Hello, hello! I'm back in Colorado after a few weeks of cross-country travel. If this space has felt a little quieter than usual the traveling is why. I was able to get ahead and post some while away but not quite at my usual capacity.

The travel was a mix of work + play, starting with California for ExpoWest, a trip to Crested Butte with Chris, and then visiting my family in Ohio. There always seems to be a busy season with travel and I've just about wrapped it up. It definitely feels good to be home.

Vegan Mocha Protein Smoothie | edibleperspective.com

While you may see a few day gap between posts over here, you can always check out my Craftsy page to see what I'm cooking up over there. Posts go up about once a week and are a mix of new recipes and recipes I've posted here but tweaked for even more tastiness.

This mocha protein smoothie was a recent favorite, and I just had to share over here as well.

This smoothie is flavored with instant coffee grounds (this fair trade company is my favorite for instant coffee) and cocoa powder, with a few other additions like dates, banana, and a drizzle of maple syrup. The banana flavor barely comes through, if you're not too keen on banana smoothies. It's used more for creaminess here.

While I do use protein powder from time to time I also enjoy trying to make smoothies, oatmeal, chia pudding, etc. with protein-packed pantry staples instead of store-bought powders.

The protein sources I chose for this smoothie were:

hemp seeds
chia seeds
cashews
soy milk

This smoothie is small but mighty. Each 12oz serving packs in approximately 440 cals - 17g protein - 11g fiber and a hefty amount of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

And the mocha flavor is spot on. It's lightly sweetened and a definite pick me up in the morning. You can eat breakfast and drink your daily cup of coffee all in one!

For more photos + recipe details visit my recipe on Craftsy:

---> Mocha-Flavored Vegan Protein Smoothie <---

You can also check out my other Craftsy recipes by visiting my personal blog page, HERE.

Also! The winner of The Complete Vegetarian Cookbook giveaway is: Emma! Her cooking disaster sounded like a doozy!

"I've started making homemade kefir and mine bubbled up and over the jar when I was gone, and I came home to find four cups of kefir that had spilled all over the counter, onto the floor, and into the heat/AC vent....now every time the heat comes on I smell tangy fermented milk. I could use this book for inspiration for "put-together" recipes, instead of my usual "fly by the seat of your pants and toss together whatever I have" recipes."

Thanks to all who entered and congrats to Emma! I'll be emailing you soon.

Ashley

Blood Orange Margarita

gluten-free + vegan (if using GF + vegan liquor) // yields 1 margarita

1 - 2 teaspoons agave simple syrup

2 - 2 1/2oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice (strained if desired)

1 1/2oz freshly squeezed lime juice (strained if desired)

1 1/2oz reposado agave tequila (smoother taste over blanco + anejo)

splash of grand marnier

ice, blood orange slices, salt/sugar for rim

For the agave simple syrup: Stir together 1/2 cup hot water and 1/2 cup raw agave nectar until well combined. Chill in the fridge. Once chilled, keep in a sealed container for about 1 month.

For the salt + sugar rim: In a shallow bowl, mix flaked sea salt and pure cane sugar at a 2:1 ratio (salt : sugar). Add a few drops of blood orange juice and mix with your fingers until combined. Set aside.

For the margarita: Dip the top rim of the glass in water then dip in your salt/sugar mixture (if using). Fill your glass with ice.

Place 1 teaspoon simple syrup, 2oz blood OJ, lime juice, tequila, and grand marnier in a drink shaker. Shake vigorously for a few seconds and pour into an 8-10oz glass filled with ice. Taste and add more syrup, juice, or tequila if desired and stir. Top with an orange garnish and serve!

Notes:

Recipe easily doubles, triples, etc. Can be made a few hours ahead, just be sure to strain the ice before storing in the fridge in a sealed jar.