Marvelous Mint Chip Smoothie Recipe

If you've ever noticed the "Shop Young Living" button on the Homepage of this website you can be forgiven for wondering what the heck it's about. I'm terrible about not marketing my work as an Independent Distributor for Young Living. I'm spoiled by Young Living's wonderful established marketing department and I tend to let them work for me while I stay busy with the epic task of establishing my Atelier Mandaline brand all on my own. The reality is, I use Young Living products every single day, in almost all aspects of my life. Young Living is just an incredible brand. The quality of their oils and other products is amazing, as is the business opportunity they offer.

Readers of my Mandaline Artful Living blog know of my never-ending struggle to control my weight. I don't just want to be thin; I want to be healthy, and I want to raise my children to understand how to eat well. Maximizing the nutritional content of our food has been a major concern ever since we adopted our first special needs child, who was severely malnourished, and has only increased with the adoption of our second child with special needs. Our son has a range of symptoms related to his congenital birth defect, but one of his worst problems right now is that he is beset by painful canker sores. We have tried everything we can think of,  from home remedies to prescriptions but the sores just keep recurring. Although our dentist doesn't think canker sores are caused by foods, I beg to differ. I get them horribly whenever I eat fruit-flavored hard candy or jelly beans. I think some chemical in food dyes or artificial flavoring causes the sores. Tonight when my son was begging for dessert I decided to try a healthy "ice cream" recipe. The result was fantastic! I adapted my recipe from one on the My Fitness Pal app.

Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothie Bowls:
Serves 6
1 cup water
2 TBSP unsweetened almond butter
4 frozen bananas, peeled
2 avocados, peeled
2 cups kale or spinach, packed (may substitute fresh peppermint leaves for half of this)
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 TSP spirulina powder
2 TBSP cacao nibs
2 TBSP dark chocolate chips
2 TBSP coconut palm sugar
8 drops Young Living Vitality Peppermint Essential oil

Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Serve cold. If desired, top with extra dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or chia seeds.

I will absolutely be making this recipe again! The Young Living peppermint oil adds the perfect touch. It's really important to remember most essential oils are NOT safe for internal consumption. Young Living, the only essential oils company with FDA approval for some products, has formulated their Vitality line especially for ingestion, but all their peppermint essential oil is safe to eat.

I make most of our toiletries and cleaning supplies using Young Living oils, and I post the recipes on my blog and my Naturally Amanda Facebook page. When you sign up as a Young Living member with me I add you to several secret online groups where you can ask questions and learn all about using oils. Contact me to find out more about Young Living.