Recipe: Creamy Dreamy Mint Green Smoothie

Tonight, I experienced one of my toughest-yet power yoga sessions.  All of those warrior 2s, planks, and camels left me feeling like a champ... and starving.  After unpacking from the day and settling in, I whipped up this little treat to serve as my dinner.  

My favorite ice cream has always been mint-chip.  But since I no longer partake of standard dairy-based desserts, I like to get creative.  The nice thing about a raw food lifestyle is that you can enjoy something that tastes like dessert with zero guilt!  This milkshake-style smoothie contains plenty of vitamin-rich fruit and veggies with a great balance of carbs and protein for an after-workout recovery meal.  It tastes amazing, and won't weigh you down.  I will definitely be making this more often!

Creamy Dreamy Mint Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk (I used my homemade hazelnut milk for this one.)

1-2 cups of kale

3-4 frozen bananas

1/2 cup fresh mint

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 scoop plant-based protein powder (I use Plant Head brand vanilla protein.)

2 tsp Dandy Blend tea (optional, but awesome.)

Pinch of salt

Sweetener of choice (I used a scoop of stevia for extra sweetness.)

Add all ingredients to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.  Enjoy! 

Dessert Recipe: Raw Vegan Mint Chip Pudding

Sometimes, the best recipes happen by accident.  On this beautiful Mother's Day, I enjoyed a vegan picnic lunch with family at the Old Stone Fort State Park where we saw waterfalls and toured a museum of Native American history.  It was a perfect day.  However, after discovering a tick in my nether-regions, I thought I deserved something decadent.  

I looked around my kitchen for something creamy and sweet.  Nothing caught my eye.  Then, Charlotte spotted the bowl of ripe avocados on the table, pointed and grunted, and I knew.  Believe it or not, I've never made avocado pudding!  I know, crazy for someone who loves raw food.  It's a staple in most raw kitchens, but for some reason, I just prefer my avocado savory.  Today was different.  One spur-of-the-moment thought and a grunting toddler led to my new favorite dessert...  Mint chip pudding!

Raw Vegan Mint Chip Pudding

1/2-1 whole avocado (Charlotte stole part of mine, so I had 3/4 of one.)

1 banana

2 dates

2 tbsp chia seeds 

1 cup almond milk (more if needed)

1 tsp vanilla extract

5-6 drops peppermint essential oil (I think 1/4-1/2 tsp of extract would also work)

1 tbsp cacao nibs (or chocolate chips)

Stevia to taste

First, put the dates and chia seeds in a bowl and mix with the almond milk.  Stir and allow them to sit for at least 15 minutes so that the chia seeds can expand and the dates can soften slightly. Once the chia mixture is gelatinous, add it to a blender with the avocado, banana, and vanilla.  Blend until smooth.  Then add the vanilla extract, peppermint, and cacao.  (It'll be fairly sweet, but this is where you'd add stevia if you wish.  I added 2 scoops of the powdered stuff to make mine super-sweet.)  Blend for just a few seconds to combine the flavors and break down the cacao nibs or chocolate chips into tiny pieces.  It makes enough for about four dessert servings, but I think mine will just be dinner.  Haha!  I, actually ate a small cup of this and put the rest in the freezer to turn it into ice cream.  We shall see how that goes.  

This recipe was even Mom approved.  And she's an omnivore!  I'm serious, the noises she made when she tasted it were far from G-rated.  I'm sure you'll agree once you've tasted it.  Wow!  Sometimes, I amaze myself.