Vanilla Spice Chia & Berry Parfaits

Breakfast to go! Vanilla spice chia n berry parfaits with almonds, raspberries and crumbled Madagascar Vanilla Almond & Honey “This Bar Saves Lives” on top.

-Cinnamon Berries-
5 strawberries
5 blackberries
10 raspberries
*smash and mix with 1 tsp cinnamon.

-Vanilla Spice Chia Seeds-
1 cup almond milk
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp Raw Green Organics vanilla protein
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
*mix ingredients together in a cup and let sit until the chia seeds absorb the liquid.
Layer with spiced berries and top with almonds, raspberries and crumbled @thisbar.

Smokey Cinnamon Clove Pomegranate Kirsch

Indulging in a smokey cinnamon clove pomegranate kirsch, because it’s feeling like fall around here and I’m really excited. It’s getting darker earlier and the nights are cooler. This is the perfect drink for unwinding on this Friday night. I’m planning on a walk around the neighborhood with my love and hitting up some friends later, but for now…

Smokey Cinnamon Clove Pomegranate Kirsch
Ingredients:
2 oz. Kirsch (cherry brandy)
1.5 oz. Pomegranate Powell & Mahoney
5 cloves
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
splash of cranberry juice
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:
Combine Kirsch, Pomegranate P & M, cloves, pomegranate seeds, ground cinnamon and splash of cran into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a glass with ice (or add cloves and pomegranate seeds for a fun presentation). Top with a smokey cinnamon stick.

Coconut Bowl Bliss

Banana-cinnamon-açaí smoothie topped with chocolate granola, chocolate covered almonds, mangos, blackberries, strawberries and freshly shredded coconut with a nutmeg-honey-tahini drizzle.

Hull out a coconut and cut the brown husk off the back of the coconut meat. Throw the white meat in a blender and chop until fine. Set aside an add to the bowl once your smoothie is finished.

Smoothie Ingredients:
1 frozen banana
1 frozen packet Sambazon açaí
1/2 cup oj
1 tsp cinnamon
*Blend in a blender until smooth

Tahini Drizzle Ingredients:
1 tbsp smooth tahini
1 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp nutmeg
*stir until smooth and liquified – you may need to add water to reach a “drizzle consistency”

Sweet Blessing Birdnest Sticky Rice with fresh Tropical Fruit

I am a sucker for mango sticky rice…

Have you ever tried it? Ooooh my goodness, it’s fantastic – sweet n slightly salt topped with coconut cream and fresh mangos. Gawwwww it’s one of my favorites! You might remember a post I did for Blessing Birdnest a few weeks back…well they sent me some more goodies, so I’ve been excited to experiment with more recipes!

Click here to read about Blessing Birdnest and learn more about the fascinating health benefits of the Swiftlet bird nests from Cepu, Central Java, Indonesia. These nests are rich in several amino acids, proteins and minerals and are believed to stimulate the regeneration of cells, enhance skin complexion and support your immune and respiratory system. FANTASTIC!

Here is a fun recipe for turning that fountain-of-youth bird nest into a delectable dessert.

Sticky Rice
½ cup coconut milk
1 jar Blessing Birdnest (5oz)
1/3 cup water
2 pinches salt (or to taste)
1 cup white long grain Thai sticky rice
2 tablespoons sugar

Coconut cream
Sesame seeds
Fresh mango, cactus fruit, dragon fruit and passion fruit

Directions
Pour one cup of white long grain Thai sticky rice into a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 1 hour
Rinse rice and drain excess water
Transfer rice to a pot
Add coconut milk, Blessing Birdnest drink, water, salt and sugar
Cover pot with lid
Cook over medium-low heat for 30 minutes or until the rice has soaked up the liquid
Scoop rice onto a serving dish and top with sweet coconut cream, sesame seeds and fresh fruit.

Oh My Peachy Pie

I promise you I’m not only eating pie (2 pie posts in a row eeek)! My Grandpa has a peach tree in his front yard and the little tree has exploded with peaches this year. I mean LOTS of peaches, about 200+! There are so many peaches that the branches are breaking! So Dan and I have been assigned the task of picking all the ripe ones during our lunch break each day.

Happy to help!

Crust
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, cubed and very cold
1/2 cup cold water, plus more as needed

-Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
-Add the cold butter to the flour mixture, shave off thin flakes of cold butter with a knife. Use a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dough until it resembles fine crumbs.
-Add water 1 tbsp at a time. Give the dough a few kneads with your hands so that it forms a rough ball.
-Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for one hour in the refrigerator.
-Divide the dough in half and roll out a round sheet for the bottom of the pie. Bake at 350F for 15 minutes.
-Save the rest of the dough for decorating the top of the pie.

*********************

Filling
20 small peaches (or 10 big peaches) skinned and sliced
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup flour
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg

-Throw all ingredients into a medium sized pot, cooking on low heat.
-Stir until the peaches become soft and sauce begins to thicken.
-After the bottom crust is baked, pour the the filling into the crust until level with the pie dish.
-Place dough on top of peaches. Decorate as desired.
-Bake in the oven at 350F for 20 minutes or until the top crust is golden.

^^^Dan Dan my peachy man