It was a wet, warm Christmas morning. Inside, the tree sparkled with colorful glass ornaments, string lights and silver jingle bells. Outside,  puddles in the street reflected gray cloud cover. We opened our windows to let a humid cross breeze enliven the living room. Logan and I slept on an air mattress alongside the presents (the only sleeping space left in the packed house). At 7am my 3 year old nephew couldn’t be held back any longer. So we rolled quickly onto the floor, dressed ourselves and dragged the mattress into the laundry room. About 60 seconds later he busted in, his eyes as big as pancakes, eyebrows all the way up in his hair line. He squealed and ran right to the shiny plastic tricycle my dad got him. And as the adults proceeded to settle into comfy seats, clutching coffee, he tore at wrapping paper and bows in a flurry. He uncovered all manner of trucks, trains and building machines, exclaiming “THIS IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!”

And, you know what? I think it was. And not just for him (although it certainly pays off to be the only grandchild). Everyone in my family made their best effort to make our holiday pleasant and full of love and gratitude. We haven’t been all together on Christmas day for years. We even had Christmas dinner! We sometimes do a brunch but never a dinner.  I made a chocolate bourbon pudding pie and all was right with the world.

Alas, Christmas fantasies have been laid to rest. Sugar plum dreams are now just regular plum dreams. In the post sugar-coma fog of the holidays, all I can think about is my New Year's resolutions. That and how I can squeeze more lazy coziness into the week before all of my resolutions officially start. I want to squish more superfoods into my diet this year (goji! maca! moringa!). So I figure the best and laziest place to start is with a smoothie that tastes like berry-mango ice cream!

Avocado Blueberry Mango Super Smoothie

This is my current go-to post and pre-yoga smoothie. The natural fattiness in the avocado paired with blueberry and mango make this smoothie surprisingly kin to a creamy sorbet. The avocado makes me feel full and satisfied. And trust me, you can’t taste the avocado at all! Maca is energizing, hormone-balancing and is well known to elevate mood and improve libido. Chia is anti-inflammatory, helps regulate healthy dopamine levels, improves brain function and reduces cancerous cell growth (a result of Chia’s high omega-3 content). Avocado is a crazy important and wonderful superfood all on its own. Not only does it stave off hunger and promote an alkaline environment in the body, but the lutein in avocado improves eye health & prevents macular degeneration. Avocado is high in vitamin K (important for healthy blood clotting), monounsaturated fats (anti-inflammatory and anti-cancerous), calcium (for strong bones), folate (for a healthy brain), vitamin C (for a strong immune system), and protein (4 grams per avocado, the highest of any fruit!). Put THAT in your smoothie and drink it!

All in all, this mood boosting avocado blueberry mango super smoothie is perfect for the grey doldrums of winter. It’s certainly giving me the support I need for a happier season, I’ll tell ya that!

Note: No butterflies were harmed in the making of this photoshoot. The butterflies were collected from the forest floor of a Florida marsh lifeless and in tact.