Hey everyone! Happy Wednesday! I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying the week. Today I have a special shake/smoothie recipe for you that is unbelievably good and also two books that I’m reading this week.
The smoothie I have to share with you today came as a complete surprise to me. I learned about it from Mimi Kirk (one of my favorite raw foodists) and I’ve made it at least twenty times since! I’ve never been a fan of avocados and I have to admit, I was leery about making this. The results were amazing.
Chocolate Avocado Shake
Ingredients:
- Almond Milk (about 1 cup)
- 2 avocados
- Dash of cinnamon
- Dash of salt
- Dash of vanilla
- Cocoa to taste. I used 3 heaping tablespoons
- Agave Syrup to taste
- Ice (about 1 cup)
Directions:
Add all the ingredients to the blender in the order above, but not the ice. Blend well. Add in the ice after blending and blend again until smooth. Adjust sweetener as needed.
Tips:
Avocados are ready when they are a very dark green or almost black. You can see below which ones are ready to be used.
You can use whatever sweetener you like. I used raw honey. Also, you can use regular cocoa powder if you need to, but a dark cocoa is best.
After adding in the ice and blending, the consistency is like a nice chocolate pudding. It tastes just like it too!
Thick enough to eat with a spoon–smooth enough to drink through a straw.
If you’d like to watch Mimi make this, you can watch the video below.
This Week’s Books
I’ve started two new books this week…
Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas
Beautifully captures the joys of a new family as it builds to an overwhelmingly moving climax. This is an unforgettable love story, at once heartbreaking and full of hope.
James Patterson has written a love story!–a powerfully moving and suspenseful novel about families, loss, new love, and hope.
Katie Wilkinson has found her perfect man at last. He’s a writer, a house painter, an original thinker–everything she’s imagined she wanted in a partner. But one day, without explanation, he disappears from her life, leaving behind only a diary for her to read.
This diary is a love letter written by a new mother named Suzanne for her baby son, Nicholas. In it she pours out her heart about how she and the boy’s father met, about her hopes for marriage and family, and about the unparalleled joy that having a baby has brought into her life. As Katie reads this touching document, it becomes clear that the lover who has just left her is the husband and father in this young family. She reads on, filled with terror and hope, as she struggles to understand what has happened–and whether her new love has a prayer of surviving.
Written with James Patterson’s perfect pitch for emotion and suspense, Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas captures beautifully the joys of a new family as it builds to an overwhelmingly moving climax. This is an unforgettable love story, at once heartbreaking and full of hope. – Goodreads
This one is a reread for my February pick on the Ultimate Reading Challenge. I needed a tear jerker and this was the book that came to mind. I originally read this in 2006 and I remember crying so bad and reading parts of it out-loud to my husband.
Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words
A New York Times Bestseller
The amazing story of a very smart Border collie who is redefining animal intelligence.
Chaser has a way with words. She knows over a thousand of them—more than any other animal of any species except humans. In addition to common nouns like house, ball, and tree, she has memorized the names of more than one thousand toys and can retrieve any of them on command. Based on that learning, she and her owner and trainer, retired psychologist John Pilley, have moved on to further impressive feats, demonstrating her ability to understand sentences with multiple elements of grammar and to learn new behaviors by imitation.
John’s ingenuity and tenacity as a researcher are as impressive as Chaser’s accomplishments. His groundbreaking approach has opened the door to a new understanding of animal intelligence, one that requires us to reconsider what actually goes on in a dog’s mind. Chaser’s achievements reveal her use of deductive reasoning and complex problem-solving skills to address novel challenges.
Yet astonishingly, Chaser isn’t unique. John’s training methods can be adopted by any dog lover. Through the poignant story of how he trained Chaser, raised her as a member of the Pilley family, and proved her abilities to the scientific community, he reveals the positive impact of incorporating learning into play and more effectively channeling a dog’s natural drives.
John’s work with Chaser offers a fresh perspective on what’s possible in the relationship between a dog and a human. His story points us toward a new way of relating to our canine companions that takes into account our evolving understanding of the way animals and humans learn.
As soon as I saw this story about Chaser the Border Collie, I had to read this book. As an owner of Border Collies, I’ve experienced first hand just how smart these dogs are. I’m enjoying the book so far and please check back because I will be interviewing the author, John W. Pilley.
You have made me feel so guilty… I have no avocados, but I did have chocolate ice-cream and soda left over from my brother’s stay over the weekend…. The ice-cream float was so good. But now I will go have a conversation with my treadmill.
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You’re killing me with the ice cream and soda! I have literally not stopped thinking about it since your post, lol. ❤ One day I'm going to have it again. I'm just on this special protocol right now and can't use the dairy. I'm not supposed to have it anyway, but I love ice cream so much and doubt I'll go all summer without some! Luckily, there isn't a Dairy Queen within a half hour of my house, lol.
Enjoy your treadmill! I'l be on mine this afternoon. Thanks for stopping by. ❤
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Lol. I think it’s only because of that post I remembered when I saw the ingredients! 😄
And as I’m getting over a cold I should be off of dairy this week too. Ah well…..
