Creating a healthy and purpose-driven life.
Is anybody else as into dark sweet cherries as I am? Right now I’m on a cherry kick, maybe due to the ending of summer. (Btw I’m fully prepared for fall, even though fall hasn’t fully hit yet.) I’ve had this smoothie almost every morning for breakfast, and can’t imagine starting my day without it. I don’t know what it is about it that makes it so delicious, but it’s just the right combination of berries and sweetness from the cherries that it blends into a delicious smoothie!
I miss fresh berries. I really do! I already am anticipating the return of my favorite fruits and other produce, that are only available in the summer months. However, I’m very grateful for all of the frozen berries one can buy at the local health store year-round! My parents had fixed something similar to this blueberry crumble following a Tosca Reno recipe a year ago. I couldn’t find the same recipe, when my mom was invited to an outing with friends, so I found a similar recipe and changed several ingredients (since I didn’t have the time nor the will to run to the grocery store to buy the necessary ingredients).
Yesterday I ate 10 protein bites. It wasn’t exactly ideal, especially considering how stuffed I was, but they certainly were worth it! Cranberries and pumpkin work so well together! I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin, but this worked perfectly. They generally had me thinking pumpkin cranberry cookies, scones, etc…my mind just goes to all sorts of places in food land! Next time I’ll be trying chocolate chips instead of cranberries, for a dessert-like treat.
Apples, apples, apples! They’re everywhere this season and in all different varieties, too! A staple snack of mine was apple slices with almond butter, but then I realized a perfect healthy dessert or treat would be a dessert “nacho” recipe made with sliced apples! Yes, I’m well aware that they’re not quite what others would consider nachos, but they’re awesome in their own way. So if you’re craving a dessert/snack/post-workout meal, grab some apples from your local grocery store (or your fridge) and get going! 
Even though it’s fall, I do like some tropical flavors every now and then. There’s only so much fall-flavor you can pack into the two months. Do I love fall-themed foods and drinks? You better believe it! Do I want to have an apple pie smoothie everyday for 60 days? As much as I love it, I really need some variety. I was inspired by a Facebook post of a friend of mine who had made a similar smoothie, but jazzed it up a bit.
I don’t know why I’ve never attempted making my own protein bars before. I mean, I’ve pretty much tried everything else: protein bites, protein muffins, protein pancakes, waffles, cakes, cookies, the list goes on…And I’m pretty sure that this will be the start of a new experimentation phase, so just as a forewarning: there will be more homemade protein bar recipes coming soon! (You have been warned!)
I eat a lot of veggies, really I do! But the one thing I can never get myself to do is to eat veggies raw. Fruit? No problem! Veggies? No chance! I don’t know if it’s the taste of uncooked vegetables or the texture, but I just prefer them stir fried in olive oil with seasoning. However I do know that there are significant nutritional benefits to munching on some carrot or celery sticks. The only way one can get me to do that though is with dips. Unfortunately due to a dairy intolerance, ranch dip is out of the question. Guacamole is great for every once in a while, but some variety is appreciated!
As I’ve told you before, I got obsessed with smoothie bowls. I’ve been keeping this smoothie bowl recipe to myself for a bit, waiting for the right moment to post this! Since I already gave you guys one non-green smoothie bowl, it’s time to add one recipe with greens in it!