Apple Pie Protein Smoothie

Hi! Happy “Thanksgiving Eve!” What are your plans for the big day tomorrow? We are going to drive back to Portland and celebrate with Blake’s family. Today I baked a gluten-free, pumpkin apple pie streusel cake to bring. It was a mixture of three different recipes and I had to try a bite of it to make sure that it tasted good enough to bring to share with everyone. It passed the test :)

Lately I haven’t been able to get apple pie filling out of my mind. After discovering my love for this tasty, cinnamon and sugar treat at our local frozen yogurt shop, I have been craving it like mad. I limit myself to one frozen yogurt outing a week, so I got creative and whipped up this smoothie-in-a-bowl after my workout the other morning. It doesn’t look as pretty as a homemade pie or even pie filling with frozen yogurt on top, but it hits the spot!

Apple Pie Protein Smoothie

1  Honey Crisp apple, chopped (I also tried Granny Smith, but it didn’t taste as good)

1/2 frozen banana, broken into pieces

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 – 3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used a mixture of almond milk & coconut milk)

1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed

1/2 Tablespoon cashew butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

handful of ice

1/4 cup cereal of choice (Enjoy Life’s Perky’s Crunchy Flax is my fave)

Place all of the ingredients besides the cereal in the blender and blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Pour into a bowl and sprinkle cereal on top. Dig in with a spoon and enjoy!

I’m off to watch a new show that we discovered on iTunes: Discovery Channel’s “Curiosity.” We’re starting with the first episode, “Did God Create the Universe?” I felt like my IQ was going to drop to an insanely low number if I watched another Jersey Shore episode!

I was going to do a post on “how to make Thanksgiving healthier,” but thought about it and remembered that it’s only one out of the nearly 1,095 meals that you eat each year. When you put Thanksgiving dinner into that perspective, it’s really not a big deal. I’d rather focus my energy on creating healthy recipes for the remaining 1,094 meals of my year. Enjoy yourself, appreciate your company and go for a walk. Don’t stress about what you eat, because goes against what this holiday is really about.

Have a great night and a wonderful Thanksgiving!

*** Don’t forget – Friday is the last day to order the 2011 Healthy Holidays Diet Plan. This guide has EVERYTHING you need to survive the holidays without gaining a pound, or hopefully even lose a few! Email me at wholenutritionpdx (at) gmail.com for details. The guides are being sent out on Saturday.***