Name: Vegan Pineapple Carrot Cake Smoothie
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 cup pineapple (, cubed); 1/2 cup coconut milk; 2 medium carrots (, peeled and roughly chopped); 1 apple (, cored); 1 tsp cinnamon; 1 scoop vanilla protein powder; 1 Tbsp unsweetened (, shredded coconut (plus more for garnish)); 1 Tbsp chopped walnuts ((plus more for garnish))

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This smoothie will remind you of your favorite spiced carrot cake, yet is filled with a ton of nutrients to get you through your day.

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I would like to give you proof to the fact that I am a 73-year-old-lady trapped in the body of a 30-something-year-old. Like really. I'm kind of an old lady.

Here are a few reasons:

At 7:20 the other night I was complaining because it wasn't bed time already...
My actual bedtime is 9:00
I can't make it to my favorite Zumba class because it's at 8, and I wouldn't want to mess up my sleep
A night in with my family is way more enticing than a night at a bar with a bunch of friends
I can't drink even one alcoholic bevvy without a massive headache the next morning
Staying up past 11 kicks me on my behind for the entire next day

Also... the next one's a doozy...

I check the weather before meal planning the upcoming week.

Say what? Is that even a thing?

I don't know if people do this or not, but I know I do, and I feel like a total old lady because of it.

I eat foods based on the time of year and what the weather is like. If it's cold out, I'm nomming on soups and chili. If it's warm out, I want all the salads and sandwiches possible.

Cold weather = my new love = hot green juice

Warm weather = cold smoothies errrrday

There are also certain flavors that come with different seasons. Give me all the ginger, apple, pumpkin noms from Sept-Feb. But As soon as Valentine's Day is over, I'm kicking those flavors to the curb and asking for all the lemon, banana bread, and carrot cake noms.

So when I was able to walk outside last week without a jacket on, I decided the warm weather food needed to get started ASAP. And that needed to include all my favorite show stoppers.

But carrot cake. Let's talk about that real quick.

Carrot cake = spring time
Carrot cake = easter time
Carrot cake = my mom's favorite, so I associate it with mother's day
Carrot cake = not the healthiest food on the planet

Carrot cake smoothies = TOTALLY healthy!!

I actually am not the best smoothie-maker in the world. Often I love my creations but my wife just turns her nose up at them for whatever reason.

Maybe cause she's worked at various smoothie shops and is a bit of a smoothie snob... shhh, don't tell her I said so...

Anyway, so as I was brainstorming this carrot cake smoothie creation, I didn't have high hopes for it. I assumed it wouldn't turn out. That is, until I took that first sip, and I was ridiculously in love. It tasted like my favorite carrot cake that I've made half a dozen times for my mom. Yet, it was healthy and refreshing!

So yeah, while I may be an old-lady at heart, it's totally paying off that I create recipes based on the weather forecast. Cause now you'll be ready. As soon as warm temps come your way, you'll have this bad boy in your back pocket ready to whip up.

You can find me sipping on it while cross-stitching on a Saturday night...

no, but really...

[Tweet "Carrot Cake doesn't have to be unhealthy! This smoothie will have you asking for a 2nd slice err sip"]