Thoughts & Coconut Cashew Strawberry Swirl Nice Cream

Where did 2014 go?

It went somewhere cold and snowy because now it's 2015 and looking really warm and sunny with dabs of snow on top, like a big vanilla scoop with strawberry swirls and white sprinkles on top. 

Sort of like that. If 2015 really does look like that, then that means that we're in for a treat!! Haha!

Anyway, it's been two weeks of winter break from school and already I've started to get flustered about getting back on top. You know, the books and tests and grades. That's kind of why this nice cream miracle happened. 

Even though it's super chilly outside, nice cream still has its very own warm place in my heart… And stomach!

Of course I adore banana ice cream: it's sweet, plain and simple, which creates the perfect soft-serve image in my head regularly. It's great for a right-out-of-the-blender treat, but not for a real rich and creamy dessert that replicates a the thick scoops you can get by the beaches in Seattle. That place is gorgeous and so are its ice cream shops. 

My nice cream creation is made out of coconut milk and cashews- rich and creamy that perfectly replicates a Seattle scoop! I've never really tried the two together for nice cream, and I admit that the thought of trying something different that didn't entirely include bananas sounded intimidating.

For this recipe, I assure that it's really not! We're still on the blender bandwagon, yea? There isn't an ice-cream maker for this recipe to be seen! (And I don't have one either)

Anyway, I hope you all kick off the new year with fresh spirits and some yummy, creamy, rich and smooth nice cream like this. At least, that' how I am…..

COCONUT CASHEW STRAWBERRY SWIRL NICE CREAM FOR WINNERS;

*2 frozen, spotty-dotty bananas, peeled and super ripe as always

*1/4 C of soaked cashews, rinsed

*1/2 C of full-fat coconut milk (I used Thai Kitchen)

*1/2 C of frozen strawberries- diced 

*1 tsp. each of vanilla extract, honey/agave (or 1-2 drops of pure stevia), and lemon juice

*fresh orange juice from 1 squeeze orange

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a high-speed blender or food processor, blend the bananas, cashews, and coconut milk together with the freshly squeezed OJ. 

2. pulse the strawberries and other liquidy things I asked for in next. 

3. pop in the freezer for about 6 hours and stir every half-hour for a creamy consistency

4. HAPPY NEW YEAR, AND ENJOY THIS LOVELY STUFF WITH A SPOON BECAUSE YOU CAN JUST EAT IT FROM THE CONTAINER- ICE CREAM SCOOPERS ARE WAY OVERRATED!!

Xxx, Alli <33

Not Too Sure, Answers to Everything, & the Warmest Cookie Latte for a White Christmas!

Since my last post, I've been thinking about how insightful I've become over the last few months: I'm not really feeling too pressured to be fit the exact measurements I always thought I had to meet. Today I realized that it's okay to not know.

I usually have an answer for everything. For example…..
Why do you feel sad/unhappy today?
~I'm anxious, and I need to remind myself that my size or looks don't define me. Sometimes, I have unhappy days where all I think about is myself, but I'm trying not to think about myself so much.

Why are you angry at other people? What did they do to you?
~I think I'm angry at everyone right now because I'm mostly angry at myself. I feel like all of my faults have been turned onto other people and now it's their fault that I'm mad, but it's really not.

But when asked how I feel about everything in this moment, I don't know.

It's okay that I don't know. I don't have to feel every minute and every answer to my hypothetical questions. I'm not even sure I know what I'm typing.

I know that I feel happy, but then afraid at the same time. I'm afraid of looking back and never moving forward. The past is apart of me. But I am not my past; I am my future. Many months ago I was my past, but that was my future. My future now is ahead of me, somewhere where I'll be wiser and more lively instead of just someone with a past that she'll never let go of.

And so for now, I don't know. I don't know if I'm supposed to feel relieved or frightened; Maybe both. What I've learned over the past few months is that it's okay to no know for sure. Nobody has the exact answers to everything and who really could? Even if I did have an answer now, I bet you all that it would change in my dysmorphed, colorful world of confusion and amazement. You don't have to feel or know in the exact moment to be wise.

It's 60 degrees and the end of December. I've finally accepted that we are not having a white Christmas here in Salt Lake. Oh well, maybe there will be a white Christmas actually. I'm not too positive on that one though. 

