Chai Latte Smoothie

My ancestors would prefer we had cheese grits, scrapple and scrambled eggs every morning...I promise to make that real soon for you folks but for now a sistah has GOT to at least start her morning off right. Right?  Who knows what sins lunch and dinner will hold.

Are y'all tired of smoothie recipes yet?? They're everywhere!! But I guarantee you've never seen this one...

Basic Smoothie Base

All of my smoothies will have the same base before I add the variety:

Spinach and/or kale
Almond milk - organic unsweetened (plain or vanilla)
Bananas - if I'm totally out or if my bananas aren't ripe enough, I will use an avocado.

Now the add-ons depend on my mood or what I need nutritionally that day.

• Was I drinking the night before? Detox and rejuvenate with cucumbers and blueberries or acai. 
• Was I a really bad girl and had a ton of carbs I need to flush out? Fiber it up with flax seeds. 

You get the drift. But what if I'm in the mood for something that tastes a little decadent because I was such a good girl the night before and didn't touch the Talenti gelato (Haagen Dazs?  Who are they?) that was calling my name from my freezer. That's when I opt for my favorite smoothie add-on; chai spiced peanut butter.

OK disclaimer time. My very good friend (and play play husband) Joseph Riley Land of RileyLand GourmetPantry (which I sometimes call Riley PantryLand) sells the most amazing chai spiced peanut butter. I've hyperlinked the mess out of it already so go check it out.

It's the only peanut butter I can eat right off the spoon and the ingredients are all natural and whole but what really makes this a great add-on is that it transforms any smoothie into a chai latte. And peanuts are good for you too!  All the peanut ads say so right??

One (or two) dollops will do ya.  Try it. You will not be sorry.


Love, Peace and Bacon (pork, beef, turkey or soy) Grease
TheKatalist

Day 57 - There are ALWAYS alternatives...really

My youngest teen offered to boil some eggs for me this morning. It's probably my favorite protein right now due to the fact that I have lost some of my desire to eat meat most days. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that my youngest also decided to change her eating habits and has adopted the life of a pescetarian. So this boiled egg ritual has become what we bond over for some strange reason (in addition to roasted veggies).

I declined her offer this morning because I was in the process of finishing off a peanut butter and jelly sandwich...yep that's right a good ole fashioned PB&J sammich! For some of you familiar with the food path/journey I'm taking, a red flag may register because typically, the traditional version of this all-time favorite classic is usually laden with ingredients that include unnecessary amounts of sugar, salt, preservatives and of course, flour, but here is my natural, wholesome, minimally processed version:

Peanut Butter - Freshly ground unsalted peanuts

Whole Foods 365 Apricot Spread

2 slices of toasted Ezekiel Bread (pictured above)

Very simple, very good-for-you and believe it or not, very delicious.

And speaking of delicious...I must make a confession. My palate has changed quite a bit and I realize that what is delicious to me now, is no longer delicious to the fans of my former food preparation practices and vices. I'll take time to address this at a later date as I ponder on it a bit more.