CinnaCocoNutmeg Smoothies

I connect with the ocean almost as much as I connect with food - except that whenever I go in the ocean, I'm terrified that I'll be eaten by a shark, stung by a jellyfish, nibbled on by a guppy, or clawed by a crab.

This is why the ocean falls short of claiming the top spot on this particular list; because, you see, Beef Bourguignon doesn't bite back.

The Sous Chef and I enjoy visiting the ocean whenever we get a chance.  On one of our last trips, we spent a full week at a friend's beach house in Ocean City, New Jersey, during my Spring break.  We prefer going to places in the off-season, when the streets, sidewalks, stores, and sites aren't so clogged with people.  This particular trip was perfect - sunny and warm, but early enough in the season that we could easily find solitude.

We strolled through the shops, eyes grazing past the kitschy tourist-trap souvenirs, focusing more on the unique pieces.  We happened upon a store that specialized in imports from Bali and other parts of Indonesia; brightly colored fabrics, driftwood whittled into the shapes of turtles and fish, things like that.

I was immediately taken by a series of bowls - squares of coconut shell, fashioned into a mosaic and lined with thin bisections of cinnamon stick set in a cream colored resin.  It spoke of tropical sunsets, exotic spices, and salt-tinged breezes.  With every movement, a slight scent of cinnamon would waft through the air.  I was instantly in love with these bowls.

I bought two - one for the Sous Chef and myself, and one for my foodie stepsister.  It faithfully served as our drop-off dish, right inside the threshold of our home.  Keys and coins wove themselves in between slivers of cinnamon.

That is, until Dolce knocked it over.

It wasn't her fault; she was only saying goodbye to me one morning as I left for work.  She got a bit overexcited and…smash.  A large crack along the entire length of the bowl, shards of resin, and bits of coconut and cinnamon lined the floor.  It was nearly as crushed as I was.

I've kept the crippled item, hoping to one day learn how to repair it.  Until then, I have this recipe to remind me of this delightful combination of seed and spice…

CinnaCocoNutmeg Smoothie
(Serves 1.  Total time: 5 minutes)

• 1 cup coconut milk (I used SoDelicious unsweetened)
• 1 cup raw coconut water (I used Harmless Harvest)
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
• 5 drops vanilla extract
• Stevia (if necessary, for extra sweetness)

Combine all ingredients and blend or stir.  Add stevia if you want extra sweetness (I find that Harmless Harvest coconut water is perfectly sweet all on its own, but other brands need a little nudge).

I recommend drinking this with a straw, as the spices tend to sink to the bottom.  A straw excellently serves as both a stirrer and beverage delivery system.

Enjoy!

Drink well.

P.S. Please forgive the furry little ones who break your things.  They know not what they do.  And they're so cute, it's nearly impossible to stay mad at them anyway, so why try?