Christmas drinks at Starbucks are always so yummy and super festive! They're too overrated for me though. I wanted something eggnogy, fresh, minty, creamy, warm and milky- so I created the perfect Cookie Latte one night a few nights ago whilst sleep-drinking. (I was super tired and practically sleeping) 

The crazy amounts of sugar and odd processed crap the legendary Starbucks drinks has to offer just…. didn't appeal to me. Apparently there's no real pumpkin in their pumpkin spice lattes. How shameful and appalling, really!

My wintery concoction turned out fab I'd say! IT'S ALSO SUPER EASY TO MAKE! It's perfect with the slight buttery taste the pb gives and the vanilla makes a warm drink. At the end, with the dark chocolate 88% chunks, they melt and are irresistibly sweet and yummy in your mouth!! Ahhh….

COOKIE CHOCOLATE WHITE CHRISTMAS LATTE:

 *1/2 C of almond milk + 1/4 C of canned full-fat coconut milk (I like to use Trader Joe's or Thai Kitchen)

*1 tsp. of honey, pure bourbon vanilla extract, and coconut sugar each

*1.5 tsp. of creamy natural peanut butter

*1 small square of at least 88% dark chocolate, chopped into tiny pieces. 

I don't recommend using cacao nibs because they don't melt the way that super dark chocolate does

DIRECTIONS:

***The best way is to make on the stovetop, I posted the way to do it in the microwave on instagram, but since then, I think that the stovetop way works better to break up peanut butter chunks and to melt everything in***

1. In a small sauce pan, stir the almond and coconut milk and coconut sugar together on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until nice and frothy.

2. add in the honey, vanilla, and melt your peanut butter in the microwave so you can stir it better. Stir until well combined- 3-4 minutes.

3. pour into a white Christmas mug and stir in the dark chocolate chunks! Enjoy!!

Xxx, Alli

VBK's Best Healthified Pancake Saturday Stack [wild blueberry and cinnamon mylkshake pancakes]

So many Pancake Sundays have gone by without notice. Such a shame. At least tomorrow shall be celebrated and praised with pancakes. I'm not sure why-maybe it's because making pancakes and taking pictures of them and noshing decorations for them making them pretty cute takes a long time. I am a girl with not a lot of patience. I like to get to the end of the story, where the girl lives happily ever after in the spotlight. I like my banana ice-cream right out of the blender, as opposed to letting it freeze for 2 hours just for the consistency. And I like pancakes that take less than 30 minutes. I'm pretty sure I've just done that. 

So fluffy, so light, and cinnamony with warmth and a heavenly scent that fills the house. I guess I should really take the time to make some delightful pancakes like these more often, because it's obviously all worth it! 

Cinnamony cinnamony eat it up, yum! These taste even better with wild blueberries inside them. They burst with a jammy flavor in your mouth- but don't let the wild blueberries spill everywhere! That happened to me and it was so not fun sweeping them up while they're juices spilled purple all over the place! 

VBK''S BEST PANCAKE SATURDAY STACK   

*1/8 C of coconut flour and pumpkin puree each

*1/2 C of oat flour (you can either buy this or grind rolled oats up in a blender/food processor.) + 1 Tbs. of rolled oats

*2 Tbs. of greek yogurt, plain or vanilla works well

*1 tsp. each of baking powder, vanilla bean extract, cinnamon, and either natural maple syrup or maple extract

*1/2 tsp. each of nutmeg, optional maca powder, and coconut sugar

*1/4 C of coconut milk

*2 egg whites or for a vegan substitute, use 1 flaxseed egg

Method to happiness:

1. Mix everything together and flip on a pre-heated pancake pan and top with lots of goodies.

2. ENJOY!! 

Let's go wild blueberry picking please

Xxxx, Alli

Spinach & Avocado Frozen Yogurt + Very Berry Kitchen's Favorite Banana "Ice-Cream!" (the oh-so vanilla post)

The days are going by too quick; It is almost Thanksgiving and we just barely got over Halloween! I have been getting lots of sore throats and cold chills recently, and I really hope that I don't start coughing all crazy because I literally look like quasi-modo whenever I cough! (Special Fact: drinking pineapple juice is 5x more helpful than cough medicine.***) Pumpkins and distinct kinds of cooky-shaped squashes are everywhere. I mean, literally everywhere because my sisters even have pumpkins in their rooms.