Summer will be here eventually and hopefully you can have the float 😊
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OK I love chocolate and I love avocados, but them together? Sounds interesting, can you taste the avocado?
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You wouldn’t believe! I thought the same thing. All you taste with this one is chocolate pudding. As long as you add enough sweetener, it’s delish! She uses a lot of agave, but I found that three heaping tablespoons of raw honey was good for me and I’m a sweet freak. Hope you try it! ❤
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Hmm well what I am feeling adventurous I might try this, thanks for the recipe🙂
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I want to try this but I don’t think I have enough guts too as much as I love chocolate and avocado, I can’t combine them. And consistency of pudding?? I can’t, lol. I’m glad you like it though especially since you’re an avocado hater ;). Can’t wait to read your review on Suzanne’s Diary! As for the border collies, have you seen the one video of the girl who does yoga with hers? It’s just about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!
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You have to try this one! I think you’ll love it. It’s very smooth and easy to drink through a straw. My youngest ate some this morning with a spoon (pic) just like pudding. When the kids love it, you know it’s good. 😉
I haven’t seen that video! I have seen a few dancing and stuff like that. Can you send me the link? Chat soon. Hope your day is wonderful. ❤
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See thats the problem. I don’t like pudding especially because of the consistency. Maybe add more ice so it’s more like a milkshake haha. I’m weird.
Okay, I will! Hope your day is going well!! ❤
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You can try more ice, but because of the avocados, it’s a pretty thick shake. It like a milkshake! It truly is and it’s worth a try. 🙂 Minimal ingredients really. 😀 ❤ I wish we lived closer because I would love to make you one of these! 🙂
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If we lived closer I’d never eat in my own house 😂😂. I’d be paying you for all your tasty meals!
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Haha! My sweet friend, I wouldn’t charge you! ❤
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😍😍
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Chocolate and avocado?!? You don’t say. What a combination! How did it turn out?
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Vanessa, it’s so good! I promise. Totally worth a try. Unbelievable!! ❤
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I am definitely saving the avocado shake recipe. The plot of the first book still has me confused but the one about the dog sounds so interesting ! Also adding that to my list! Great post.
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Thanks, Jess. Suzanne’s Diary for Nicholas actually isn’t hard to read at all. It’s a smooth read about Katie who reads out of a diary written by someone else. It’s so sad, but good. Thanks so much for checking out my post. Let me know if you try this smoothie! ❤ Take care!
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Sounds lovely, especially with the cocoa. I’d never have thought of that!!
Is avocado high fibre?
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It’s so good! Florida Avocados have the highest fiber I believe, but most of them are around 10 grams per fruit. Avocado are a nearly perfect food with nearly everything a human needs to survive! ❤ I truly wish I loved them more. This recipe is doable for me though. ❤ Hope you enjoy! 🙂
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That first book looks like a complete weepy–I may read it sometime. Thanks.
Great-looking shake too…mmmm!
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Thank you, Donna! I hope you read it. It’s a fave. I haven’t forgot to email you about Baby Teeth. Just been really busy! ❤ Hope all is well.
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Oh, I forgot about it! Whenever is fine, if it’s not a hassle. Thanks.
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I’m allergic to dairy and yet I’m a chocoholic! This is perfect for me 😊
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You might love it! It’s worth a try. Thank you! 💖
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I’m going to try the avocado “Chocolate Pudding” thing too
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I will take your word for it that the shake is good, because it sounds disgusting haha. It does look good in the pics but I am not a huge fan of chocolate shakes so I won’t be trying this one.
That border collie is adorable! Is Chaser a novel or more informational? Like, is it a story or “this is how I trained my dog” type thing?
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It does sound disgusting, but it’s really good! 💖 Chaser is non-fiction and it’s basically how he trained her, but has much more than that. Thank you! 😁
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Oh, you’ve already started Suzanne’s Letters for Nicholas! Now you made me want to pick it up, too! Great photos and yummy-looking breakfast as always ❤
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Yeah, I started it, but it’s going to take me some time because I’m reading too many at once, lol. 😁 Thanks, Noriko! 💙
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I love boiled chocolate pudding, so the bar is set high! Actually, I think this is a great idea because of the natural enzymes in the avocado. It really does look like pudding. I will try it. I still have some cocoa from Dominican Republic.
How about that James Patterson. He writes well as you say. However, I had no idea he wrote anything like SDFN. It’s no wonder as he’s a prodigious writer. I think every writer is due for a change every once in awhile.
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You have to let me know your thoughts when you make it. Hoping you’ll be pleased!
It’s funny because I was trying to locate the book and when I did, I was so surprised to learn that it was a Patterson book. I’m not sure if I paid attention to the author in 2006, but I love the book. 💗 😁
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The shake looks delicious and the books look awesome too!
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Thank you! 💗
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I like both chocolate and avocados, but never would have thought to mix them together. It looks fantastic!
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It’s really good, Teri! You wouldn’t believe it. 💙
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I loved Suzanne’s Diary, it was a great, emotional read. The border collie one looks good. I love books about dogs so will be watching for your review.
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I’m so glad, Carla! This is a reread for me, but I’m enjoying it just as much. Chat soon. 💖😘
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