Party on the Top, Party on the Bottom

Some of my most popular posts are hands down my “party on the top, party on the bottom” oatmeal/smoothie combinations. People love the idea of a good flavor twist… And when I say people, I’m talking about myself being numero uno. There’s nothing I love more than a unique blend of flavors – that’s why I was always such a sushi fan before I went vegan (although I do have plans to try an acclaimed vegan sushi restaurant in NYC tonight – will report back!).

Sushi is great because it has the rice, the seaweed, the veggies, the fish, the spicy mayo, the soy sauce, the wasabi… You get the picture. Explosion in your mouth! So, funny enough, sushi may have been a subconscious inspiration in the creation of my beloved breakfast twists.

The key to my twists is LAYERING – I layer the crap out of those things. Different flavored oats, a variety of fruits & nuts, several smoothie combos, and even some coyo and granola when I’m feeling wild (which is often). And unless you follow me on Instagram, you’re probably thinking, “what the heck are flavored oats? Those sound processed and peculiar.” Well, think again. My flavored oats are simply fresh fruit blended with boiled oats.

These layered breakfast treats also have the distinct quality of looking awesome. Unless you’re a food blogger like me and you live for snapping a good quality pic of your meals, you might not necessarily care about this aspect. But I have a proposal for you: when your food looks pretty, you appreciate it more. When you appreciate your food, you are more aware of what you are putting into your body. When you’re aware of what you’re feeding yourself, you are a more balanced eater throughout the day. More balanced eater = more balanced individual. Needless to say, balanced individuals are usually happier, healthier, lighter and more confident.

So take the initiative to make your food look attractive! You don’t have to spend tons of extra time doing it – but rather than slopping a smoothie in a red solo cup and rushing out the door, carve out an extra 15 minutes to sit and enjoy it out of a nice glass or mug.

Here are the recipes for two of my favorite “Party on the Top, Party on the Bottom” creations:

Tie-dye Swirl Smoothie over Chocolate Oats:

Ingredients:

Green portion:

–       1 cup spinach

–       1 banana

–       ¼ cup blueberries

–       2 tbsps spirulina powder (optional)

–       1/3 cup almond milk

–       3 ice cubes

Pink Portion:

–       5 strawberries

–       5 raspberries

–       5 cherries

–       ½ banana

–       1 tbsp acai powder (optional)

–       1/3 cup almond milk

–       3 ice cubes

Chocolate Oats:

–       ½ cup gluten-free oats

–       2 tbsp raw cacao powder

–       1 spoonful almond butter (optional)

Directions:

1. Boil the oats in water over medium-low heat until the water is fully soaked in. This should take about 10 minutes depending on your stovetop.
2. While the oats boil, prepare the “green portion” of the smoothie. Blend the spinach, banana, blueberries, spirulina, almond milk and ice cubes until smooth. Pour it into a cup for now (I use plastic cups to eliminate the number of dishes I clean at the end.)
3. Rinse out the blender, and then prepare the “pink portion” of the smoothie. Blend the strawberries, raspberries, cherries, banana, acai powder, almond milk and ice cubes. Pour this into a different plastic cup for now.
4. Once the oats are boiled, blend together the oats and the cacao powder. You can either mix it with a spoon, or blend it. My favorite way to do this is use my Bamix (handheld blender) because it doesn’t grind the oats down to granules but it also gets the job done better than a simple spoon. If you are using almond butter in this portion, I would suggest blending over mixing.
5. Once the oats are blended, pour them into the bottom of a jar or glass. Smooth over the top with a spoon to make sure it is a flat surface for the smoothie.
6. Pour the green portion of the smoothie in about a quarter of the way, and then pour in the pink portion. Pour from high above to get the desired “Tie-dye” look. Then pour the rest of the green portion, and then the rest of the pink portion. Since they are of a similar consistency, they should “tie-dye” quite well. If it doesn’t look perfect, don’t stress. It is still an awesome combo of flavors.
7. I garnished mine with a mint leaf for the sake of appearance (balanced eater = balanced individual… remember?!)

Peachy Keen Pairfat topped with Chocolate Avocado Pudding:

Ingredients:

Peach Smoothie:

–       1 peach

–       5 cherries

–       2 dates (optional – only use if you have high-speed blender)

–       ½ cup almond milk

–       1 tbsp raw honey

–       3 ice cubes

Chocolate Avocado Pudding:

–       ½ very ripe avocado

–       2 tbsps raw cacao powder

–       5 walnuts

–       2 dates (optional – only use if you have high-speed blender)

–       1 tbsp raw honey

–       ¼ cup almond milk (optional – depends on consistency you’re going for. This will make it thinner, but if you have a lower speed blender it will help it blend easier.)

Toppings:

–       1 spoonful of coconut shreds

–       1 small handful dry roasted almonds

–       2 cherries

Directions:

1. Blend the peach, cherries, dates, almond milk, honey and ice cubes. Pour into the bottom of a glass or jar.
2. Blend the avocado, cacao powder, walnuts, dates, honey & (optional) almond milk. Scoop it out with a spoon and layer on top of the smoothie until desired aesthetic has been reached.
3. Top with coconut shreds, almonds and cherries.

Voila! Dig in. These are both breakfast treats meant to be enjoyed with a spoon. There you have it – your double party. And you know what they say… ain’t no party like a breakfast party! (Sorry, I’m a dork. But you’ll be saying the same thing once you make them!)