Next weekend, I plan to have a "healthified" booth at a Japanese boutique where you can sell anything you want! My uncle Mike is going to sell his bottle openers, and my bootiful cousin Madi is going to sell her precious bows  which are oh-so lovely! (I can't say that the bottle-openers are oh-so lovely! Teehee) 

Anyway, I'm still deciding on what to make for the boutique, because I want everything to look and taste sinful, but the treats and desserts will all be totally healthified and pro-nutrient dense! Maybe I'll make my legendary sweet-breads, or maybe even a fully-raw vegan cake. But for now, we shall eat and fantasize over a big bowl of spinachy-avo-froyo! Lettuce (pun pun!) have our froyo and always eat it.

SPINACH & AVOCADO FROYO + VBK'S FAVE NICE-CREAM!

*1 C of plain greek yogurt mixed with 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

*a huge handful of baby spinach

*2 Tbs. of soy milk (or any other plant-based milk your heart desires)

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1/2 of a super ripe banana

*1 frozen kiwi- diced so your food processor/blender can run smoothly

*1/4 of a mushy and super creamy avocado

*2 frozen, spotty dotty bananas + 1/2 of a banana- not frozen

*1 rip of a vanilla bean

*1 medjool date- pitted and pureed (if it's not pureed, then you might get teensy chunks of the date, even you have the highest-speed blender/food processor out there)

*2 ice cubes

*1/2 tsp. maple extract (or 1 Tbs. pure, natural maple extract)

*a tiny scoop of PB + a tiny drop of almond milk

Very Berry Kitchen's method:

1. In a very high-speed blender, blend the all of the ingredients together for the green frozen yogurt part. Pour this into half of a container and freeze.

3. In a food processor/blender, blend all of the banana ice cream ingredients together, save the PB and maple. After everything is blended all the way through, add the PB and maple and pulse. Pour this into the other half of the frozen container and freeze for at least 45 minutes for a creamier consistency. 

3. Top with any other yummies and ENJOY!!

this is the same recipe, but with some blackberries added to the nana nice-cream part <3

Xxx, Alli

Springtime, Missing Seasons, and Peachy Cinaamon Pear "Strudel" Baked Oats

I have an appetite for all things warm. I'm a flower child awakening at sunset. I'm a dragon fruit cactus that only opens up during nighttime, because nighttime is when all of the quiet and creepy animals and insects pop out into the fray of the moon reflecting its sliver rays onto the earth. I'm curling my toes hoping, wishing, and praying that the Fall weather will be delayed so I don't have to take my heat blanket out just yet. I need some balmy rain to heat me up- not the mysterious gloomy kind which only melts my happiness and leaves me feeling bitter and despairing inside. What can I say? I am attached to the weather. My mood is oscillating in the early spring time when mother nature is deciding which days will be wrecked with slush and rain, and which days will not be. I guess I'm spoiled. I take the heat for granted, and complain about the cold. I guess nighttime is when I should really be sleeping, but I lie awake at night dreaming about luminous sunsets and balmy winters at Disneyworld instead.

Today I will be sharing with you guys my favorite heat-me-up meal. I could tell you all that this is a meal to dream about at night, but I would rather you eat this in the day and fantasize your dreams at night. 

 These oats are perfect for rainy autumnal mornings when the weather isn't treating you well. In the background, there is a stack of pear and chai spiced pancakes topped with PB and raspberries. (Maybe I'll make a post on those pancakes one day :D) Anyway, strudels have never really been that great until this little beauty came along!

Peachy Cinnamon Pear Strudel Baked Oats (and what you'll need)

*2/3 C of old-fashioned rolled oats + 2 tsp. to sprinkle on top

*1 drop of stevia, or 1 Tbs. of pure maple syrup

*1/3 C each of any plant-based milk you desire (I used almond milk, but you can use rice, hemp, cashew, coconut, or even oat milk if you want!), and applesauce

*1/3 of a squishy-mushy overly ripe pear (Bartlett is the best kind in my opinion. bartlett is usually sweeter, softer, and easier to bite into)

*1/3 C of freshly squeezed peach juice. You may want to freeze a couple of too-ripe peaches that are too squishy to eat, and then microwave them. 

