Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie

When I started my Two Minute Monday video series, one of the most common questions I received was, “Where do you find your inspiration for recipes?” (Thanks to Taylor, Andrea, Maria, and many others!) Although at least half of my ideas randomly pop into my head during a long run while my mind is wandering and who-knows-where, there are 4 main places I purposely turn to for inspiration.  

1) Family and friends. Sometimes it’s a healthier spin on a traditional treat that’s been passed down through generations (Grandma’s fruitcake comes to mind!), or something that they’ve created that I want to try too (like these soft-baked “Oreos!”), or a copycat or their store-bought favorites (aka Mom’s cocoa roasted almonds!). But most often, it comes as a recipe request (like these Nutella cookies!) because I really enjoy baking treats specifically asked for by the special people in my life.

2) Other bloggers. There are a ton of really talented food bloggers out there, especially when it comes to baking and dessert. Since I can’t possibly read and comment on every single one (how I wish I had that many hours in a day!), I usually turn to Pinterest to scroll through photos of their recipes and use those as inspiration for techniques and flavor combinations.

3) Dining out. Because the towering mountain of dirty baking dishes in the sink easily becomes overwhelming and scares me off from cooking dinner too, we sometimes go out to eat, and I always peek at the breakfast and dessert menus at every restaurant! The best occasion is when I can convince my guy or some girlfriends to head over to a popular dessert-only place in town full of cakes, pies, cheesecakes, cookies, brownies, éclairs, and more. That is a baking blogger’s dream for inspiration!

4) Travel. Most summers, my family hops on an airplane and flies to a different part of the country—or world—on vacation. (Kauai and Paris are their two favorite destinations!) On top of that, my dad and I try to travel to a new city each summer to watch a baseball game and check another MLB stadium off of our list, and since Dad is one of the most adventurous eaters I know, that means we’re constantly trying new regional cuisines. Those fun flavors (and yes, the dessert options too) find a way of popping up in my blog recipes.

The new HP x360 laptop makes it really easy to sort through all of those different inspiration sources. With its four positions of laptop, stand, tend, and tablet, I can quickly switch from writing emails to my family about our vacation plans in laptop mode, to browsing Pinterest in tablet mode, and showing off images of restaurant menus in stand mode. (And now I wish every laptop came with a touch screen like this one!)

Today’s recipe for this Blueberry Banana Protein Smoothie actually came from my sweetest inspiration source: my younger brother. For a few summers in middle and high school, he mixed up a smoothie nearly every day—always with fruit, sometimes with milk, other times with yogurt—and they always turned out delicious.

Just like my brother’s, this smoothie is incredibly simple to make. You just need 5 ingredients, including the ice! I started with two of my favorite fruits, blueberries and bananas. (Although who am I kidding… I love all fruit!) Both should be frozen. Frozen bananas add an irresistible creaminess to smoothies, so slice up a ripe speckled one on your counter and pop it in the freezer for at least an hour before making your smoothie.

The big protein boost comes from Greek yogurt. Because I bake with it all the time in muffins, cupcakes, and more, I buy a big carton of the plain, nonfat variety and scoop out however much I need. Just like the banana, it adds creaminess too!

Add all of that to a blender, plus milk and ice, and pulse until it’s smooth. Because I prefer my smoothies really thick, I add lots of ice, but if you like thinner smoothies with a consistency closer to juice, adjust the amount to suit your taste.

A full serving of fruit and a big protein boost? Now that’s my kind of way to start the morning! Thanks for the inspiration, bud! ♥

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HP is partnering with Meghan Trainor to help document her first-ever musical tour, “That Bass.” Along the way, they’re sharing behind-the-scenes footage in exclusive episodes, and you can see it all on their “All About That Tour” page!

This post was sponsored by HP and Collectively, Inc. As always, all opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own.