Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
This Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl looks so good it's nuts! #SweatPink #coffee #vegan #FitFluential Click To Tweet
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.

 

I had planned on sharing a pasta dish today but since tomorrow is National Coffee Day I decided to post this delicious smoothie bowl. Plus I have another version of it that I love just as much that I can’t wait to post so I wanted to get this one posted!

Inspiration is all around us! I recently got to meet up with a Just Astounding fella and fellow Vega lover. Of course while he was in town we had to meet up for smoothies and coffee and a few places came to mind. We went to one I love but haven’t been able to frequent as much as I would like as it isn’t that close, and a location that I didn’t even know existed, Agra Culture Kitchen & Press. Never meeting him or talking to him in person I was a little shocked at how we could just talk like we had known each other. When it comes to food, nutrition, healthy lifestyles but also living life to it’s fullest and not restriction I could talk all day long. I think this takes a little of the edge off my worry since starting the blog a couple years ago of meeting people and networking. I talk on the phone, I am a very social person, but I think it is just wondering it people have a different perception of me from my blog or social media. When it comes to meeting people in person I sometimes get nervous, but not quiet or shy. I recently was asked if a recipe could be posted with my real name and I wasn’t sure I was ok with that but I guess if people wanted to know they could figure it out. I’m just really cautious maybe, which after someone stealing your identity and hearing it is very common wonder how one can not be guarded but yet nobody wants to live life like that. I feel like I put a wide range of things on my social media with the exception of not as many family and kid pictures as I would like because I am overprotective and because I have noticed that many people follow me for my food and when I post family pictures I lose followers but I am becoming more and more ok with that because really it is who I am and if you don’t like it you don’t have to follow me, I love my family and our life, and I’m not going to pretend I am something I’m not. I don’t have time for two separate Instagram accounts so I just have the one. I do have a few pictures on my blog of my family as they are the two wands and love spending time with me in the kitchen but those are few and far between usually posting just the food, which is what I assume most people want to see anyways. I am just an average everyday mom who loves family, food, life, fitness, fun. I’m not a marathoner, body builder, I don’t even have a six pack. I have days like everyone else where I don’t like to workout. I love being active in general and playing outside, running with the kids, riding our bikes and just living an active lifestyle. I workout almost every day and when I do a program, get into my workouts more than usual, or have a goal people sometimes ask what I’m training for, I’m training for life. I workout so I can live to my fullest potential and so my body is ready for life and whatever comes my way. I got hurt earlier this year and it was and has been so much harder than I thought to rest, take it easy, and easy back into things. I found out something I knew but has a bigger impact on daily life than I thought, I work out to release stress. When I can’t workout I feel so “wound up and tight”. I have days or times where I don’t eat healthy, I think life is about balance. Eating healthy 80% of the time and eating whole foods and then having cake, wine, ice cream, or another treat on vacation or the weekend is life to me. I crave so many healthy foods but there are some that are considered not so healthy. I am like so many others out there constantly trying to figure out what my body needs and that changes. Years ago I was told I needed to cut out dairy 100%. Later that it was just a sensitivity. When I was younger I had a problem with lactose, but “grew out of that”. I was vegetarian, gone vegan, gone vegetarian for medical thyroid reasons, gone just ME. I strive to eat healthy quality whole foods that make me feel good. There are still foods I like that I know my body doesn’t but sometimes I have those anyways. There are things I am learning my body can have in moderation but I need to just remember that. I try to make eating fun, not restrictive. I write my blog because I love to spend time in the kitchen playing with food and I hope to inspire others with my recipes. I pay for my website myself, there are no ads so I post what I want. As I change and evolve, my family changes, our dietary needs change so will my blog. It is staying true to who I am. There are foods I have maybe 2-3 times a year and if I have one of those and make something really good it might show up on my blog. Again doing what works for me and my family which is eating 90% healthy whole foods and living a balanced healthy lifestyle. I just want to set a good example for my girls, showing them that being strong and healthy is not the same as skinny. Properly fueling our bodies so we can live the best lives possible. Again not restrictive and they have learned on their own how eating certain foods make them feel and those are things that I feel they need to learn. In our house we have bowls of fruit on the table at all times. As I write this I have giant bowl of 5 pounds of pears and 6 pounds of green apples, some bananas, another bowl with a dozen peaches, and lots of apples from our trip to the apple orchard. The girls can grab these anytime they are hungry or anything else in the house but they usually make good choices and pick whole fruits or veggies. If we aren’t going to eat all the fruit it doesn’t get thrown out I simply cut it up and freeze it before it goes bad so it can be used in smoothies. I just try to balance everything in life, I’m busy like everyone else and many nights stay up late just to get a post done. I try to batch post when I have time writing up many recipes since we have soccer, gymnastics, volunteering at the school, helping with my grandmother and other family members, as well as life and a family and house to take care of, sometimes single handed. I will photograph food right before we eat it. Yes sometimes that means my food has to be reheated. Sometimes I take lots of pictures and still don’t have any I like so the recipe won’t get posted until I make it again, if I remember and have time to photograph it again. Sometimes I plate and photograph something and then throw it in a container and we enjoy it on the way to soccer or where ever we are going. We are a couple weeks into the school year and I’m still trying to balance and get into a routine.

Sorry for getting off track I just sometimes wonder if people know me. Maybe it doesn’t matter, maybe some people wonder who is behind the screen and these recipes. I’m not a selfie or picture person but I did shock people and post some on Instagram recently. I also updated my About Me page with a new picture. I did just recently do a recipe for a mom website that I will post the recipe with a little info in as well as when they post it their interview with me and a recap of some of our favorite Halloween recipes.

So back to the recipe, I glanced at the menu and of course one thing stood out a Nutty Espresso Smoothie! I got that with added maca and it was delicious! I have made many espresso smoothies and smoothie bowls at home but this was different it had bananas. I had bananas once in my espresso smoothies/smoothie bowls and I just thought it was better with pumpkin, protein, basically non banana espresso smoothies because I could taste the banana and I wanted to just taste the coffee and or coffee and chocolate. My taste buds changed or something clicked because it was so good I had to run home and recreate it. I made a couple versions and was hoping to find “the best” one but really they were all good and it wasn’t getting any either to nail down just one recipe. This goes to show you that sometimes recipes are inspirational and you can just use what you have or tailor it to your needs. You need protein you make a protein version, you want to make your own cashew milk (which is so dreamy and nothing like store bought, if you haven’t made it add it to your list!), or you don’t have something sub something else. I like to make it with espresso powder or espresso beans but if you don’t have those or don’t like say chocolate covered espresso beans you might not like that and you can use cooled espresso, just reduce the amount of liquid. To get a really thick smoothie bowl you have to be sure to add enough frozen fruit which is why I say to start with less liquid and add as you need. If your bananas are really small you may need an extra one. If you are adding protein I always suggest blending the milk and protein before adding the frozen fruit so you don’t have powdered chunks or you don’t over blend it as it won’t be as thick. So I have two of the versions listed below and decided to save the third for something else but will be sure to link back to this so you can swap out the key difference giving you 3 ways to make 2 different recipes, 6 different combos plus any you may come up with inspired from those. If you like coffee this is really exciting, not sure if that is the excitement talking or the Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl I just had. Have a mini me at home that also wants one of these smoothie bowls? Omit the espresso beans and add cacao nibs or chocolate chips and you have a tasty kid approved and kid friendly version.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Makes 1-2 servings
3/4-1c cashew milk or cashew almond milk, homemade if possible see below
2 frozen bananas, broken into large chunks
1 TBSP espresso beans
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1-2 Medjool dates, pitted (use only 1 if using milk recipe below or your own sweetened cashew milk)
optional maca (use Navitas Naturals Gelatinized Maca)
optional toppings: chopped raw cashews, cacao nibs, chopped espresso beans

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
Makes 1 serving
3/4c cashew milk (used So Delicious Unsweetened Vanilla Cashew Milk)
1 frozen banana, broken into large chunks
2 tsp- 1 TBSP espresso powder, or 2 shots cooled brewed espresso and decrease milk to 1/2c
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Medjool date, pitted
1 scoop protein powder (used Vega Sport Vanilla Performance Protein)
optional maca (use Navitas Naturals Gelatinized Maca)
optional toppings: chopped raw cashews, cacao nibs, chopped espresso beans

 

In a Vitamix, or high speed blender, blend together milk (using 3/4c and adding more only if needed after adding bananas), espresso, cinnamon, dates, and maca/protein powder if using. Add in banana and blend, using tamper if needed and you have one. Add more milk if needed but you want to blend until just blended and don’t want to add too much liquid to keep it thick. Pour into bowl and add toppings as desired. Enjoy!
This Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl looks so good it's nuts! @VegaTeam #BestLifeProject #coffee #vegan Click To Tweet

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version

 

Homemade Vanilla Cashew Milk
Makes about 54 ounce
2c raw cashews, or for cashew almond milk use 1c of each
6-6 1/2c cold filtered water
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 whole vanilla bean, or a couple teaspoons vanilla extract
3-4 Medjool dates, pitted
pinch of sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
Soak cashews and almonds overnight or approximately 8 hours. Rinse and drain nuts and place in a Vitamix with water, cinnamon, vanilla bean, dates, and salt and blend 3-4 minutes on high. Use a nut bag to strain pulp from milk. Store milk in an airtight container and enjoy within 2-3 days.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl
Made with homemade cashew milk, whole food, non protein version.

 

Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version
Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl, protein version

 

 

Fuel up or wake up with a Nutty Espresso Smoothie Bowl! @VegaTeam #BestLifeProject #FitFluential #vegan Click To Tweet

 

While I do receive some Vega products from time to time, which I listed as an option in this recipe, I do purchase much of it on my own. It has been my plant-based protein of choice since before I started blogging. Even though most Vega products used are purchased by myself I do add this disclaimer. I do not make any money off any Vega sales or posts. I only write about foods I love, my blog is an extension of my hobby to make fun healthy food creations for me and my family.