*1 tsp. each of date sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and baking powder

*1/2 tsp. nutmeg 

Method:

1. mix all of the wet ingredients together in a medium sized bowl. 

2. mix all of the dry ingredients together and slowly stir and add to the wet ingredients. Pour into a ramekin, (I use coconut oil spray so it doesn't stick) and sprinkle a few baby pear slices on top. For a crispier effect, sprinkled the 2 tsp. of oats, 1/2 tsp. of coconut sugar and cinnamon on top. This makes it so the oats look like a cobbler/strudel. 

3. At 350 degrees, you should bake your "strudel" at around 18-22 minutes. Serve with more plant-based milk and enjoy!!

Blueberry Bushes Forever & The Blue-Miracle Bowl Straight From Heaven

Ahhh…. the simplicity of it all. Isn't it incredible how the simplest fruits and vegetables can color and fill your life up?

I need a blueberry bush in my garden. In my cozy, homie, and not-green-enough garden. I mean, my garden is very green, but I'd like it to be a bit more versatile- with snow peas and watermelon sprouting voluntarily in the summer and avocado trees and broccoli bushes showering me with love during whatever season they are best in. Overall, I would like a lot of things. I would like a kitten named Coffeepot, a new screen in replace of my shattered on one my phone, and a towering blueberry bush that would last forever.

My summer trip to Seattle was lovely (you can read more about it in one of my recent posts). Blueberry picking and sight-seeing was the highlight of the trip, but mostly blueberry picking. It felt super therapeutic to roam and skip through the large bushes that seemed never ending. The blueberries were ripe and juicy- almost too juicy not to eat every one of them! I was in heaven. I was in a grassy green land where I felt like I belonged somewhere. I belong in a blueberry bush! We took home 8 pounds of pure, unadulterated blueberries that evening. Picking the berries became a full-on competition to see who could grasp the biggest and juiciest berries, and I think I won. (even though I pretty much ate all of  the bluebs anyway! Teehee)

Blueberries actually are not my favorite fruit, it's just the joys of picking them. Simplicity is best, so lettuce (pun pun!) water our broccoli gardens and carry on with the blueberry picking and eating. You can learn a lot about yourself by finding therapeutic adventures you love!

THE BLUE-MIRACLE BOWL OF LOVELY AND BLUEBERRIES (along with the recipe):

For the Vanilla Lovely Ice Cream

*1 tsp. of vanilla bean paste and date sugar each

*1 scant tsp. of lemon juice- freshly squeezed or from the bottle

*3/4 tsp. of maple extract

*2 ice cubes

*1 3/4 spotty-dotty frozen banana

*1/4 C coconut cultured yogurt or greek yogurt

For the Pink and Pretty Ice Cream

*3 frozen bananas -spotty and dotty indeed

*Either 3/4 C of frozen raspberries, or even better, one frozen pitaya/dragon fruit packet 

*2 ice cubes

*1/4 C of pineapple and frozen orange each + the orange zest

METHOD:

1. In your Blendtec blender/food processor, blend the solids first for the vanilla part, and then add the liquids and pulse. If your blender/food processor has a difficult time doing this, then add 2-4 Tbs. of any plant based milk you prefer. (I use almond milk from Trader Joe's) Scoop that into a big bowl and place it in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

2. blend the frozen things first for the pinky-party-whatever flavor. Add in the rest of the ingredients by pulsing and then fully blending. scoop this on top of the vanilla flavor.

3. Now you're ready to top your ice cream with toppings! I topped mine with (of course) blueberries, more berries, and desiccated coconut. Now Enjoy! 

