happenstance home

When my boys were younger we had a smoothie recipe that was made on repeat.  Somehow as they have grown we had stopped making it.  Some of that probably had to do with me not drinking milk, and staying away from yogurt.  I have a mid level allergy and cutting those two things out plus eating very little cheese has helped me so much.  Just last night I made my special recipe which I call "hash" and I decided to revisit this smoothie to serve alongside.   I revised the recipe using almond based yogurt.  Noah loved it so much - he exclaimed that he had forgotten how good that smoothie was.  Luckily he liked my new version just as much as the original.  He didn't even realize I had changed it up.


So, this is the yogurt that I can eat, and the added plus is that it is seriously delicious.  It is made by Kite Hill.  I buy it at Whole Foods.  My boys happily eat it too.  It is worth every-single-penny!


My favorite flavor is simply their vanilla.  Do you see all the vanilla seeds in there :)  Every bite is just so impressive.  It could even be eaten as a dessert substitute.


I used my Nutri-Bullet to mix everything together - I usually only use my Kitchen Aid blender, but I was making just a small amount of smoothie.


Yum - It was so good.   And this made a fun little snack.  Here is the recipe:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie - Using Almond Based Products - Dairy Free and Delicious!!!

2 - 5.3 oz. cups Kite Hill Artisan Almond Milk Yogurt - Vanilla Flavor
1/2 c. orange juice (we use pulp free)
1/4 c. wheat germ
1 frozen banana
14 frozen strawberries - (I used Whole Foods organic)
1 T. honey
1/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 c. unsweetened almond milk - (I always use Califia Farms)
2 T. Great Lakes collagen

Combine all ingredients in a blender of your choice.  I like the Nutri-Bullet or my Kitchen Aid Blender.  And that's it!

Makes 4 - 8 oz. servings - Recipe can be easily halved.

Target Glasses
Oh Joy Plate
Anthrolpologie Towel
Flower Shaped Bowls - HomeGoods

Please Note:  This post does contain some affiliate links.

When the Summer started I started something new.  That was to get up, get dressed, and go out walking.  At the beginning 45 minutes felt like torture (mentally and physically), but then over time I began to look forward to my walking time.  It really became a  peaceful moment in my day, and I wanted to get out there on that pavement.  Before I knew it I was walking 4 miles every morning.  When I could walk it all I began jogging some of it, and when you add little by little guess what?  You can end up being able to run the whole thing, and that it a great feeling.  Anyhow - if moving more is something you want to start - get out there and do it!  You can do it!

Now that the weather is changing it can be more challenging to stay warm (50 degrees this morning), but I am keeping up with my walking/jogging/running.  I just go at whatever pace I feel like that day. I thought I would share with you the drink that I make each morning when I get back home.  I always go out on an empty stomach -  a trainer I know told me if you do that you burn your fat instead of the breakfast that you just consumed.  Just a little tip - it sounds sensible.



My Vegan Based - Dairy and Gluten Free - Protein Smoothie - Chocolate Raspberry

1 cup water
1 cup Silk unsweetened original almond milk
1 heaping tablespoon ground chia seed
 raw almond butter - I just stick the knife in the jar and then drop and big glop of it into the blender
a big handful of Earthbound Farm organic power greens
a couple sprinkles of cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon of raw organic cocoa powder
Virgin Diet extra fiber - I use a half serving
1 level scoop of Nutri-Bullet powder
2 level scoops of The Virgin Diet Chocolate All In One Shake
1 cup organic raspberries (I like Trader Joe's) 


I use a simple Kitchen Aid blender - just put all ingredients in the blender - then mix-puree-liquify!  Mine is a little thick, but that is because of the fiber.  Omit the fiber if you want a thinner consistency.  I just started playing around with the ingredients, and this is what I came up with that I like and stick with.  One last note is that I also rotate the chocolate powder here and there.  When I don't use The Virgin Diet chocolate powder I use Garden of Life Raw Protein - Beyond Organic Protein Formula in the Chocolate Cocoa flavor powder, and then increase the raw cocoa powder to 2 heaping tablespoons - otherwise I don't think it has enough chocolate flavor :)  The Garden of Life powder is a little chalky.  I also sometimes use 1 scoop of The Virgin diet powder and 1/2 of a scoop of the Garden of Life powder with 1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder.  This way I am getting a full serving of protein, but mixing up the powders.


That is a lot of rambling on about a shake, but it's not your normal Smoothie.  Eliminating certain foods from your diet makes it more challenging or maybe I should say just different from traditional thinking when combining ingredients.  I will talk more about the JJ Virgin diet in my next post.  That will give you more of an idea how I ended up with this, and you will see that it is loaded with healthiness and foods that are less likely to cause inflammation in your body.  Let's just say I always thought dairy was a healthy food to consume - and it is UNLESS you are allergic.  The truth is the same for all foods - so just think - that something you think you are eating that is good for you could be causing you problems.

Hope everyone is well.

Happy Thursday!