the last few weeks of winter are here and they're not letting up around these parts. it's bitter cold, icy sidewalks, dirty snow, and wind that hurts your face and makes you want to cry. sunshine in all and any form is needed...desperately. while i'm usually sipping on hot tea, warm lemon water, or bits of coffee here and there, i've been opting for a cooler, citrusy beverage as of late perhaps to summon a brighter perspective.

my husband isn't the biggest fruit consumer, so when i had a boat ton of citrus leftover from a project, i went to making my favorite juice this time of year, as well as develop a more substantial variety in the form of a creamy smoothie. i wanted something texturally thick, but fluid; slightly sweet, and creamy - almost like a childhood creamsicle, but more nutritionally sound. while i was going for more of a breakfast-y dessert smoothie, than a traditional greens 'n fruit smoothie, you can surely partake in this drink and still feel light and invigorated. in went my fave, fave, fave coconut yogurt (full of probiotics ---> happy belly!), hydrating coconut water, various citrus fruits for color and flavor, some warming nuggets of fresh ginger, a bit of maple syrup to round out the acidity; some chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric for their lovely anti-inflammatory properties and amino acids. basically a super high-vibe, slurp-able creamiscle! (and bonus, if you want to make your own coconut milk yogurt, izy's got you covered in a recent article on the kitchn!)

warmth, sunshine + smoothies! xo

coconut citrus sunshine smoothie (gf + v)

usually when i make smoothies i add as i go, which is really what i did here - there's no real math to it, so feel free to start with less and add more as you go. the result of the ingredient amounts below is a fairly fluid smoothie that thickens over time as the chia seeds activate, about 10 minutes.

| makes 4 servings |

1 cup coconut water, cold
1 cup coconut yogurt (or preferred yogurt)
1 navel orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 ruby red grapefruit, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1 blood orange, peeled, cut, and seeds removed
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric, extra to top (1 teaspoon fresh turmeric)
1 teaspoon chia seeds, extra to top
1 teaspoon bee pollen, extra to top

coconut citrus smoothie | dolly and oatmeal

instructions

place all ingredients into a high-speed blender; blend on high until smooth and bubbly. taste and adjust, adding more syrup or turmeric. you can serve immediately, or wait 5-10 minutes for the chia seeds to activate, resulting in a thicker smoothie. serve, and sprinkle tops with some more chia seeds, bee pollen, and turmeric