***NOTE: this bowl is bigger than all of the other ones, but you can of course halve the recipe. I usually eat these rainbow bowls as my meals, so they have significantly more ingredients to fuel and fill me up for hours.***

Xxx, Alli

Stupid People & The Never-Ending Neapolitan Pancake Stack Attack

I hate people. I love all of you, but sometimes, people suck. I opened the door for a lady at Whole Foods the other day, and she didn't even acknowledge me! Someone said that my food choices are stupid and living organic and free of pesticides and most dairy products will equal the most boring-est life ever, because apparently eating healthy is too stupid and you "only live once", and yolo actually really means eating all the junk in the world because who wants to spend a life eating healthy crap that tastes like cardboard? (So does that mean that you've eaten cardboard and healthy stuff at the same time? Or are your taste-buds just too cool for nutrition??) Oh, and my sisters are only friends with wifi and they have not gone outside (except for school) in forever. And last but not least, my sweet potatoes all burned in the oven last week because I forgot to take them out and set a timer. (I guess I sucked there, too)

I am not trying to be a hater on the gator. I am just trying to distinguish the difference between holding your tongue and being just plain blunt like a side of plain mashed potatoes for dessert on Thanksgiving at grammy's. Saying the phrases "no offense" and "to be honest" does not cut it, people! So, no-offense-but-I-think-your-new-natural-makeup-makes-your-face-look-just-like-Rod-Stewart's is okay? Just because no offense links a mean comment does not mean that everything should be taken lightly. This is another reason why sometimes people (including myself) suck. Words and wording words the right ways can get really tricky. 

Anyway, that was a rant I needed to get out into the world. So without some more ranting on sucky people, here is my favorite pancake stack and the recipe included down below. These pancakes are so fluffy and moist with rich flavors of carob, berries, and of course the ever lasting vanilla. I often feel the slightest bit of sympathy for vanilla, because berries and chocolate often over-rule the simple, but divine  flavor of vanilla. Vanilla beans are elegant and strong. Their magical essence embraces and pops even the dullest of dullest juices out. Vanilla is the new chocolate touch- and so beware when you stumble across vanilla bean extract in almost all of my recipes. Enjoy!

THE NEVER ENDING NEAPOLITAN STACK OF YUMMY(and what you will need):

*2 Tbs. of pure, organic and raw carob powder (I used Bob's Red Mill brand from Whole Foods)

*4 egg whites from the carton

*1 NOT FROZEN smushy and mushy and spotty-dotty banana

*2 Tbs. of coconut milk

*2 tsp. divided, each of coconut sugar, vanilla bean paste/pure vanilla bean extract (I use TJ)

*A handful of an assortment of berries

*1 Tbs. of honey/agave nectar and lemon juice- freshly squeezed or from the bottle, and maple syrup

*1/3 C oat flour (you can either make this yourself, or buy it very expensive at a health food store. All you have to do is blend up the oats in either a very high-speed blender or food processor.)

*handful of cacao nibs/carob chips

**OPTIONAL: 1 tsp. of mesquite powder for an extra superfood boost and caramel taste***

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST STACK THAT NEAPOLITAN HAS EVER SEEN: 

1. Pre-heat your stove to medium-medium low. Stir the oat flour, egg whites, honey/agave, coconut milk and mushed banana together. Set this aside for 5-10 minutes. 

2. Separate the pancake batter into 2 equal parts in separate bowls. In one bowl, add the carob powder, a tsp. of vanilla bean paste, maple syrup, and optional mesquite powder. 

3. In the other bowl, stir in another tsp. of vanilla bean paste, lemon juice, and carob chips/cacao nibs. Very gently fold in the berries. You should have two flavors of berry-bean and carob-caramel. 

4. Spray some coconut oil or veggie oil onto your stove and turn the heat down to low. Alternate flavors on the stove until you have a pattern of berry, chocolate, berry, chocolate. 

5. Now it's done! Take the extra time to drizzle maple syrup on your pancakes. You can top this with more berries, kisses, sliced fruit, carob sauce, more carob chips/cacao nibs, desiccated coconut, and even greek yogurt mixed with fresh berries for a beautiful pink-berry "frosting". 

ENJOY, MY LOVELIES!! Xxx, Alli <33

                                        I want that costume for Halloween; What a cute kid!

Sweetie Pie Lemon Poppyseed bowl, figs, and fruit puns!

                                     These fruit puns are more than funny; They are simply the best.

                        Sometimes, my little sister likes to eat the watermelon rind. What an entertaining little eater she is!

