Pumpkin-Apple Pie Smoothie

I’ve been wanting to share this smoothie for weeks, but just haven’t had the time. Between long days, finishing up my children’s yoga teacher training, work training, & ~ to top it all off ~ coming down with my first official cold of the season, my energy, or lack thereof, has been directed in many, many places! I’ve been making this smoothie at least twice a week to keep myself going strong, & find it to be so warming & satisfying for breakfast. I sometimes need a break from my usual green smoothie habit, & this fall-inspired concoction definitely hits the spot!

Our days here in San Diego have been slow to cool down, but we are getting there! Our nights & early mornings, however, have sung a different tune. It’s been chilly, at least for these parts, & I’ve been turning on the heater & wearing a jacket & scarf in the mornings when I walk the dog. Cool mornings call for a warming breakfast, but I typically crave a smoothie & a smoothie sounds too cold. Ayurveda advises that our digestive fires should be balanced so that we can digest our meals efficiently & smoothly. To keep our digestive fires in balance, room-temperature drinks are recommended, so there is nothing frozen in this glass. Digestive Agni can be compared to a burning fire, & an ice-cold drink is like putting cold water on burning logs. What happens? It extinguishes the fire! So while that ice-cold smoothie can be refreshing, especially in the hot summer, it certainly can cause your digestive system some discomfort. And after a long night’s rest, we certainly want to ease our digestive systems back to work. Since fall is “Vata” time & the principles of Vata are cold, rough, & dry, a cold drink will only make us colder. So ditch the frozen fruit & add fresh, room-temperature ingredients. It may not be as frothy as you’re used to, but your body (& hands!) will thank you.

I also tend toward Vata imbalance ~ anxiety, stress, indecisiveness & insomnia ~ which can only be aggravated this time of year, so I need to be extra careful to stay warm, nourished & balanced. So, not only is this smoothie made at room temperature to keep the Agni aglow, it is full of warming spices & grounding Vata pacifying ingredients such as oats, pumpkin, ginger & banana. Apples are not necessarily the best for Vata, per se, but they are in season, I love them & they add a wonderful natural sweetness here. Almond milk is very warming & grounding for Vata, so I love it this time of year in my tea or in smoothies, & warmed on the stove with a few dashes of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon & clove for a pre-bedtime treat.

PUMPKIN-APPLE PIE SMOOTHIE Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan Recipe type: Smoothie, Breakfast Cuisine: Vegan, Ayurvedic Serves: 1 INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup almond milk, preferably homemade

• ½ large (or 1 small) gala apple chopped

• ¼ cup pumpkin puree

• ¼ cup raw rolled oats

• ½ banana

• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

• ½ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled

• splash of vanilla extract

• pinch of pink sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Place all ingredients in a high-speed blender & blend until smooth & creamy.

2. Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon on top, or a few chopped walnuts & dried berries.

This smoothie tastes like pie in a glass! Who wouldn’t want to start their morning off with pie? This is a smoothie that is sure to satisfy even on the coldest fall mornings! Enjoy!