Cherry Garcia Shake

Every time I make a new smoothie recipe I deem worthy of sharing, the hardest part is taking the pictures.  Do you know how hard it is to stare at this frozen glass of deliciousness and not take a sip? Not even a taste?!  Super difficult.  Not to mention the whole melting aspect.  But all those hardships aside, this drink is totally worth it.  Because in the end I got to lick every last bit of this cherry Garcia shake :)

It's been unseasonably warm here in Jersey, so I've been drinking smoothies almost daily again. As much as I love my peanut butter dream smoothie, I decided it was time for a change.  I choose to make a cherry-based smoothie because one, I love cherries, and two, they apparently are a fantastic recovery food!  I usually drink a smoothie directly after a workout, so why  not take advantage of the super-powers cherries offer to reduce inflammation and soreness?

This smoothie is rich, creamy, sweet, slightly tangy from the greek yogurt, and studded with salty pistachios and cacao nibs.  Not to mention it's a nutritional powerhouse with protein, healthy fats, fiber, omega-3's, and not a drop of added sugar in site!  In fact, I love this smoothie so much it might give my peanut butter dream smoothie a run for it's money.  Only time will tell.  It also happens to be Christmas colored...I swear I didn't plan that! Swap your eggnog for this frothy bliss; I promise you won't regret it.

Cherry Garcia Shake

makes one serving

1/2 frozen banana

3/4 cup frozen tart cherries

1/2 cup plain 2% greek yogurt (or non-dairy yogurt of choice)

1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp hemp protein powder (optional)

1 Tbsp almond butter

1 Tbsp chopped pistachios

1 Tbsp cacao nibs

Directions:

Blend everything except the pistachios and cacao nibs together in a high-speed blender.  Blend until a smooth consistency is achieved.  Stir in the pistachios and cacao nibs.