Author: PatagoniaLlami

We did it, Spiriteds! We successfully introduced a new smoothie to the girls, and it isn’t even pink. Can you even believe it? I can’t. But that should tell you something about this Peach Mango Smoothie. It is rich and creamy without loads of sugar. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan or paleo without sacrificing flavor. And, if you’re looking to shake up your smoothie game, then this is the one to nab.

Why?

Because it’s full of variations with you in the driver’s seat. Here are just a few options for your tastebuds’ consideration:

• Prepare with almond milk and then top with sliced almonds or coconut milk with a few pieces of unsweetened shredded coconut
• Add a splash of vanilla (we highly suggest this mix-in)
• Top with frozen fruit
• Throw a handful of spinach into the mix

However you choose to enjoy your Peach Mango Smoothie, you basically can’t go wrong. It just isn’t possible.

Can we also take a moment to enjoy Peach Mango Smoothie’s sunshine-y, springy color? FINALLY, we are getting weather appropriate for the month of April. And I’m all for it because we are dead with cabin fever over here. This is a completely true story. Our family has absolutely no dambs left to give snow fall, below zero temps, and icy sidewalks. 

If you are in doubt of our status, then I present this next scenario as evidence. Twinkle had a 2.5-hour ophthalmology appointment this past week and flat-out looked the doctor in the face and said, “I’m so sorry, but this is just so boring, and we’re not even done. And I’m 12 today [she’s not]. And how can I even answer your alphabet questions when I can’t even see my mom? Ugh, my eyes are so blind they’re tired.” [Starts to snore in the chair]

     Me: Twinkle, I’m right here, and let’s mind-

     Twinkle: Oh, Mom! Where are you? [Grasps at the air]

     Me: Right here, and you’re staring at me.

     Twinkle: Am I though? Are we sure? Because I’m so blind I can’t even hear the doctor.

     Doctor: This has been a very long long appointment. You’ve done very well.

     Twinkle: Yes, because I am blind and I will be 11 tomorrow.

Spiriteds, we hadn’t even picked out the frames yet, and when we did, we ran into this gem:

     Twinkle: I want rectangle glasses. I will buy those right there.

     Optician: These are a sample. We’ll order a pair just for you.

     Twinkle: That sounds good. Of course. Rectangles, please, because circle glasses make my eyes fall out of my face.

     Me: We’ll just see ourselves out….

And there you have it, Spiriteds, an ophthalmology appointment at the end of a long winter through the, no pun intended, eyes of a four-year-old. Honestly, I LOVE THIS AGE. The sayings, I can’t write them down fast enough. 

Also, apparently Twinkle doesn’t love eye appointments. I hear that, or rather, see, it.

But, fortunately, she does love Peach Mango Smoothie, and after a story like that, how does one even come back to a smoothie recipe? Bottom line, I’m taking the wins where I can get them. If the girls complain through eye appointments but will eat a non-pink Peach Mango Smoothie, then I’M TAKING IT, I’M WINNING AT SOMETHING.

Because, shocker, when we went back to pick up the new rectangular-not-circlular glasses, the staff remembered us. “Oooooh, it’s yewwww guyz!!!!” Oh, yes, we’ve arrived to pick up our rectangulars since circulars make our eyes fall out of our faces.

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This Easy Mashed Cauliflower is so simple and a great replacement for mashed potatoes. Paleo, Whole30, gluten free, low carb, and vegan.

My husband does not particularly like cooked cauliflower. In fact, he has told me many times that he hates it. I take that as a challenge to see if I can prepare it in a way he likes, and I’ve succeeded. This does not taste exactly like mashed potatoes, cauliflower never will, but it’s a tasty side with the same consistency. I add garlic to help with the flavor and I try to get it as smooth as possible.

              Cut the cauliflower in large chucks and place it in a saucepan with the garlic and salt. Pour the broth over it all.

                 Cover and cook on medium heat for about 25 minutes or until a fork can be pushed in easily.

   Take the pan off the heat and, using an immersion blender, blend until there are no large chunks. Add the ghee (or coconut oil) and blend again until super smooth; 1-2 minutes.

The cauliflower flavor is very mellow and it pairs nicely with gravies, bacon and green onions, and steak- really anything that you like with mashed potatoes.

These loaded vegan nachos with black beans, homemade guacamole, and cashew cheese will be hard to put down! Top with chopped black olives, if desired.

This delicious vegan vegetable soup uses lots of vegetables in a tasty, light broth, easy to adapt to your personal taste! Suggest adding cooked basmati rice when serving to make a complete meal.
This will need salt and tastes better the second day. Also, cooking and prep time may not be entirely accurate. I invented this soup at 1 am – I’m a college student – but it is delicious.

These Baked Yuca Fries with Sriracha Mayo Dip have been my highlight of the week! Growing up eating yuca, it’s so exciting to be able to play around in the kitchen with this delicious vegetable. 

Yuca is a tuberous veggie just like potatoes and sweet potatoes, which makes it a great substitute.

A one cup portion provides a good source of fiber and potassium, and an excellent source of vitamin C. It is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates that will still get nice and crispy like your standard fries would.

Now let’s talk about Sriracha. I could honestly put Sriracha on anything and everything, and so we did just that. The Sriracha Mayo Dip to accompany these fries is dressed to impress. Mix with Sriracha and garlic powder and we are cooking. Let’s actually get to cooking.

To begin, boil the yuca chunks for 25 minutes in a pot of water with the cover on. While that’s boiling, add the mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce and garlic powder to a small bowl or cup and mix it well with a spoon and scoop into a small bowl. Set aside the dip while we finish up with the yuca. Preheat the oven to 400F. Once the yuca is finished boiling, drain, allow to cool, and using a knife, cut each yuca chunk lengthwise into 5-6 pieces, so that they resemble thick french fries. Make sure you remove the fibrous pieces from the center while cutting. Assemble the yuca fries on a baking sheet, and drizzle olive oil over them evenly. Pop them into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then, open the oven and flip the yuca fries with a spatula. Bake for another 10 minutes. Once done, allow to cool and enjoy with our homemade Sriracha Mayo Dip!

Feel free to drop us a line in the comments and let us know what you think of our Baked Yuca Fries with Sriracha Mayo Dip!