A Smoothie inspired by everyone's friends: Ben & Jerry

Somedays I have a major sweet tooth. I'm sure you can relate? Luckily for me, Ben & Jerry's has a dairy free line of their impeccable ice creams (damn lactose intolerance!). Of their many marvelous flavours, I find their Cherry Garcia to be the most addicting. So much so that I sometimes wake up wanting it. No joke.

Living alone, it can be tempting to crack open a pint and demolish it without being caught. Yes, even Barre Instructors fall victim to the "Oh, I'll just a few bites!" idea. Knowing that my day will not go well if it starts off with a sugar rush & crash, I had to find my fix some other way.

Let me tell you, if you think I get excited when your legs start shaking while in a plie, you have not seen me in my kitchen when I think that I've mastered a new recipe. I must say, I am pretty frickin' proud of what I came up with. So much so, that I just have to share it with you.

A bit of a disclaimer, my recipe is plant-based (vegan). I will include notes about substitutions for various ingredients in case you don't already have some of them.

So here it is, my Cherry Garcia Smoothie:

1 banana (fresh or frozen)

1-1.5 c. frozen dark cherries

1/2 tbsp. cacao powder

Splash of Mexican vanilla (regular vanilla extract will work but it won't be as rich)

4 majooled dates, pitted (a tbsp. of maple syrup will also do the job)

2-3 c. coconut milk, depending on blender and desired thickness (regular milk will work but won't be as sweet)

Feel free to add in protein powder, collagen or other adaptogens of your preference for optimal nutrients.

Serves 2-3 (or 1 big serving!)