Banana Smoothie with Kale

A breakfast drink concocted with bananas and kale, totally packed with vitamins and minerals, should deliver a great start to the day... emphasis on should. I enjoy bananas and kale separately, so why was this smoothie such a flop? 

It could have been an attitude issue; for years I've avoided drinking kale anything out of pure stubbornness. "Oh, Dee, you really have to try a green smoothie, it's SO good for you!" Hah, the more I heard it, the more I resisted. 

It might have been the texture, a coarse, grainy feeling that was faintly noticeable and annoying. Smoothies are supposed to be smooth and creamy, right?

Did my blender let me down? Do I need a VitaMix? No, I think I'll stick to delicious braised kale for breakfast, and tasty raw kale for salads at lunch, and let my smoothies stay kale-free.

Declaration: This smoothie may be super-healthy, even semi-palatable, but it will never be my favorite breakfast choice. How about you, do you have a favorite green smoothie? I'm open to suggestions.

Banana Smoothie with Kale

1 large or 2 small bananas, peeled, chopped & frozen
1 cup raw kale, cleaned & stems removed 
   (or substitute spinach instead)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 1/2 cups 1% milk (or almond milk)

Add all ingredients to a blender and whiz until you have a thick, even mixture. Add more liquid as needed to thin to desired consistency.