Sweet & Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie
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This Hawaii-inspired smoothie blends juicy pineapple and mango with the warmth of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Matcha green tea rounds out the flavors.
I’m back from Hawaii! Alright, alright, I actually got back from Hawaii like two weeks ago but we can talk about that in a minute.
Hawaii was fabulous. We hiked in lava tubes, gazed at the volcano, walked through lush rainforest and were surrounded by dolphins on our snorkeling trip. We drank plenty of blended fruity drinks, learned what apple bananas are and ate macadamia nuts with practically every meal.
It was a successful trip only slightly tainted by the fact that I had a sore throat for the last few days that exploded into a full blown cold once we got home. Boo. On top of being sick, I’ve been dealing with insomnia. Had a couple of sleep-free nights in the last few weeks but hopefully I’m starting to get all my ducks in a row again.
And then lastly… I know guys, I’ll get to the fun smoothie soon… lastly, I was finally able to diagnose why I get faint somewhat easily. It’s something that I’ve noticed more and more post-college and my doctor and cardiologist were finally able to diagnose me with a syndrome called POTS. I’m on the low end of the spectrum but now I finally have a clear course to improving: aka cardio and a high salt diet — I know, weird.
Whew!
Okay now. That’s what is going on with me, now to this fabulously fruity smoothie.
I mentioned at the end of my last post that I love green smoothies. I started drinking them a year ago because I wanted to make sure I was taking care of myself in terms of nutrition. If I’ve started my day with a cup of spinach and a handful of fruits, I feel like I’m on the right track.
After I got back from Hawaii I was still craving those tropical flavors.... pineapple, mango, banana, coconut. So I made this sweet and spicy green smoothie with a green tea addition.
Mango, pineapple and banana give the smoothie its base. I’ve added cinnamon, matcha powder and cayenne pepper to liven up the flavors. Don’t be afraid of that cayenne. Just a little bit will help punch up your morning.
I love love love these flavors together. It’s a constant battle between cool and hot. The chill of the drink against the warmth of the cinnamon and cayenne. The richness of the matcha helps to round the drink out. Generally when using matcha powder you whisk it quickly to get rid of the powder bubbles but happily the blender will do all the work for you.
If you don't have a matcha whisk but would like one, I love mine. You can see it in the picture above. It's nothing fancy but works well. You can get it here.
One last thing to note about this smoothie: it will fill you up. If I’m drinking a smoothie I want it to be a meal replacement so it’s got to have protein. I use both almond butter and chia seeds to make sure I don’t get hungry before lunch.
Now go let me know what you think!
Sweet & Spicy Tropical Green Smoothie
Serves one. Recipe inspired by Simple Green Smoothies' "Sweet Dreams" smoothie.
If you don’t already have matcha powder, there are many small starter size options on Amazon: Jade Leaf and Starter Matcha both have small options for just a few dollars.
Lovely little things
I’ve been wanting a puffy vest for a long time and finally found one that I love and that is surprisingly cheap. This Talbots Quilted Puffer Vest is super flattering because of the lines, it unzips on both top and bottom (a win for us ladies with hips), and it’s all of $30 on Amazon Prime. I’ve worn it every day since I bought it.
New favorite meditation app: Calm. I know this one is fairly well known but I have to emphasize how great it is. They have a daily 10 minute meditation. They have programs to manage stress, calm anxiety, be more grateful. They have walking meditation, meditation for deep sleep, meditation for commuting and emergency calm! Not all of these are free but some are. I subscribed and am loving the wide variety of guided meditations at lots of various time lengths.
As if Grace Bonney (Design Sponge) wasn’t already fantastic, she recently took to action donating signed copies of her book, "In the Company of Women", to those who donated $100 to the ACLU and other organizations. Thank you Grace for finding meaningful ways you can take action from within your business.
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Loving What Is by Byron Katie
