kiwi avocado energy smoothie + friday link round-up

This busy week has flown by, and we're keeping up the pace today with an early-morning meeting. I'm packing a superpowered smoothie to take along, featuring sweet, juicy kiwis for quick energy and essential-fatty-acid-packed almonds, avocado, and chia seeds to sustain.

Avocado and chia create a smooth and creamy texture sans-banana, and soaking the almonds overnight helps them blend more thoroughly and improves their digestibility. I sprinkled in a couple of nature's best multivitamins, too: spirulina and bee pollen.

I'm also toting a batch of fresh-made maple and olive oil granola and raw cacao-hemp-goji truffles (a new creation) for my comrades to munch on. Hopefully that will keep us all in good spirits.

Wishing you a weekend filled with inspiration and enjoyment ~ scroll on down for the recipe and links du jour!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

kiwi avocado energy smoothie
Makes a large (~20 ounce) smoothie

1/4 cup raw almonds, soaked for 8 hours in filtered water and drained (I left skins on)
1 pitted date
1/2 avocado
2 kiwis (rather than peeling them, I halved the kiwis lengthwise and scooped out the flesh with a spoon)
1/2 small lemon or lime, skin removed
1/2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon spirulina
1/2 teaspoon bee pollen
10 ounces filtered water, nut milk, or coconut water
ice (optional)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. This makes a very thick smoothie; add more liquid and/or ice to thin it out if you prefer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A new round of tasty Friday links -- welcome fare for a steamy, heading-into-July weekend.

Green quinoa.

 Vanilla balsamic vinaigrette.

Got summer squash?

Hiking food.

A no-bake chocolatey treat.