Creamy, refreshing and laced with superfood goodness!
For those of you wondering what in the heck is that “thing” next to my smoothie, that’s my Chamberlain skekSil figure from the 1982 fantasy film The Dark Crystal.
2 cups raw Almond Milk
10 ounces frozen sliced peaches
2 tablespoons dried goji berries
1 teaspoon white chia seeds
1 teaspoon cold-pressed, raw hemp oil
1 very large date, pitted
Using a high-speed blender, first blend together the almond milk, goji berries, chia seeds, date, and hemp oil until everything has been completely broken down and the mixture is creamy. Next add the frozen peach slices and blend again until the peaches have been fully incorporated. Divide the mixture between two large glasses. Drink up! “Mmmm!”
It’s July. It’s hot (for some of us anyway). Whipping up a cool and refreshing smoothie just makes sense! Not to mention the increased vitamin C from pairing the goji berries and peaches together. The chia seeds add a touch of thickness and a nice dose of protein as well as omega 3 and fiber. And let’s not forget the yummy nuttiness of hemp oil with omegas 3, 6 and a tad of 9. I love pairing hemp with peaches (and just about anything else I can hempify), so of course I had to drizzle a bit into this particular smoothie. Even if you don’t adore hemp as much as I do, don’t let that stop you. And definitely don’t leave out the hemp oil. The tiny amount really does add a distinct though mellow nutty undertone that would be missed otherwise.
Since I’m often asked what types of raw products I generally like to use, I figured I would now take the opportunity to compose a brief list with a few of my current favorites. The following list does not denote the only brands of ingredients to use when making this smoothie.
- I prefer Columbia River Organics frozen sliced peaches. You can find them at Whole Foods Market in the frozen fruit section. This brand has been the best tasting and most consistent of the many varieties that I have used. If you can find Columbia River Organics frozen peaches, definitely give them a go.
- I absolutely love the goji berries distributed by Natural Zing. I prefer the ones sold in the red bag as they are some of the best quality goji berries that I have found over the years.
- Living Harvest‘s cold-pressed, raw hemp oil is great. I really like their raw hemp protein powder as well.
- I don’t currently have a brand preference for white chia seeds. I just make sure that I trust the source from where I purchase the seeds. Of course certified organic chia seeds would be splendid but chemical-free, wild-crafted is great too. I chose white chia seeds because of aesthetic value (no dark specks throughout the smoothie) and milder chia flavor. If some some reason you are unable to obtain white chia seeds, feel free to use black chia seeds. It will be okay. Really!
A few tips…
To help limit your exposure to harmful pesticide residues and waxed coatings often associated with conventional produce, try to purchase organically grown fruits as often as possible.
The listed ingredients should amount to roughly 32 ounces of Peaches & Cream smoothie.
This smoothie isn’t overly sweet, however if your peaches are quite tart, you may need to add extra dates to help balance it out. Keeping the smoothie “just sweet” was my original intention, but it’s really going to come down to your individual preference.
The almond milk used for this recipe is a pre-sweetened blend. If you use plain almond milk, you may need to add an extra date or two to suite your taste.
If your goji berries are not soft and pliable, you can soak them in the almond milk for fifteen minutes or longer until they plump up enough for ease in blending. Soaking the goji berries in the almond milk ensures that flavor as well as minerals and vitamins are retained within the smoothie. I could go on here, but I’ll save that for later. [wink]
If your dates are not soft and pliable, you can soak them in a small amount pure water, just enough to cover the dates, for fifteen minutes or longer until they plump up enough for ease in blending. If you store your dates in the refrigerator, they will become stiff from the cold but will usually soften up somewhat after being left out at room temperature for a while. If they still seem hard, then definitely utilize the soak method.
Other smoothies to check out:
