Cranberry Chai Smoothie

Fall in Jacksonville, FL is a bit schizophrenic.  For example:

Three days ago the high was 71 degrees.

Yesterday is was 89 (90 with the heat index)...and Bo asked me if I wanted to go to the beach.  

Yes...it is mid-October and we talked about going to the beach!

Some people might be thrilled with a mid-October day that is 89 degrees.  

Me?!

I miss the Aspen leaves changing to bright yellow in Santa Fe.  

Source

I miss dressing in layers.  

(My poor scarves, coats, and boots are gathering layers of dust.)

I miss wanting hot oatmeal in the morning.  

I miss craving pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce.  

Oh wait, I still crave those things...even when it is 90 degrees outside!   

So what is the solution to both respecting weather schizophrenia AND quenching my food cravings?!

Why, a smoothie of course!

But not just any smoothie.  

This smoothie is cold enough to cool off even the hottest summer day, AND is exploding with antioxidant-rich fall flavors.

WIN-WIN!

Cranberry Chai Spice Smoothie
Serves 1

1 very ripe frozen banana
1/2C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1/4C Oregon Chai Sugar Free Chai Tea Latte Concentrate
1/4C homemade cranberry sauce (I used half stevia, half sugar)
1/2tsp xantham gum
3 dashes of cinnamon
3-5 ice cubes

Directions:

• Place all ingredients into a high speed blender.
• Pulse a couple of times to begin blending ingredients.
• Blend on high for 30-60 seconds until fully incorporated.
• Serve chilled, and topped with chunks of homemade Cranberry Orange Bread (Optional, but HIGHLY recommended!).

Bo and I can't seem to get enough of the Cranberry Orange Bread that I made.  In case you were wondering, I did make a few changes to the recipe, including:

• using White Whole Wheat flour;
• reducing the sugar to 3/4C;
• using lemon peel in place of the orange peel (Hey, I use what I have on hand!);
• substituting Smart Balance for shortening;
• leaving the cranberries whole instead of chopping them;
• not adding nuts; OH and,
• cooking it for 1 hour and 15 minutes (instead of 55 minutes...it took FOREVER to cook through!).

This bread has an incredibly delicious muffin-like texture that Bo and I loved!  We have eaten this bread simply with butter, crumbled it over yogurt, crumbled it over ice cream, and now used it as a topping for a smoothie.  In fact, I can't wait to go to the grocery store this weekend to buy several more bags of cranberries just so that I can bake another loaf!

So, if fall is having a difficult time coming out where you live, think about smoothies.  They are the perfect marriage for warm weather and fall flavors. :)

Question of the Day:

Do you ever make your own smoothies?  If so, what are some of your favorite flavor combinations?

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Banana Melon Smoothie

Everybody knows that breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  I mean, honestly, the proof is in the pudding, right?!  I have more breakfast recipes on my blog (thus far) than any other type of recipe.  Granted, most of these recipes include oats; but what can I say?  I LOVE oatmeal.

But today's post has NOTHING to do with oatmeal.

Nope, there isn't an oat in sight.  

You see, yesterday morning I was craving something different for breakfast.  By 7:30AM it was already H.O.T. outside (over 95 degrees, with the heat index!).  Needless to say, I wasn't in the mood for my regular hot tea or hot chai.  Instead, I had an overwhelming craving for a smoothie.

But not just any smoothie...

...I wanted to incorporate the sweet, juicy, freshness of melon!

Sweet and bursting with flavor, this smoothie is the perfect way to start a summer morning off with a BANG!  The frozen banana makes it creamy, the flax gives it staying power (along with fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3's), and the melon simply makes it delicious.  Feel free to use cantaloupe, honeydew, or any type of specialty melon.

Banana Melon Smoothie
Serves 2

1 large banana, broken into pieces and frozen
1 heaping C of melon (I used cantaloupe)
2T ground flax
1/4C orange juice
1/4C Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

Directions:

• Add the banana, melon, flax, orange juice, and almond milk to your blender.
• Blend on the lowest speed first, and then gradually increase the speed.
• Continue blending for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly smooth.
• Serve chilled, as a snack, or alongside your breakfast of choice!

I decided to add flax meal to the smoothie for a number of reasons, but primary because flax contains significant amounts of fiber, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.  It is also high in B vitamins, which is important for someone like me who doesn't receive those vitamins from animal protein.  If you want to learn more about the benefits of adding a tablespoon of flax to your morning smoothie, oatmeal, etc., just read here.

Question of the Day:


What is your favorite summer drink?  Is it iced coffee? A milkshake?  A smoothie?  Iced tea?  Orange juice?   Tell me all about it in the "Comment" section below!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo