Watermelon Lavender Smoothie

A Watermelon Lavender Smoothie may sound a bit strange, but this odd combination is light, floral and delicious.

The key to cooking with Lavender is to start with small amounts. If you add too much, your lovely dish will taste like potpourri. I’ve been working to incorporate lavender into more recipes and this smoothie was a perfect choice. The watermelon is fresh and sweet, and the vanilla yogurt blends well with the floral taste of the lavender.

A wonderful benefit of experimenting with herbs, is the transformation they bring to your food. Something you may have eaten 100 times, suddenly takes on a completely new taste. Try adding a pinch of lavender to your salads, breads or desserts.

Enjoy!


Watermelon Lavender Smoothie
by Laura Friendly
start to finish: 10 minutes
makes: two cups

• 2 cups watermelon, rind removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
• ½ cup dairy-free vanilla yogurt (I used soy yogurt)
• ¼ cup unsweetened dairy-free milk (I used almond milk)
• ⅛ tsp food grade dried lavender, finely ground

In a blender, combine watermelon, yogurt, dairy-free milk and lavender. Blend until smooth.

Serve immediately.


Find more Laura Friendly on HelloGiggles!

Mango Avocado Smoothie

As part of my yoga journey this week I entered into a fruit fast. For three days I feasted on only fruit; apples, bananas, oranges, mangoes, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, coconut, etc. This is not my first fasting experience but it’s always amusing to find how anxious I can become before the fast begins. “Will I be starving? Will I feel exhausted? Will I be able to work, yoga, think?!” Each time I discover the same thing, it’s never as hard as I believe it will be! Fasting is an interesting process. It challenges you both physically and mentally as it cleanses your body from the inside out.

During these three days, mango avocado smoothies have been my go-to. Besides tasting amazing, the avocado gives me the energy I need to stay focused and make it through the long work day. Simple but delicious.

Serves 1
start to finish: 5 minutes

• ½ ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, roughly chopped
• 1 ripe mango, pitted, peeled, roughly chopped
• ¾ cup cold coconut milk
• ¾ cup cold mango juice (or papaya juice)
• 1 fresh mint leaf, (optional)

Combine avocado, mango, coconut milk, mango juice and mint into a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish with a sprig of mint and enjoy! note: if the smoothie feels too thick, add a little cold water and blend until you reach your desired consistency