A bowl of porridge topped with honey, nuts, and fruit is my default breakfast for much of the year, until the weather warms up (Austin is already in the 90′s!) and I can’t stand the thought of eating anything hot. This week, I’ve been revving up my day with a cool Chocolate Monkey Smoothie. It’s filling, it’s nourishing—and it tastes great, too! Try whipping this portable breakfast shake up the next time your kid needs a lightning-fast breakfast on a hot day.

Chocolate Monkey Smoothie
Serves 1-2
1 large frozen banana, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
1/2 cup organic milk (dairy, soy, or almond all work equally well)
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon honey (optional)
2-3 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until creamy and smooth. Serve immediately.

Do you or your kid have a favorite smoothie recipe? Let us know!

-Marygrace, KIWI staff writer

It’s that time of year again: Everywhere you go it’s blueberry this or raspberry that. Trust me, I am not complaining–next to fresh peaches, I would take a fresh berry any day. And I have to say, one of the best gifts my parents ever gave me as a child was a love for picking berries. And such, it continues to be one of my favorite outings with my own kids.

When a parent tells me that their child does not “like” raspberries or blueberries, the first question I ask, is “have you ever gone and picked your own?” I have never met a child that, when tempted with big, beautiful berries in front of them, fresh from a vine or bush, can’t help but shove one (and then many more) in their mouth and become an instant fan. And the glory of coming home with ten or more pounds of berries? The possibilities are endless.

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