Peel the whole ripe banana completely and place it on a clean cutting board. Slice the fruit into even half-inch rounds using a sharp paring knife. Work quickly so the fruit does not start browning from air exposure. You'll see the pale cream-colored discs stack up naturally as you cut them. They should smell sweet and feel firm but yielding under the blade. (I tried using whole frozen bananas in my first tester batch, the blender motor smoked and groaned. Slicing them raw beforehand is definitely the fix.) Slice the fresh fruit into small pieces, this prevents the blender blades from jamming during the initial startup phase.

Pour the cold whole milk into the base of the transparent blender jar first. Add the sliced banana rounds directly into the liquid. Layer the solid frozen strawberries over the top of the fruit and finish with the fresh orange juice. You'll see the dark red frozen berries sit heavily above the pale banana slices while the clear liquid pools at the absolute bottom. The frozen berries will look frosty with tiny ice crystals clinging to their deep red skin. Missing this specific layering order means the blades spin fruitlessly in the air and the mixture won't pull down. Pour the liquid into the jar first, the moving vortex pulls the heavy frozen fruit down evenly into the blades.

Secure the lid tightly on the blender jar and set the speed dial to medium-low heat equivalent power (around 4 on a 10-dial). Blend at this low speed for exactly 20 seconds to break up the large frozen fruit chunks. Increase the speed to maximum high power and run the machine for another 40 to 60 seconds. You'll hear the loud harsh clattering sound change into a quiet rhythmic hum as the fruit purees completely. The mixture turns into a uniform pale pink color with tiny darker ruby specks from the strawberry seeds distributed evenly throughout the liquid. If you stop blending before the full minute passes you'll end up with icy chunks that plug your straw. Blend hard at full power, the high speed friction pulverizes the tiny strawberry seeds so the texture stays silky.

Pour the thick pink smoothie slowly from the blender jar spout directly into a tall clear glass can-shaped tumbler. Fill the container right up to the brim until the liquid forms a slight dome at the top edge. Place a single fresh whole strawberry gently in the center of the pink surface. You'll see the thick liquid fold over itself lazily as it fills the glass and forms a perfectly level opaque pink surface. The green leaves of the garnish strawberry provide a sharp color contrast against the pastel drink background. Skip serving immediately and the mixture melts into a separated watery liquid that loses its velvety mouthfeel. Pour into a chilled glass tumbler, the cold glass walls preserve the thick frozen structure so it doesn't melt quickly.