So how was everyone’s Christmas?? Did you get to see your families? Did you eat lots of cookies? Anyone get any nice presents?

My holiday was very nice. It was really great to spend some quality time with my whole family + our pups, and to give + receive presents under the Christmas tree!! I know Christmas isn’t about presents, but I just love giving gifts to others and seeing their faces when they open them. My sister loves Olaf from Frozen, and I got her a huge plush Olaf and matching water bottle. My mom loves anything from Bath and Body Works, so I got her a bunch of soaps and lotions in her favorite scent. And my Dad is really politically inclined, and I gave him a political satire calendar which made him laugh. So I’d say it was a pretty successful gift-giving season for me!

But let’s talk smoothie bowls. As I’ve been engaging in my mental and physical recovery while I’m on leave, I’ve been making a concerted effort to eat clean & healthy, and keep active through running and yoga. This post is a little insight into both – with the help of my rescue pup, Ivy.

Because I have such a sensitive tummy, smoothies are usually a great way to go for breakfast. But drinking a smoothie every day can be a bit monotonous, so I like to punctuate my mornings with fruits or homemade granola to add some texture.

This particular smoothie features persimmon, one of my favorite seasonal fruits. Just a note about them – most grocery stores will either carry Hachiya or Fuyu persimmons. If they have Hachiyas, make sure they are soft and ripe, as the underripe version makes your mouth dry and chalky. Fuyus, on the other hand, can be eaten when they are still a little hard or soft. Perfectly ripe persimmons have a texture almost like a tomato, and a deliciously sweet and fruity taste. It pairs perfectly with the warmness of cinnamon, one of my favorite spices. And also, there’s the small fact that the words persimmon + cinnamon = persinnamon. Perfect!

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Persimmon Smoothie + Cinnamon Granola

This delicious persimmon smoothie bowl is a textural delight with smooth and creamy persimmon + crunchy spiced granola.

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 1 Smoothie

Ingredients

Persimmon Smoothie

• 2 Persimmons
• Juice from 3 Clementines
• 1 Frozen Banana
• Splash Almond Milk
• Squeeze Lemon Juice

Cinnamon Granola

• 2 Cups Rolled Oats
• 1/3 Cup Pepitas
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Flakes
• 1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil melted
• Scant 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
• 1 Tsp Cinnamon

Instructions

Cinnamon Granola

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a bowl, combine oats, pepitas, coconut flakes, and hemp seeds.
• In another bowl, combine wet ingredients – melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
• Mix wet and dry ingredients together fully.
• On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake granola for 15 minutes, checking often to prevent burning.

Persimmon Smoothie

• Peel skin off persimmons. Add to blender with clementine juice, banana, almond milk, and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
• Serve smoothie in a bowl topped with granola. Enjoy!

Song of the Day:

What the World Needs Now is Love – Jack Deshannon