This is what happens when you’re addicted to nut butter. You find it hanging out in places like your wedding ring, or 3hrs later smeared across your face. I swear I don’t dig in the jar by the fistful.

I don’t know why, but I have never tried fresh peach in a smoothie. I’m kind of a weirdo about certain foods. For instance, if I have an amazing fresh peach, I would rather eat it whole, then stick it in a smoothie. I’m long on peaches [what a terrible problem], so I figured I could spare one.

You may recognize this photo from my Project Foodblog post. There is still time to vote! :)

Okay, so I couldn’t spare the whole peach! I just had to take a bite. Every peach I’ve eaten this season has been a local CO peach. I am still completely blown away at their sweetness + juiciness. YUM.

And here we have a blackberry peach smoothie, made extra smooth with some avocado!

Blackberry Peach Green Smoothie

2c spinach
1c frozen blackberries
1 large fresh peach
~1c milk of choice
1/4 of a whole avocado
2T Living Harvest Vanilla Hemp Protein [optional]

Adding avocado to smoothies, not only beefs it up with some healthy fats, but makes an incredibly smooth texture.

This next smoothie also has an amazing texture. Even more amazing than the previous. No avocado included!

Gena tweeted about making a Butternut Squash smoothie the other day, so I hopped on over to her blog to check it out. It was a simple smoothie recipe, and I had everything on hand. Even this lone can of butternut squash!

I changed things up ever so slightly and was BLOWN AWAY. Maybe it was the fall flavor, maybe it was the texture…whatever the reason, this smoothie is a star!

Butternut Banana Smoothie [edited from the kitchen genius Gena]

1c cooked + pureed butternut squash [or canned]
1/2 frozen banana
1c milk of choice
1/2t+ cinnamon
1/8-1/4t ginger
few shakes of nutmeg
splash of vanilla extract
2T Living Harvest Vanilla Hemp Protein [optional]

*After blending until smooth, taste and see if the spices are to your liking. If not, add more. I always like to start with less + then add.

I sucked every last drop out of this glass, with my pretty Glass Dharma straw [that they sent me last month]. I wanted more. It was over too soon. Ahhhh. So thick + creamy + cinnamony + DELICIOUS.

I paired this with a thick slice of homemade bread + ~1T homemade peanut butter + blueberry/cranberry jelly [thanks Natalie, love it!].

If you want to make a more filling smoothie + ditch the toast, here are a few add-in ideas:

1/4c rolled oats
1/4 avocado
2c spinach
2T chia seeds
1/4c walnuts or almonds
or simply double the existing recipe…I know I wouldn’t have had a problem slurping down this glass x2

Homemade bread? Yeah, you heard me! Details soon :)

One of my most favorite things in the whole entire world, is so very simple.

Toast + Pnut Butter + Jelly

The melted peanut butter on crunchy toast, just makes my mouth sing. Even better, is when it’s enjoyed on a salt bagel. Even better, is when that salt bagel comes from Bialy’s Bagels back home in Cleveland. I can remember going there ever since I was a little girl. Before we moved to Cleveland, I lived in a small town in Michigan, about 4hrs away. My mom, dad, brother and I would head to Cleveland to visit my mom’s family, numerous times throughout the year.

On Sundays, my grandpa would wake me before anyone else was up in the house. The line was always out the door, wrapped around the building, with fresh bagel aroma wafting in the air. We would buy a few dozen bagels, then go back to his house and feast. My bagel of choice was the salted pretzel bagel with PB + jelly. For my 2nd bagel, I would chow down on a half + half, toasted, with butter. My 2nd favorite way to enjoy the salted bagel, was toasted with butter. Something about salt + butter + bread is just so delicious.

Later, after we moved to Cleveland, I would go there with my dad. We would head out early, buy a few dozen, and then drop off bags on my Aunt + Uncle and grandparents doorsteps. When my dad + I didn’t make it there, my grandpa or uncle would, then we were the ones with the bagel surprise on our doorsteps. Such a fond memory of my childhood. mmmmm

I just found this article on Bialy’s, in the Cleveland Jewish News, from a few years back . It’s funny how the beginning of the article so closely matches my story. They even talk about my favorite pretzel bagel towards the end. ;)

Okay….I need to stop…before I go in the kitchen, salt my bread + slap some pnut butter on it.

Good thing I am going home in a WEEK!!!!