Make at Home – Monkey Business

monkeybusiness

Zumo Juice Bar make one hell of a crazily addictive smoothie. It goes by the name of Monkey Business. I’m sure you know the one; creamy peanutty tangy heaven – sunshine in a plastic cup, if you will.
For years I bought one pretty much daily, unable to control myself on my lunch break (sandwich not included.) Things were getting ridiculous, especially money wise. Prices crept up over the years; €3.95 to €4.25..crazy. Like any addiction, this was starting to cost me!
I’m not going to kid myself in terms of money here – I’m not a serious saver by any means. But if I find a solution to saving an extra €5 here and there that I can put toward more cocktails or dining out, I’m all for it.

I’m not sure if Zumo Bars are still on the go, as the franchises I spent a lot of time frequenting (creeping around) in the past have recently been taken over by Jump Juice; who don’t sell Monkey Business. For shame. I didn’t fret, because I’ve been making my own version for years now. In doing so, I have saved myself plenty on the smoothie side of life.

smoothie

It all started with a blender. I first bought a Kenwood ‘Smoothie 2 Go’, which costs around €30. I bought mine at Argos a few years ago, but they’re available online here for more or less the same price.
It was clear the secret to the smoothies at Zumo Juice Bar tasting so good was the frozen yoghurt. No natural yoghurt (or otherwise from the dairy section) in the world was going to cut it. The bitterness of natural yoghurt doesn’t do the smoothie any favours..it’s also not freezing cold or the right consistency! I found frozen yoghurt in Aldi, which is sadly no longer available but it can always be gotten in SuperValu, and Dunnes Stores sell Corrin Hill. The SuperValu one in my opinion is the best.

After a few tries and tweaking of the recipe, I think I’ve mastered it…

frozenyog
If you’re a smoothie addict, try the below and save money! You can also substitute the almond butter/peanut butter for 6 fresh or 4 frozen strawberries if you preferred Zumo’s ever popular Strawberry Energy.

The perfect summer drink or filling breakfast, as the peanut butter keeps hunger at bay that little bit longer.

blender

Recipe:

100g frozen yoghurt (two scoops)

1 medium banana

15g peanut butter/almond butter (I add this to the blender after the yoghurt and before the other ingredients. If you leave it until last, it’ll just stick to the blender!)

100ml orange juice

1 tbsp. chia seeds or porridge oats (optional)

monkeybusinesszumo

Happy blending, super savvy smoothie savers! x

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