   Today's recipe is all about my prismatic bowls! Lemon poppyseed might just be my favorite flavor of all time. Honestly, it rules over every other sweet and tart flavor in the flavor hand-book. I like lemon poppyseed better than chocolate, dark chocolate, carob, vanilla, carrot cake, and even angel food cake! This recipe is much like my recent post on lemon poppyseed perfect pancakes. It's still creamy, sweet and tart, and makes you want to have it for breakie, lunch, and even dinner!

   Share this with everyone, because soon love will die, and only our minds will be able to free the fray whilst sharing warmth and kindness. Because soon love will die.

LEMON POPPYSEED- WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*1/2 C of rolled oats- NOT quick-cook
*1 C of any plant-based milk (I used coconut milk for a creamier and more tropical flavor)
*1 tsp. each of poppyseeds, coconut sugar, vanilla, and maple extract
*half of a spotty-dotty mashed, and ripe banana
*2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
**OPTIONAL** I put in a bit of fig puree- about 2 Tbs. for some extra sweetness and flavor***

HOW TO MAKE LOVE (THE RIGHT WAY):
1. In a small sauce pan, boil the coconut milk and vanilla. Once it is boiling, add in the oats and a pinch of salt for added flavor since oats tend to be really bland themselves. Constantly stir the oats so they don't stick to the pan.
2. Once the oats are thicker, add in the mashed banana lemon juice, and pureed fig if you're using the pureed fig. Don't you dare stop stirring! 
3. Once the oats are thicker with not alot of liquid left, stir in the coconut sugar and let sit for about 3 minutes.
4. Pour into a bowl and enjoy! Top your soon-to-be-food-baby with lots of fruit, more plant-based milk, nuts, berries, exotic fruit, and even mulberries and granola/grawnola.

ENJOY AND I LOVE YOU ALL. DON'T FORGET YOU TELL SOMEONE YOU LOVE THEM, BECAUSE MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, LOVE WILL SOON DIE.

Perfectly Prim Pear, Raspberry, and Citrus Morning Baked Oatmeal + The Beginning of Prismatic Bowls!

   Doesn't everyone love that "stick to your ribs" breakfast? Oatmeal may be the best way to go with that phrase.
   Well, when I was a little youngling, about 4 years old, I loved to eat mush for breakfast. I'm not sure why the crap tasted just like freaking card board even though it made me really happy and even though I had never even eaten card board, but I eventually stopped eating it because the world of Quaker's instant oatmeal, blueberry muffins, and smoothies opened up. My lovely bowls of mush became forgotten until I rediscovered them 5 years later hidden in the back of my pantry. Of course I became excited about it and quickly heated up a bowl or two in the microwave. The end result was YUCKY! It was also "HOW COULD ANYONE EVER EAT THAT WITH WORKING TASTE BUDS?" My lovely bowls of mush dreams were ruined that night.
   Fast-forward about 4-5 years later and here we have what I call "prismatic bowls". Oatmeal bowls that are homemade are much better than the packets! Homemade oatmeal doesn't have all that added sugar and it automatically adds that touch of warmth when it is made by YOU.
  This oatmeal bowl was inspired by perfect lighting. (It freakin' took me forever to find the perfect lighting to take this picture before I threw the whole bowl on the ground. Sorry, but perfect lighting = perfect everything) For this prismatic bowl, I baked it. Baked oatmeal bowls come out with cake-like consistencies. Try this recipe, because it may just be your inspiration towards a prismatic bowl journey.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
*2/3 C of rolled old-fashioned oatmeal that is NOT quick-cook.
*2/3 C of plant-based milk (I used almond milk) + 2 Tbs. of lemon juice and 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
*1/2 each of a very mushy and ripe Bartlett pear and tangerine + squeezed juice of other half of the tangerine
*1 tsp. of baking powder and honey
*1/3 C of mashed raspberries/strawberries
*OPTIONAL*** add in 1 tsp. of Organic Burst baobab powder (This has 6x more vitamin C than oranges, 5x amount of potassium in bananas, and has more calcium and iron than any dairy product! It tastes like a rainbow in your mouth and is definitely a superfood boost!

