Strawberry Shakeology: Acai Bowl Style

 

First it was chalky Slimfast shakes, then it was juice bars serving green grain in a cup with a straw...and then, then ShakeO came onto the scene and all was finally good with my tastebuds. But after nearly three months of shakin', blendin' & sippin', I was ::GASP:: getting bored. Then one day a friend took me to South Block Cafe where they make cold pressed juice {blech! Sorry, I just can not fathom drinking my veggies.} and acai bowls.

What's an acai bowl? Actually, let's go back to the basics so you actually know what you're talking about/eating when you mention acai {Ah-Sigh-E}. Acai is a type of berry that hails all the way from Brazil, which is why you might feel as though you're paying a pretty penny for that pretty bowl. Here in the US we only have access to frozen acai puree - not the whole fruit. 

To turn that pricey fruit puree into a bowl you blend it with other frozen berries {berry-besties?}, a frozen banana, plain old ice, and then add splashes of almond, soy or coconut milk to thin it out. But don't thin too far - your final product should mimic ice cream. Frozen, smooth, berrylicious ice cream. 

Then you top the bowl with whatever your taste buds desire: fresh fruit, granola, coconut flakes, a dollop of peanut butter, chocolate chips, oats...my head is spinning at the possibilities. It's like fake-me-out froyo, ya'll!

Since I have yet to come across frozen acai puree {though there are rumors that it can be found at Whole Foods}, I did the next best thing and turned my ShakeO into a bowl. ShakeO BowlO?! Mind. Blown. Tastebuds having a rave - glow sticks and all.

 

Step 1: Blend your ShakeO of choice!  

Like this Vanilla Strawberry Banana, or this  

Strawberry Tropical Paradise, or go towards for a more froyo-worthy 

flavor like Chocolate Covered Berries. Then, add ice, ice, baby. 

Lots of ice. Blend. Keep adding. Blend. Little more. 

Once you get to that super thick, ice cream-like consistency, 

you're ready for a bowl.

 

Look at that ice cream consistency! 

I could just gobble it up with a spoon... but wait! 

There are toppings to be added...

 

Step 2: Top your ShakeO bowl with complimenting flavors. 

 For this berry-filled Strawberry ShakeO I went with 

even more berries {blueberries and raspberries}, 

granola laden with nuts, half of a sliced banana, and coconut flakes.

 

Step 3: Eat ASAP!  

Like ice cream, this bowl will melt and thin out, 

so in order to get a good scoop you'll want to dig in immediately.

But really, once you have your beautiful bowl built out it 

will be nearly impossible to refrain from scarfing eating anyway! 

Next up - d y i n g to try my hand at a PB&J blended bowl! I can just picture it now, with a dollop of PB on top, surrounded by sliced bananas and nuts ::drool:: Coming soon...

XO,

Nik 

Psst... More drool-worthy mash-ups:

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Shakeology

  

Summer Shandy Lemon Oreo Cupcakes

Bridal Hair Trial: Do's & Dont's

It's about to be the biggest day of your {hair's} life! It will likely be the most photographed, most gawked at, most coveted day of its existence since birth—when, let's face it, your "hair" was more of a peach fuzz. So, before your hair makes the biggest entrance of its life and walks down that aisle {where e v e r y o n e will be staring at the back of your style}, do yourself a favor and get a trial!

I teamed up with {aka, gossiped with} some of my favorite stylists to bring you our inner-stylist thoughts about your trial—the good, bad, and just. DON'T. Even. If you still have questions about your trial {whether I'm your chosen wedding day stylist, or not!}, add them in the comments and I'll steer your hair in the right direction.

DO Stalk your stylist's work. With social media access these days, it's near impossible not to catch a glimpse of some of your stylist's previous work. Make sure their style is your style. If you're looking for a soft, romantic, Taylor-Swift induced style and there's nothing even remotely in the realm of soft and romantic on your stylist's page, chances are that's not their style! 

DO Your prep work! Send your stylist pictures ahead of time with notes as to what you like. That way, at the time of the trial the stylist will be fully prepped and able to consult with you over the direction of your wedding hair. Typical trials include one, maybe two takes on a style - not ten. So make sure you have a pretty good idea of the direction you'd like to go. Which brings to me...

DON'T Have the trial so far in advance of the big day that you a.) find another style on Pinterest that you'd rather try on your actual wedding day, b.) forget what you did/didn't like about the trial that you'd like to alter for the big day, or c.) didn't have your hair piece/veil in yet so you couldn't see how that would be incorporated into your 'do. The trial should be a part of the festivities leading up to your big day—I suggest having it done 3-6 weeks before the wedding so it's final, fresh in your mind, and lends to the festivities!

