m already seeing results – I planted some peas, radishes and arugula early and used row cover for the first time. That stuff is amazing – it’s like a snuggly blanket for plants. It lets sunlight and water through, but keeps the soil below warm. I think it’s going to make a huge difference this year.

One thing that’s been a change about class is having to get up and go on Saturday mornings, which has meant more fast breakfasts and packed lunches. Yesterday, on the last day of class, we tried this smoothie.

I had never put avocado in a smoothie before, but I was glad when this turned out to be delicious! The butter avocado flavor seemed to amplify the berries and even make the smoothie a little less tangy (and therefore, a little more delicious in my opinion).

Here’s what you need for two smoothies:

1 oz. lime juice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 ripe avocado
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries
1 cup frozen mixed berries (or ice)

Place all ingredients in a blender, with the lime juice, milk and yogurt on the bottom. Pulse until smooth.