HOW TO MAKE:
1. 10-15 minutes prior to making your oatmeal, pre-heat your oven/toaster oven at 350 degrees and in a small measuring cup, stir the lemon-juice and vanilla into the milk for a vegan buttermilk! This will make your oats creamy and tart, but not too tart with a hint of rich vanilla!
2. After 10-15 minutes of step 1, mix all of the dry ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
3. Mix your raspberry/strawberry puree together with the tangerine juice and honey. Add this to the dry ingredients.
4. Slowly pour in the vegan buttermilk and make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed. Add to a sprayed ramekin (I used coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's) and pop it into the heated oven/toaster oven.
5. Bake for 20-23 minutes and let it sit and cool on a cooled surface for at least 5 minutes. This is the hardest part because you are going to have to restrain yourself from eating it before you make it pretty and top it with lots of toppings! The straggle is most definitely real here!!
6. Enjoy and top with lots of almond milk (or whatever milk you used). You can top with many nuts, seeds, sliced fruit, sauces such as carob or even pumpkin butter!

HAVE THE MOST LOVELIEST DAY EVER AND ENJOY!!
                                                                                       Xxx, Alli

Seattle, sippin' fruit and juice, and lots of laughs!

                                                               Whether it's in Utah,

or Seattle, 

green smoothies make up at least 25% of my diet. I'm not going to tell you that they refresh my mind or that they let my inner organic shine through. Green smoothies make me happier-inside and out! I'm not sure what it is, but something about green makes me want to eat it and makes me not want to at the same time. You can literally make any kind of green smoothie taste good, no matter what shade of green! (I personally like lime green best, like the Seattle picture one) 

   In July, I took a trip to Seattle with my cousin Sarena and we went alone on a plane to see our dear aunt, Ching. Auntie Ching is a flight attendant who travels many places! She gets to explore Paris, Amsterdam, Alaska, and many more places that I cannot think of at the moment. Us three girlies had the time of our lives! AC (short for Aunt Ching) was so kind and lovely to have us. She really was the star of our trip with her great wit! We probably pulled muscles in our tummies from laughing so much.

                                         We went to Pike's Market and sampled the tastiest treats!

AC took us to her nail person and we brought her some lovely flowers from Pike's market!

To be morally honest, we spent most of our time there eating! I didn't mind that.

We at least bought 8 pounds of blueberries at this one blueberry farm. They were big and fresh, juicy and sweet, and probably perfect for a hangover for anyone who needs them, haha! XD

 Every morning for breakie, we slurped on some smoothies. AC had just bought a new Ninja Blender, so every night and morning was a blast of fun creating lots of smoothie recipes. I always took a green smoothie that was filled with lots of greens! At the Pike Market, greens were literally around every corner.

YASSSSSSS

   Anywho, the asian stores we went to had so many exotic fruits to behold and try. There was jack-fruit, pitaya/dragon fruit, lots of lychee (I kind of…. ate a whole bag myself! oops), berries that were insanely sweet, and even durian was there. Oh and the pineapple was good too, mmmm. Of course we had to experiment smoothie recipes, so below is the recipe we all came up with:

SEATTLE'S GREEN MONSTER DRINK-WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 

*2 celery stalks- cubed

*2-6 oz. of freshly squeezed orange juice

*1/2 a granny smith green apple 

*10-12 green grapes 

*3/4 of an asian pear

*about 5 strawberries (LEAVE THE STEMS ON. IT IS ADDED NUTRITION)

*1 whole cubed and diced cucumber- peeled

*a handful of both spinach and kale

BLEND IT ALL UP AND ENJOY! I SUGGEST YOU DRINK THIS BY A BEAUTIFUL HYDRENGEA BUSH LIKE I DID.

AT-THE-TOP-OF-THE-PAGE GREEN SMOOTHIE RECIPE-WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

*2 oz. each of almond milk and coconut milk (I used Trader Joe's) 

*1 tsp. each of date sugar, hemp seeds, and maple extract

*4 oz. of frozen pineapple and raspberries

*3 ice cubes

*HUGE handful of baby spinach (Yeah, baby! XD)

*1/4 each of a Fuji apple and a very huge and juicy orange

BLEND IT ALL UP AND THERE YOU GO HAVE A NICE DAY XD