I dropped by the local Farmer’s Market to pick up some greens for my green smoothies.  I walked away with a bunch of dandelion greens, which I came home and blended with (wait for it)… three bananas.

Dandelion greens are a nutritious edible weed, and I figured I’d mix it up by eating the blossoms too.  I blended in a couple of collard green leaves, too, and about eight red lettuce leaves.  The flavor was almost, I don’t know how to describe it, spicy?…so I might recommend blending in another banana, or something else to temper that flavor, if you prefer your green smoothies sweeter.

I also picked up a 2lb bag of especially yummy organic honey dates, for a steal, from DaVall Date Gardens.  The guys were super cool, and I really encourage you to place an order with them if you want a deliciously sweet addition for your smoothies.  I am enjoying them right out of the bag, but am hoping to prepare some sort of raw vegan banana ice cream topping with them.  Will keep you updated on that one (waiting for yesterday’s booty to ripen more before freezing any).

As I was eating a snack banana this afternoon, I opened the compost bin to toss in my peel.  There were so many in there already.  I hesitated.  There have got to be more uses for the peels beyond slipping on or composting them.  I rubbed the back of my hands with the slick inside, and was surprised at the moisturizing effect.  It dried quickly, and wasn’t sticky.  I googled it, and came up with a few uses for those peels, if you’re a so inclined fellow bananaholic:

Topical Uses:

• Irritation from mosquito bites – banana peel helps soothe the skin after a bug or mosquito bite
• Treating poison ivy rashes – banana peel soothes and cools the skin after an allergic response and can help reduce the outbreak of rashes.
• Reducing bruises – banana peel can speed up the natural healing and recovery process so that the skin cells can regenerate and restore themselves.
• Getting rid of warts – banana peels can be used to cover up a wart and provide relief from skin irritation.  The peel helps to heal the wart and surrounding skin so that the skin cells can regenerate naturally.  The banana peel can be cut down to size and taped over the wart to secure it in place.  It can take approximately 5 – 7 days for the wart to heal completely, but the compounds in the peel can help speed up the healing and skin regeneration process.
• Getting rid of plantar warts – in addition to getting rid of regular warts that form on top of the skin, banana peels may help reduce the pain and irritation of plantar warts located on the soles of the feet.  The peel can be placed directly on the wart to help reduce inflammation and pain and restore the skin.
• Treating acne – since acne is involves skin inflammation and irritation, the inside of the banana peel can be used to soothe the skin and reduce acne outbreaks. 
• Managing wrinkles – regularly pressing the inside of the peel on large areas of the skin such as the forehead or sides of the cheeks may help tighten up the skin and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.  Results will not be instant, but the skin will look fresher, more toned and healthier. 
  

The site I checked listed bananas as a home remedy for hangovers, hiccups, depression, constipation, low energy, and ulcers.  Sweet!