Midweek Snack // Acai Bowl

Let me start by giving you a phonetic pronunciation - which is something that I always benefit from, being the mispronouncer of countless words to the point of which I need an app (forvo) to pronounce things for me on demand.

a si 'i

or if you are terrible at interpreting the capital/lower case and symbols:

ah-sigh-E (emphasis on the E)

At work, I have a phonetic spelling of my last name in my signature block, a feature that I am complemented on and thanked for at least weekly. Schoenauer. shay - now - er.

Moving on... THIS:

G and I have been in hot pursuit of this recipe for months. MONTHS! We were obsessed with the Acai bowls on the menu at South Block Juicery, but with a request for a shot of protein in the smoothie portion of the bowl, and then TIMES TWO, because it's too delicious to even think about sharing... this was becoming an expensive habit. Throw in two large cashew milk lattes and we may as well have had a Filet Mignon at Ray's. Kiddingbutnotkidding.

The toppings are the easy part - I'll give you a list of a ton of potentials that can be suited to your personal preference. It's the base that's hard to replicate in both taste and texture. We resolved the texture issue with the Vitamix. I did a review about it last week with a link to the model we got and where (at a special price!) We tried several different recipes found online. They all follow the same general pattern... a little bit of liquid + a lotta bit of frozen fruits (including acai). But none of them tasted right. NONE.

This recipe makes enough for two - we usually split the contents, you could easily 1/2 the ingredients and blend for one. Or, if you are really hungry you can eat the whole thing on your own - I definitely could on a really hungry day.

Acai Bowl Base: (added in this order to your blender, pulse first, then gradually increase speed and use the tamper to make sure all the frozen bits get pulverized at the bottom)

+ 8oz Coconut Water

+ 2 Scoops of IsoNatural Whey Protein Isolate (this is flavorless - have not tried traditional flavored proteins, but if I had to, I would start with a vanilla and probably less than 2 scoops)

+ 1 Acai Smoothie Pack (Sambazon Pure Unsweetened)

+ 1/2 frozen banana (I peel and cut bananas into quarters to freeze them, so anytime I need it, I can grab the number that I need for smoothies, protein shakes, and bowls like this)

+ 1 Cup frozen organic mango (Mango is on the dirty dozen list - it pays to get organic here. Costco and Wegmans sell it in bulk!)

+ 1 Cup frozen organic mixed berries (you could go all one berry type, but we found through a trial with all raspberries that the flavor goes a little awry without the mix - blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries. I've even thrown in a little bit of frozen cherries before too, as long as it's diverse and measures to one full cup you're good)

+ Optional: for most people the natural sweetness in the mangoes and berries will be plenty, but for those that want a little extra perk I've added a squirt or two of Skinnygirl Stevia and it's super desserty.

Toppings (my personal favorites listed first and shown above):

++ Shredded Unsweetened Coconut

++ Chopped Dates

++ Hemp Hearts

++ Organic Granola (gluten free if possible)

+ Sliced Banana

+ Fresh fruit

+ Chopped raw nuts

+ Chia seeds

+ Ground flax seed

+ Dried fruit

The other thing of note is that all of this raw (frozen) fruit, coconut water, and most toppings are part of an alkaline diet, and a great choice for anyone who suffers from acid reflux or other high-acid diet symptoms. We have been investigating the usefulness of focusing on alkalizing foods vs. acidic foods - most are predictable, some are surprising - to see if we feel generally better. This acai bowl, from the beginning, has been something that just sits really well on the tummy and makes us feel great. Except for being a little high in sugar (although all naturally occurring) I have no complaints since we have been able to successfully incorporate a much needed protein source. Acai bowls for breakfast, snack, lunch, dinner, and/or dessert. All day. Every day.

#Nourish #Breakfast #Snacks