Happy Thursday! Have I mentioned lately that Thursdays are my new favorite day of the week? I have class Monday nights and Wednesday nights, which means that from Sunday straight through Wednesday night I am powering through schoolwork and balancing the blog, TBV Apparel, writing the novel, yoga, gym, friends, and… life. Come Thursday morning it is always a pleasant shock (yes, shock, a step further than surprise!) to wake up and have a moment to breathe.
This morning I took advantage of my extra time by making a downright delectable breakfast treat: a creamy red velvet smoothie. Say what?! Yes, creamy, thick, pudding-like deliciousness. Actually, let’s call it a shake. My mom and I decided this past weekend that anything named “shake” inevitably tastes so much better.
I am also linking up with one of my recent favorite bloggers, Amanda from Running With Spoons, for this week’s Thinking Out Loud linkup, because, well… I love thinking out loud!
1. We have adjusted international shipping prices on TBV Apparel! I am so grateful for all of my international followers, and it is super important to me that the t-shirts are available to everyone around the globe. Instead of the whopping $30 that international shipping was last week (I am so sorry about that), we have been able to adjust it to $8.25 for one shirt, $10.25 for .5 lbs to 1.0 lb (not sure how many shirts that is exactly) and $13.25 for 1.0 lbs – 3.0 lbs. So, the point is… order away, my international beauties! Let’s make TBV Apparel a worldwide thang. (Domestic shipping – you’re obvi less!)
2. It dawned on me the other day that I still haven’t shared my life changing news with you all… the news I have been raving about in a not-so-subtle way ever since about a month and a half ago. Now that the dust has all settled and everything is 100% for sure, I am planning on sharing on the blog… TOMORROW! I cannot wait.
3. Today = May 1st, and am I the only one who laughs hysterically every time I see one of those Justin Timberlake “It’s Gonna Be May” memes? This was probably my third year in a row seeing it, but it didn’t make the hilarity any less real. Maybe it has something to do with growing up as a major Backstreet Boys groupie… who knows.
4. Speaking of it being May 1st, it’s officially Day 1 of the “Dessert-Free May” Challenge I am hosting! I want to clarify- you can do this challenge however you best see fit for yourself, but I am not eliminating sugar entirely. I am eliminating dessert… a.k.a eating something sweet directly after a meal when I’m not even hungry for it. If a sweet craving strikes me in the middle of the day and I’m totally starving and it sounds good, I’m not going to deprive myself. I am going to try to eliminate raw chocolate for the month because I have been a little too obsessed with it lately, but if I want a sweet smoothie of some sort I am not going to deny myself of it. Depriving leads to bad things with me soooo I ain’t goin’ there!
5. I have a few guest posts coming up in the near future, and I am ridiculously excited about it. I have never had a guest post on the blog – this space is way too personal for me!!! – but I have found a few of the perfect people to share their stories. First up is one of my best friends Paul (a beyond brilliant writer), who will be sharing his story on male anorexia.
6. The out of control rainstorm we had in NYC yesterday left me hoping and praying that April showers really do bring May flowers… I am desperately missing the sun and the good weather vibes!
7. I am headed to the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary this weekend with my friend Clare, and I am so excited. WFAS is a place driven by the philosophy that animals are here on this earth with us and not for us. At the heart of their mission is the hands-on work of rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for farmed animal refugees. I can’t wait to meet all the little animal babes!
8. I used to do way more recipe posts on the blog, but lately I have gotten carried away with the whole “lifestyle” aspect versus food. I am really enjoying it – any objections?! Recipes are fun too… I’m going to try to amp them back up this month.
9. I posted this on Instagram last night, and it got more likes and comments than I have ever gotten on any other picture. I guess I’m not the only one who feels this way!
10. My lifelong best friend Danielle is coming to visit NYC next week, and I am getting pretty frickin’ thrilled. Open to suggestions for things to do with her while she’s here, my fellw NYC peeps! (See, I used to be tan… it was glorious.) 
Alright, time to get down to what you really care about… the recipe! I was too hungry and too excited to post about this to take legit food photos with my Nikon, so you’re going to have to trust me on this one that this is SO freaking yummy, you need it in your life.
Creamy Red Velvet Smoothie:
Ingredients:
1 – 1.5 frozen banana(s)
1 cooked beet (I buy the pre-cooked beets at Whole Foods)
½ scoop Vega One chocolate protein powder (or any plant-based protein powder)
1/3 cup raw gluten-free oats
½ cup almond milk
½ cup water
3 large pieces of ice
Toppings (optional):
1/3 cup raw gluten-free oats
½ banana slices
¼ cup raspberries
¼ cup walnuts
Directions:
1. Cook your beet if you haven’t bought a pre-cooked one. The best way to do this is to bring water to a boil in a saucepan and steam the beet until tender, which takes about 20 minutes. I recommend doing this the night before if you are an impatient breakfast chef like me.
2. Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, adding more water or almond milk until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
3. Top with toppings, and voila! Enjoy.
Nutrition Info (with toppings):
