“Pumpgo”? “Mangkin”? This new taste combo seems to deserve its own special name. But whatever you go with, it’s a gorgeously fluorescent green, very filling, extremely pleasing smoothie. Take this one on the road, or enjoy for a light supper, and it’s going to keep you going for quite some time.

Now that those cute little baby pumpkins are everywhere, pick up an armful and to use for smoothies! They’re perfectly sized to make a double batch, and can be easily added to pretty much any smoothie you can think of.

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Health Benefits of Pumpkin

Pumpkin is an excellent source of both beta carotene and zinc, helping to boost immune system function, lower cholesterol, strengthen bones, and protect against certain cancers. The seeds are also reputed to be anti-inflammatory, which is great news because this smoothie blends the seeds right up with the flesh!

Expect many more pumpkin smoothie and other recipes to emerge before the season is through…

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Recipe for: ”Pumpkin-Mango” Live Green Smoothie 

• 1/2 baby pumpkin (about 1-1/4 cups of flesh, seeds, and “goop”, combined)
• flesh from 2 mangoes
• 1 cup packed fresh, mild-tasting greens (I used parsley. I would also recommend spinach or baby romaine)
• 1 heaping tablespoon raw honey (or agave nectar)
• spring water to 32 oz. 
• 1-2 cups ice

Blend everything well in blender, until smooth. Keep in mind that my Blendtec blender is a high-powered 3HP blender that chews up those seeds so that nothing chewy is left behind. If your blender isn’t as powerful, you may be left with some chewy bits at the bottom of your glass.

Chew’em up. They’re good for you.

A note on preparing the pumpkin: I sliced off the stem, cut the pumpkin in half, scooped out the innards, then cut the pumpkin in pieces and sliced off the skin with a knife. It’s not hard and doesn’t take long. Just be careful because the skin is a little tough — smaller pieces may be easy to manage.[/private]