Summer Sunrise JOY

When I was thinking of a name for this, the first thing that popped into my mind was a tequila sunrise I had in Mexico a few years ago that was made of the most gorgeous orange and red colors. Well, this Jar of Yumminess is even more gorgeous and a whole heck of a lot healthier.

But just because this breakfast concoction isn’t a cocktail doesn’t mean it is remotely boring – the maca gives it a flavorful zing, and the pairing of the carrots, bananas and figs is so creamy and thick it practically tastes like a pudding. And we already know the cherry-strawberry oats on the bottom are a given in the taste department.

This JOY will forever be special in my book because a) it was the first meal I made in my new apartment in New York, and b) it was the first meal I made with my brand new Vitamix. I made this on Saturday morning – my mom had flown back to California the evening before, and my best friend who I’m living with here wasn’t arriving for another week and a half … so I definitely needed to cook/eat something that was going to make me feel a little more at home. And this was the perfect thing.

I am seriously amazed at how great the Vitamix works. If you have any specific questions about it I would be happy to answer them, as I was on a long and hard search for the perfect blender for smoothies, juices, soups and nut butters. I am VERY happy with the one I ended up with.

I went so crazy with this JOY I basically made it way too large to finish in one sitting – but it was fun to go back and pick at it throughout the rest of the day. Especially because it was so refreshing and it was blazing hot in the city. Perfect for any summer morning!

Ingredients:

Strawberry-Cherry Oats:

–          5 strawberries

–          8 dark red cherries, pitted

–          ½ cup oats

–          1 cup water

Smoothie:

–          1 large organic carrot

–          1.5 very ripe bananas

–          2 large dried Calimyma figs (bought mine at Trader Joes!)

–          2 teaspoons maca (a little bit goes a long way)

–          ½ cup almond milk

Toppings:

–          2 sliced strawberries

–          4 blackberries

–          4 crushed walnuts

Directions:

1. Boil the oats in water on medium-low heat until the water is fully soaked in. This should take about 10 minutes, depending on your stovetop.
2. Once the oats are boiled, blend them with the strawberries and cherries.
3. Pour the oats into the bottom of your jar (or whatever you are using to serve this JOY!)
4. Blend the carrot, bananas, figs, maca and almond milk until fully blended. The consistency should be smooth and creamy. On a fluke I didn’t have ice cubes on hand when I made this, and I actually really enjoyed with without them. Made it more of a pudding consistency that I really enjoyed! If it’s too thick for you, add some ice cubes or water.
5. Pour the smoothie over the oats.
6. Top with sliced strawberries, blackberries & walnuts. If you’re feeling wild you can make a real treat out of this and drizzle with some raw honey or agave.
7. Dig in!