This weekend I traveled home to Long Island to help my mom throw my sister a surprise bridal shower.  Keith picked me up from work on Friday and drove me to the airport.  On our way we stopped for lunch at Juice Joint Cafe–an awesome little place in D.C. that only open during the week, Monday through Friday, from 7:30am to 4pm, obviously catering to the working folks.  Their menu is based on whole food and they promise that everything is all-natural and healthy.  The Veggie Burger, in a gluten-free wrap, is a must try if you’re ever in town on a weekday.

For lunch on Friday we both had the veggies burger in a gluten free wrap and we split a large Chocolate Almond smoothie plus a small Appleberry Twist juice.  After having my first sip of the Appleberry Twist juice I was blown away by how distinctly this juice tasted like starburst candy.  It was uncanny.  Keith agreed completely.

Now that I’m home in Virginia, after spending the weekend in New York, baking a million mini-cakes and cookies, I’m all sugared out and in detox mode.  But I’m still craving the sweet stuff, so I decided to try making my own version of the Appleberry Twist juice but as a smoothie with coconut water, fresh apples and lemon, frozen strawberries, and ginger paste.  I’m renaming my take on this drink the Starburst Smoothie, because it delivers that distinct starburst candy flavor perfectly.

Ingredients:

• 1 large apple
• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1-2 cups coconut water
• juice of half a lemon
• 1-2 teaspoons ginger paste

Directions:

1. Cut up apple, add to blender with frozen strawberries.  Add in some coconut water.  Blend on high, adding more coconut water to get desired smoothie consistency.
2. Add a some of the juice from half a lemon and some of the ginger paste.  Blend on high and taste for desired sweetness.
3. Add the rest of the lemon juice and ginger paste if desired.

This smoothie is amazing.  We both agreed its got that special starburst flavor and is wonderful as a smoothie (the juice is great too, but I’m partial to smoothies).

This one will for sure be on the rotation of breakfast smoothies in the future.