I collect huckleberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches, apples — pretty much all things sweet and fresh in summer — and toss it in the freezer for these dark days when I’m still longing for a morning boost of energy, nutrients and take-on-the-world mental juice. It’s all here in this bowl.
But it’s easier in these dark days. Yes, I said that right. Everything is already cleaned and frozen, so I open the freezer door and just throw a handful of whatever in the Vitamix. And frozen bananas. That is the secret to perfect topping holding capacity of smoothie bowls.
Don’t forget the meat of this bowl… the hemp hearts, which are mostly in the pantry, sometimes in my fridge, and often in my purse — aka bottomless day bag, but a great place to stash a bag of hemp hearts for midday fuel.
I dig pomegranate seeds – they’re super rich in anti-oxidants, fun to eat, and for $3 one of those lasts about five days of toppings on all sorts of meals from smoothies and oatmeal to salads to soup. Pumpkin seeds are seasonally-entertaining and almost as good for you as hemp seeds, so I toss those on as well for color.
I try to approach my day like I do my smoothies… don’t overthink it, which I often do. We’re all making the best smoothie we can with what’s in the fridge or the freezer. Sometimes it’s a winner, and other days it’s meh. And that’s ok!
Fill-your-day-with-Joy Smoothie
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- 1 frozen banana
- 1 cup frozen anti-oxidant rich berries like blueberries, huckleberries, blackberries
- handful of spinach or other leafy greens (broccoli, even cucumber works too)
- 1 packet frozen Acai (optional)
- mint (optional, but great for flavor and for the gut)
Blend everything together in a high-powered blender. Top with more hemp hearts because you can and they are just so good for you. You pretty much can’t go wrong with adding anything to this smoothie, especially if you use the first 4 ingredients as a base. I like to add cinnamon or cayenne pepper for kick as well!