DO Arrive with completely dry hair. Unless your wedding day hair will be a fancy blowout {which is usually reserved for the mother-of-the-bride & grams}, you should have pre-blown tresses when you walk in for your trial. Now, this isn't to say that you have to come pre-styled—we can work with just about anything, as long as it's not wet {get the point?} or stick straight. Curls are a plus! Anything that has a little built up grit {products, previously styled, a little dirty} is a bonus because it will help the style mold & hold. Trust me when I tell you that we'll have much more detailed hair-prep instructions for the big day, but for the trial, we can fly with dry!

DON'T Show up with your entire bridal party, immediate family, second cousins, neighbors, Kindergarten BFF and grandma. This is your trial. While we do encourage you to bring your mom or maid-of-honor or a chosen person {or persons - two is fine!} whose opinion you value greatly, we try to discourage from an entire peanut gallery. Sure, it gets crowded and we get a little overwhelmed, but this suggestion is really for your sanity. Your entire crew is not going to agree on a style, which will sway your feelings about your wedding 'do and ultimately lead to indecisiveness. Stand your ground! You want it down, not up. You want it curly, not straight. You have a very different style than grandma, so don't feel the pressure to beehive-it-out {though, I'm totally up for that}. This is your hair, your decision, your trial.

DO Be open to suggestions. I know, I know - I just told you to freeze out the peanut gallery - but when it comes to your chosen group of trial attenders, and when it comes to your stylist, they may be seeing something you're not. Getting married in the thick of Summer with the DMV's humidity level? It may be time to consider an alternative to a completely down 'do. Will the back of your wedding gown be intricately designed? Time to ditch the lifelong dream of a half updo and let that dress shine with an updo that doesn't block the view! A stylist will ask you questions about your look for the entire day and you two will work together to come up with a style that compliments your look—and doesn't deter from it. Or, at least, that's what a stylist is supposed to do... 

DO Speak up! The whole point of a trial is to see what works—and what may not work so well. If you're particular about your swoop, let the stylist know. If you're afraid of being too Snookie-ish, speak now or forever sport your poof. Stylists have very thick skins—we have been beaten and bred and prepped for situations just like these. Your quirks about your hair are not insults to us—we want you to be completely in love with the look you wear on your big day! However, that's doesn't mean you can nitpick to death...

DON'T Be a prickly picker. That flyaway piece, that droopy bobby pin and that curl out of place that you keep eying in the mirror—those aren't going to be there when you say 'I do'. The trial is to create the concept of the look, discuss the outcome, make tweaks and notes about how to edit it next time around, and then wait to see the 'do of your dreams come to fruition on the big day! Yes, I see that piece - no, it's not going to be like that on your wedding day. Duly noted. You picked us, now trust us, because we know how important your hair is for the biggest day of its life.

 

Alright ladies, don't be shy - anything else you were wondering about the anxiety of a bridal trial?? Ask away!  

XO,

Nik

Psst... How about a little bridal trial inspo?

2015 Wedding Hair: Halftime Favorites 

 

 

Banana Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Shakeology

Here I go again, shaming Shakeology and turning one of my favorite desserts into a *nutritious* shake! Read it [the ingredients] and weep, ya'll. This ShakeO packs a serious nutrition-punch: oats, banana and spinach? Can you say fiber & protein packed? Oh, you can't? It's because your mouth is too full with this delectable dessert-like shake, isn't it? Knew it.

You know the drill - throw all of these ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth:

• 1 packet Vanilla Shakeology
• 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 frozen banana (fresh is fine, if need be, but frozen makes it creamier!)
• 1 cup raw spinach
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (not cinnamon sugar - this puppy is sweet enough!)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened original almond milk
• Ice to your liking/thickness

So, here's where the raisins come in... You can either add a teaspoon of raisin extract in place of the vanilla {yea, it's a for real thing - found, where else, Amazon!} or add a tablespoon of actual raisins - which is what I did. The thing is, my blender didn't really...blend them all that well. But I didn't really mind! I got the flavor and the crunch - and I'm totally a crunch girl. Actually, they're more like a "chewy" than a "crunchy" but I can still did a "chew." Anyway, I digress. All you need to know is that it tastes like an oatmeal raisin cookie, and that makes me as happy as a girl eating dessert for dinner {and not gaining an ounce from it}!

Are there any dessert flavors that you would like to challenge me to turn into a ShakeO?? Because I am SO up for the dessert challenge. Leave your suggestions, requests and flavors below!

XO,

Nik 

Psst... Fancy dessert for dinner, huh? Add these to your arsenal:

Chocolate Covered Berries Milkshake-O

 

Creamy Vanilla Strawberry Vanilla Shakeology