Cranberry Raspberry-Lemonade Smoothie

As regular readers may have noticed, I've been on a bit of a smoothie kick (thanks, in no small part to my friend Marissa, over at We*Meat*Again, reminding me I liked them). I think it's the warm weather, all the other fresh goodies I've been eating, and the fact that I've been writing in the mornings rather than getting ready for work. Smoothies travel well and are fast to make. This is the next installment.

Yum, smoothie!

Don't ask why I have MinuteMaid Raspberry-Lemonade frozen concentrate in my freezer. It's a kinda long story -- but it's almost gone, because I've been making this smoothie a fair amount (okay, three times). It sweetens the smoothie nicely and allows me to imagine summer when I'm in the office. I like the sweet-tart flavor, the color is beautiful, and best of all, it doesn't use a banana!! It does use cranberries, so if you don't have those on hand (read about why I do), play around. The wonderful thing about smoothies is that they're pretty flexible.

When I take smoothies to work, I tend to also grab some carrots and/or nuts on my way out the door to make sure that I'm getting enough energy for the work day. Consider what your body needs and what will keep it happy, healthy, and functioning the way it should based on your work (or play!) environment.

Cranberry Raspberry-Lemonade Smoothie
2 tablespoons frozen raspberry-lemonade concentrate
1/2 -3/4 cup frozen cranberries (I like more, but they are too tart for some people)
1 cup milk or milk alternative of your choice (I use plain almond milk)
1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder

Combine all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Serve.