Blackberry-Banana Smoothies

Some of my favorite childhood memories involve going blackberry pickin' with my grandma.  The satisfaction of eating the plumpest, juiciest berries right off the vine made all the battle wounds worth it to me.

"One for the bucket, one for me, one for the bucket, two for me..."

I spent Easter weekend with my Dad and my husband in rural East Texas- a place where cows roam, wildflowers grow unrestrained, and the nights are black and free.

I was delighted to discover the wild blackberry bushes dotting the pastures of my family's acreage.  One morning, we woke up and decided to have ourselves a berry pickin' expedition.  Even twenty years later, most of my berries never make it to the bucket.  Even still, we managed to fill two huge bags with the fruit.

Until yesterday, I'd had but two kinds of blackberries in my life- blackberries off a vine and blackberries in a cobbler.  One can only make so many blackberry cobblers without having to spring for a Weight Watchers membership, so I concocted these delicious smoothies as an alternative.  The only thing better than a strawberry-banana smoothie is a blackberry-banana one.  Try it, and I think you'll agree.

An Ommy Noms Original
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups frozen blackberries (or 1 1/2 cups fresh berries plus 3 ice cubes)
1 ripe banana, cut into chunks
1 single-serving container Greek yogurt
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS

1.  Add all ingredients to a blender and pulse until smooth and well-incorporated.  Strain to remove seeds and pour into glasses.