Spring Awakening Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

Life keeps giving me gentle suggestions for exploring the new. "Why don't you play a bit?" Double drop D. Sunshine filling the room like a glass being filled with water. Changing where the capo hits the strings as I work out a melody alongside simple riffs. Scribble scrawling words out in my notebook. Taking breaks throughout the day for movement, stretching out my body. Following whatever creative notions float through my brain.

Somehow this year has been giving me space. Space and time to create. Quiet to explore new avenues of writing. Incidentally small or private lessons with teacher-friends in music and dance. It's welcome, that creative space. I need it to do worthy work, as do many of us artist folk. It's the introverted times that give us clarity enough to hear the whispering muse.

I love the improvisational nature of smoothie bowls. You build upon simplicity to create something that's utterly you. This strawberry smoothie base acts as the canvas for your imagination. It's one of my favorites. So simple and fresh and delicious. With smoothie bowls "it's all about the toppings," as my roommate says. I agree.

Topping ideas:

Toasted coconut, cacao nibs, chia seeds (my favorite)

Goji berries, fresh kiwi, hemp hearts

Brazil nuts, sliced kumquat, honey

Hazelnuts, dried chopped peaches, fresh strawberries

Barleans chocolate raspberry flax oil, fresh raspberries, chopped 100% chocolate

Spring Awakening Strawberry Smoothie Bowl

Recipe Type: breakfast

Author: Renee Shuman (Will Frolic for Food)

Prep time: 5 mins

Total time: 5 mins

Serves: 2 servings

This can be made in millions of iterations, and it all comes down to the toppings. My favorites right now are cacao nibs, toasted coconut, and chia. But you could do bee pollen, hemp hearts, goji berries, toasted sesame seeds, sliced kumquat or kiwi... the list is endless!

Ingredients

• 2 cups frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds + more to top
• 4 dates, pitted
• unsweetened almond milk
• toasted shredded flake coconut
• cacao nibs

Instructions

1. Add the frozen strawberries, cashews, chia seeds, and pitted dates to the bowl of a high powered blender.
2. Fill the blender with enough almond milk to just barely cover the ingredients.
3. Blend on high until your smoothie is creamy. I like my smoothies to be thick, like soft serve ice cream; but if you like yours thinner add up to 1/2 cup more almond milk and blend further until you get the consistency you like.
4. Pour your smoothie into two bowls and top with chia, toasted coconut, and cacao nibs. Dig in!

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