January 25, 2014

Acai Smoothie

It’s official, I’m an adult. I got a Sonicare for Christmas. It was seriously the only thing I wanted. You know you are getting older when your wish list is created for practicality reasons. And although I would have been very content with just my toothbrush, I also got a blender. I know what you’re thinking but, I didn’t just get any blender. My parents surprised me with a Ninja!! If you don’t know what a Ninja is, check this out. It’s a mighty, high powered, ultra sleek, super cool blender/food processor/mixer all in one. I’m still reading the manual to learn all it’s features. Coolest. Gadget. Ever.

I have been using it non-stop since Christmas. My mom and cousin broke it in with blended mimosas the day after Christmas. (Sidenote: I’m not a huge mimosa fan, which is weird because I like orange juice and I like Champagne but, I don’t really like the combo. These, however, were delicious and I’ll post the recipe some other time!) My favorite thing, so far, to make with my Ninja is an Acai Smoothie. Yum! Plus, the blender has attachments, like in the picture above, to make a smaller, individual smoothie on the go!

My dad and I are big Acai fans. We used to get Acai smoothies at the Juice It Up down the street from our house all the time. When I got my wisdom teeth pulled less than a week before my senior year of high school started (horrible planning/timing on my part…), this is what I drank to feel better. Then when I lived in San Francisco for about 8 months, I worked about two blocks away from this place called Blue Hawaii, home to the Acai bowl. I don’t know if it’s really home to the Acai bowl, I think I just made that up, but they did sell them there and they were amazing! I cannot tell you how many times I went there for lunch. So good!!

Since I no longer live near Blue Hawaii in SF and the Juice It Up closed, I have been trying to recreate the Acai smoothie at home and this is pretty darn close, if not better. The best part is that not only is Acai tasty but it is incredibly healthy too! I’ve only seen them come in a bag with four frozen packs but you can also get Acai juice. This smoothie is so easy to make and you can substitute out different fruits. I usually pair the Acai with strawberries or blueberries but my dad adds peaches and it’s just as good. You can also use any liquid for the base. This recipe uses almond milk but you can easily switch it out with regular milk or juice. These have become a staple after a hard workout and are so refreshing! I hope you enjoy!
-Kelly