In case you haven’t heard, it has been unbelievably hot here in Southern California, as of late! I know, I know, for those of you already dealing with overnight frosts and possibly even snow, I know you don’t want to hear about it. But, with temperatures near (and over) 100º for what seems like nearly two weeks – I am pretty much over it.
The worst part is that I have absolutely zero desire to eat or cook in this heat. Nothing is appetizing to me and in turn, when I am not properly nourishing my body with the healthy nutrients and other good things that it needs, I am left feeling tired and totally lacking in energy – it’s a vicious cycle.
Since a couple of scoops of freezing cold ice cream, as good as it sounds, isn’t an appropriate meal nor does it contain a bit of anything healthy, I decided to come up with a green smoothie, on the fly, that would satisfy those cravings but actually provide some sustenance.
This creamy smoothie is simple to throw together and loaded with powerful, nourishing greens. The coconut water provides essential vitamins and minerals and it is also a great source of electrolytes – an amazing way to stay hydrated in this late season heat.
If you’ve been dealing with this heat, what have you been cooking and eating?
This Creamy Power Greens Smoothie recipe was originally shared on the Free People Blog BLDG 25 as part of my ongoing Restricted Diet Series
[print_this]Creamy Power Greens Smoothie (Vegan)serves 1
- 1 cup chilled coconut cream
1/2 cup coconut water
3 cups baby greens (I used a mix of baby kale, chard and spinach)
2 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
large handful of ice cubes
Directions:
Add all of the ingredients to your high speed blender. Process until smooth and creamy, adjust sweetness as necessary. [/print_this]
Notes:
– for the coconut cream, you can simply refrigerate a can of full fat organic coconut milk overnight and scoop out the solidified cream on top.
– instead of coconut water, you could just use the leftover water from the can, you could also use almond milk or just water.
– you can use any other sweetener of your choice that you prefer, honey, maple syrup, dates, etc.
– for the ice cubes, for extra goodness, you could opt for frozen coconut water cubes, which I always have on hand for smoothies!
2 Responses
That does sound way too hot in SoCal, Beth! Hope you guys get some relief soon, though it’s been warm here too. This smoothie looks so bright and colorful, definitely a cheery and fun way to stay cool.
Don’t forget about the high level of humidity most of the summer. I understand, I can finally turn on my oven in my nest to cook…my little munchkins have been asking me for fruit leather and I have finally been able to make it thanks to the wonderful cool ocean breezes. Happy cooking in your cool nest.