June 2016 • A Sweet Pea Chef

To be honest, it took me quite some time to actually try my first smoothie bowl recipe. Just like with a mason jar salads, I thought to myself, "Why would you put a smoothie in a bowl?" I mean...you drink it with a spoon, then? Huh? What on earth is this trend and why is it so popular? And, because I'm stubborn, I chose not to try any smoothie bowls for like a year or two. Don't get me wrong - I continued to make smoothies and protein shakes almost every day...just not in "bowl" form. I mean...why? THEN IT HAPPENED. I finally broke down and decided I needed to figure out what all the fuss about. Apparently, it took me a while. I needed to try this smoothie bowl nonsense and see for myself. And, you know what? It's amazing! It's like shockingly AMAZING. I wouldn't have thought I would like it - heck, I even tried not to like it! But smoothie bowls are awesome. The thing that's great about them is that they take your typical smoothie (which, in my book, is pretty darn great anyways), and then they build on top of it. They add extra texture and flavor and, quite honestly, some flair and fun. And there's nothing wrong with having a little flair and fun on top your smoothie. Really, it's a whole new way to enjoy your smoothie. You can also do the same with your protein shakes as well. So, besides the smoothie, let's talk how to make a smoothie bowl for yourself. The idea behind the toppings is you want to consider texture, flavor, and visual appearance. The toppings can be just sprinkled on or can be neatly placed in lines, like I have with this tasty peach and strawberry smoothie bowl recipe, or any other design your little heart desires (remember, this is the time for fun and flare!). Personally, I like to choose 3-4 toppings - 2 of them will usually come from the ingredients I already included in the smoothie (i.e. the strawberries and peach, in this case), and the remaining 1-2 will add extra texture, flavor, and visual fun. A couple great go-to's for this are unsweetened shredded coconut, granola, chia seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), and sliced almonds. These all add a great crunch and are easy to keep on hand to toss a tablespoon or so down on your smoothie. Whatever you choose, it's an opportunity to have fun with your food, enjoy what you do, and - gosh darn it - stop being so stubborn! Strawberry & Peach Smoothie Bowl Recipe Strawberry & Peach Smoothie Bowl Recipe + How To Make A Smoothie Bowl! This Strawberry & Peach Smoothie Bowl Recipe is everything you've ever wanted in a smoothie plus all sorts of tastiness on the top! 1 ripe peach (pitted and sliced)1 frozen banana1 cup fresh strawberries (halved)1/4 cup rolled oats (uncooked)1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk2 tsp raw honey1/4 tsp ground cinnamonToppings:granolaflaked coconut (unsweetened)additional sliced peachesadditional sliced strawberries In a blender, add the peach, frozen banana, fresh strawberries, uncooked rolled oats, unsweetened almond milk, raw honey, and ground cinnamon. (While you don’t have to have your banana frozen ahead of time, having it frozen will add more creaminess to your smoothie and will make it so you don’t need to add any ice which can dilute the flavor.)Blend until smooth.Pour the smoothie into a bowl.I like to add sliced peach, strawberries, granola, and shredded coconut over the top, but you can literally use whatever you like.Tip: to keep the fruit from sinking, slice very thinly. Breakfast, Clean, Smoothie Bowl, SweetEasystrawberries bowl, strawberry and peach smoothie, strawberry peach smoothie This post contains affiliate links for products I use regularly and highly recommend.