This cosmic strawberry-ginger-peach bliss bowl is bursting with refreshing, nourishing fruits. Frozen strawberries, peaches, and bananas are blended with fresh ginger, lime juice, and plant-based milk. The peachy-pink, digestion-friendly smoothie is served in bowls and topped with fresh kiwi, peaches, strawberries, coconut flakes, and buckwheat groats.
Hellooo, lovely souls! It's been far too long since my last post—two weeks, to be exact.
Clearly, the wheels fell off my well-intentioned plan (the one I mentioned here) to keep up with a fairly normal posting schedule while traveling through South Africa over the last three weeks. I had a lovely lineup of recipes and photos prepared well before takeoff on 8/28, but the task of sitting down to type up each post turned out to be more than my vacation mind (and elusive wifi signals) could handle.
Typically, my absolute favorite time to write is while on vacation. A clear mind and a free heart are two of the best forms of inspiration, aren't they? However, this time around it was entirely different. Whether due to the excitement of adventuring through a beautiful country so very far away from home and/or the lingering bits of burnout I accrued last school year, the three things I was most genuinely inspired to do during the trip were relax, explore, and be as present as possible in each moment. So that's what I did, and it was wonderful, liberating even.
Dan and I spent the first week or so on our own and then traveled with two of our closest friends throughout the rest of the trip. We met some of the most amazing, kind-hearted people. We hiked. We saw more animals than we could count and even had the honor of interacting with this majestic, wise, and beautiful being. We laughed. . . and laughed. . . and laughed some more each and every day. We observed, listened, learned, and appreciated. It was one of the most well-rounded, formative, and meaningful trips, and South Africa, much like Ireland, will forever have a piece of my heart.
It never ceases to amaze me just how beneficial downtime is for productivity, creativity, and passion. A little time away offers a far greater return on its investment than forgoing downtime to muscle or hustle through the old to-do list. The to-do's can wait, well-being and spirit cannot.
All that said, I've missed you and this special blogging nook like crazy. We arrived home just last night, and I eagerly hopped out of bed at 4am this morning. Partly because of jet lag but mostly because a wave of inspiration and excitement rushed over me, and I couldn't wait to get back into the groove of creating, writing, and connecting.
I'm so excited to share photos, life learnings, and stories from our trip. I was planning to write a detailed post solely dedicated to the trip once I sorted through and edited the photos, but I'm thinking it might make the more sense to interweave bits and pieces throughout the next several recipe posts instead. That way I can get you caught up on all those recipe posts I skipped while away! For now, I'll leave you with this smoothie bowl. . .
Frozen strawberries, peaches, and bananas are blended with fresh ginger, lime juice, and plant-based milk.
The peachy-pink, digestion-friendly smoothie is served in bowls and topped with fresh kiwi, peaches, strawberries, coconut flakes, and buckwheat groats.
And just as its name suggests, it's both cosmic and blissful. Happy weekend to you! ♥
📖 Recipe
Cosmic Strawberry-Ginger-Peach Bliss Bowl
Ingredients
Cosmic Strawberry-Ginger-Peach Smoothie
- 2 cups frozen strawberries
- 1 ½ cups frozen peaches
- 2 frozen ripe and speckled bananas, peeled, sliced, and frozen
- ¼ cup to 1 unsweetened almond or cashew milk, plus more if needed*
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 teaspoons to 2 peeled and minced fresh ginger root, to taste
Toppings
- Sliced or diced fresh strawberries
- Sliced or diced fresh peaches
- Peeled and diced fresh kiwi
- Coconut flakes
- Buckwheat groats (optional)
Instructions
For the Cosmic Strawberry-Ginger-Peach Smoothie
- Add all ingredients (using as little milk as possible to begin with) to a food processor or blender and process or blend for 2 to 4 minutes, or until smooth with a thick, soft-serve texture. You may need to stop and scrape down the sides several times to encourage blending.
- If needed, add more almond milk, ¼ cup at a time to encourage blending and to reach desired texture.
To Assemble
- Divide the smoothie between two bowls and top as desired.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Celeste Jackson says
I can certainly attest to you rising at 4 AM this morning....since I received a text from you. As much as 4 AM sounds unbearable to most people when you get in the habit it's rather addictive. This recipe looks like the perfect breakfast to wake up my tastebuds right after yoga and meditation. I look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Love, Mom
Ashley says
Thanks so much, mom! Excited to share more about the trip. Also, as crazy as it seems, I can totally see a 4am wakeup call being addictive. I seem to get so much more accomplished on days that I get an early start.
Jess @hellotofit says
This might sound silly, but I've never used the food processor to make smoothie bowls! Makes so much more sense to :P
Looks so delicious!
Ashley says
Doesn't sound silly at all, Jess! Honestly, I started using the food processor in an effort to create thicker smoothie bowls that would hold an array of toppings on the surface long enough for me to snap a few photos. Then I realized that they're actually much more enjoyable to eat that way too!
Ellen Lederman says
Welcome back! Would like to see more photos of you trip (some people's vacation photos put me to sleep, but not many people go to South Africa, so that's inherently interesting, as is your writing and perspective). The cheetah is gorgeous! Would also be curious to hear about vegan eating there and any challenges you encountered.
Wondering what the dividing line is between smoothies and smoothie bowls. If it had an additional cup of liquid, would you then consider it a smoothie and drink it? Inquiring minds want to know! But whatever, it sounds delicious. Don't normally buy frozen fruit, but peaches are out of season and I had difficulty ripening them, so will follow your recipe exactly.
Ashley says
Thanks so much, Ellen! I will have to share some more photos of the trip on here too. I spent all day last Saturday sorting through and editing our photos, and there are definitely a handful worth sharing. Isn't the cheetah so beautiful? She was so sweet and majestic. Walking alongside her was seriously one of the most special experiences.
In light of your question, I went ahead and shared some insights into dining as a vegan on this trip in my most recent post (crispy coconut cauliflower). I'd be happy to share more—if you're interested, just let me know.
As for the dividing line between smoothies and smoothie bowls, I think it's all relative and/or a matter of opinion! Oh yes, and the toppings! I think that's the true point of differentiation—smoothie bowls have lots of toppings. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Nicole says
Are you meant to use yellow peaches for this? I have just cut up some white peaches and put them in the freezer to freeze beforehand and have just thought of this! Would it work with white peaches too?
Can't wait to try this!
Ashley says
Hi, Nicole! Yellow or white peaches both work great. Enjoy!