Splash of color. Everywhere.
It’s June, baby! Weather’s gone totally bonkers. One day it’s like you’re melting in a sauna, and then the next day...rainstorm! But honestly? I love this time of year.
Why? Flowers! Trees! And the most important thing? FRUITS! 🍓🍒🍑
They’re growing like crazy, showing off, being all juicy and beautiful. I mean… come on, how can you not love that? And when you get to eat your own home-grown veggies and fruit? Ugh. Heaven.
Store-bought? Meh. Salad from the store is just sad lettuce, let's be honest. There’s just no comparison to homegrown stuff.
But hey... we can't grow bananas or avocados or passion fruit around here. So yeah, sometimes we gotta buy. And that’s when disappointment kicks in. Like, real talk...I still remember trying fresh mango, avocado, and clementines in Madeira. It was like an explosion in my mouth. SO sweet, SO juicy…
And then I came home and bought a mango from the store and just... sadness. 😢 Like, what is this dry nonsense?!
I made a decision that day: No more store-bought mangoes or avocados. It’s just not worth the heartbreak. Some other fruits are necessary to buy. What can I do if I love fruits? There's no other option. I mean, I could fly to another country every other day to buy fruit. Not a bad idea, but how?
For a long time, I couldn’t even eat strawberries or kiwi...my doctor said they’re no good for my stomach. I was devastated. I just wanted my morning smoothie, you know?!
So I tried mixing other store fruit with almond milk and a bit of sugar. It worked... kinda sweet, kinda yummy. But still felt like a cheat. And then—joy of joys—I asked my doctor again recently if I could eat strawberries now (since my Crohn’s is chilling at the moment), and she said YES! 🎉
So I waited. Patiently. For local strawberries to grow. This year we don’t have any in our garden (next year for sure!)...
But guess what happened yesterday?
I came home from work, dead tired, like zombie mode. And there they were...my parents-in-law, standing outside our apartment with a huge, magical bowl of strawberries. 🍓🍓🍓 Believe me, I was instantly alive again! 😂 I mean… they drove over an hour just to bring me strawberries (okay, and to check on their poor, “sick” son—he has back pain, but for them that’s like near-death).
So of course, first mission this morning:
MAKE. A. SMOOTHIE.
Why are homegrown strawberries so important to me? Because you don’t need sugar! They’re sweet on their own. I still add some other fruits (gotta buy those), but that’s okay.And also... just two minutes away is a place called Strawberry Land. As the name suggests, they grow strawberries, and you can pick them yourself as much as you want! It feels just like having your own garden. In July, they also have blueberries available. It's wonderful to be able to go in the morning, pick some fresh fruit, and then go home to make the perfect smoothie! 🙂
Wanna know my smoothie recipe? Not fancy, but it’s my fav and super easy:
Best Smoothie recipe ✨
First—wash your fruit. (Not bananas, duh!) 😄
You’ll need:
Strawberries
Bananas
Kiwi (just one, or it gets too tangy) 🥝
Blueberries
Almond milk
Yogurt (I love strawberry yogurt, but plain is fine too)
Muesli (yes, it’s a must! Adds that perfect crunch)
Toss it all in a blender, give it a whirl, and BOOM. Drink up!
It’s sweet, filling, and makes you feel like a fresh little morning fairy. 🧚♀️
Now it’s your turn!
Got a smoothie recipe you love? Share it with me...I’m always ready to try something new!
And hey...what fruits grow in your country? What do you have to buy? Tell me, tell me, tell me! I love reading about this stuff. 🌍🍎🥭🍇
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
