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Food

Pumpkin Blow-Ya’ Mind Smoothie (it’s hot!)

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I love a hot fall smoothie. It has both deeply nourishing elements, and some reducing spices to counteract the heaviness. 

This is my go-to. So easy. So good for the time of the season!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup canned organic pumpkin puree

- 1 cup almond milk (or any milk of your choice)

- 2-3 fresh organic figs, chopped (dried if you can’t find fresh)

- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (adjust to taste)

- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

- A pinch of Himalayan rock salt

- Whipped coconut cream (optional, for garnish)

- Chopped dried figs and a sprinkle of pecans and cinnamon (for garnish)

 

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Figs: If using dried, start by chopping the dried figs into small pieces. You can use kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.
  2. Heat the Almond Milk: Pour the almond milk into a saucepan and heat it over low-medium heat. Heat until almost boiling.
  3. Blend the Ingredients: In a blender, combine the canned pumpkin puree, hot almond milk, figs, maple syrup, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground cloves, and a pinch of salt.
  4. Blend Until Smooth: Blend the mixture until everything is well combined and the smoothie is creamy. Be careful, its hot! I place a towel over the lid for extra safety. 
  5. Serve: Pour the hot pumpkin smoothie into mugs or cups. If desired, top each serving with a dollop of whipped coconut cream, chopped figs, and a sprinkle of cinnamon for added flavor and presentation.
  6. Enjoy: Serve your hot pumpkin smoothie immediately while it's still warm and enjoy the cozy fall flavors!

Feel free to adjust the sweetness by adding more or less maple syrup according to your taste preferences. This hot pumpkin smoothie with fall spices and figs is perfect for warming up on a crisp autumn day or as a comforting treat by the fireplace.

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Ayurveda-Inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte

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In deep reverence for our Crone Mama Fall, I am bowing before the altar of all things spicy, warm, orange, yellow and brown. (South hemisphere ladies, we see you in your bikinis!)

I am also owning the heck out of my basic self =  1. Yoga pants, 2. Furry Boots and 3. Pumpkin Spice

And so, our new team member, Eva, over here at Team Shakti has come up with this RIDICULOUSLY yummy, Ayurveda-inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte. We are currently *running* to go make this! With warming ginger, black pepper and nutmeg to help kindle your agni plus some grounding pumpkin and Ashwagandha - WHAT more could the vata in each of us need!? 😉☕🍁

Ayurveda-Inspired Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk of your choice
  • 1/8 cup pumpkin purée (or cooked pumpkin)
  • 1 tbsp ghee or coconut oil
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger powder
  • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • pinch black pepper

Optional: 1/2 tsp ashwagandha powder, 1 date (pitted or soaked) or 1/2 tsp of maple syrup to sweeten

Instructions: 

  1. Blend all the ingredients together until smooth.
  2. In a small pot, simmer over low heat until warm.
  3. Serve and enjoy!

Modification for Each Dosha:

  • Vata - This recipe is perfect "as-is" for keeping Vata in balance.
  • Pitta - Reduce the heat by removing or reducing the amount of ginger, black pepper, or turmeric.
  • Kapha - Substitute 1/2 cup milk with 1/2 cup water, use just 1 tablespoon pumpkin purée, and/or don't add the sweetener.

We hope you enjoy this delish recipe!

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Katie’s Ayurveda-Inspired Gatorade

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Ingredients:

  • 5 limes
  • 1 tbsp Manuka honey (this one is bangin’)
  • ½ tsp black or Himalayan pink salt
  • ¼ tsp fennel powder
  • 1/4 tsp licorice powder
  • 3 cups water
  • Ice Cubes (this is an Ayurveda NO-NO, so if you wanna’ be a purist, leave this one out, but I'm gonna’ be honest - in the dead of muggy Virginia summer, this girl breaks the no-ice rules)
  • Mint leaves
  • 2 Tbs. Hibiscus flowers (dried)

Instructions:

  1. Steep the hibiscus flowers in boiling water for 20 minutes in 2 cups of water. Strain and let cool.
  2. Squeeze the lime juice into a bowl.
  3. In a Mason jar or carafe, add the lime juice, hibiscus tea, honey, salt, licorice, fennel, ice cubes (if you’re naughty) and additional water.
  4. Mix or shake.
  5. Add more honey or spices as per your taste.
  6. Garnish with the mint.
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Subtly Sweet Harvest Muffins

~sweeter foods are a reminder of the sweetness of life~
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Craving more sweets this fall? A vata-pacifying diet actually calls for more sweet (madhura) taste. Beyond being comforting, soul-hugging and grounding, the sweet taste pacifies vata, invigorates the mind, strengthens the immune system, nourishes body tissues and enhances the ojas. Satisfy your sweet taste with these yummy fall muffins crafted from whole grains, a good dose of vata-pacifying spices and some orchard-fresh apples! 

Gluten-free Buckwheat Muffins with Apples & Walnuts

Dry ingredients: ½ cup crushed walnuts; 1 cup almond flour; ½ cup buckwheat flour; ⅓ cup ground flax seed; 1 tsp each powdered ginger, cinnamon & salt;  ¼ tsp each nutmeg, cardamom & allspice; ½ tsp each of baking powder & baking soda

Wet ingredients: ½ cup coconut oil, ½ cup maple syrup, 3 eggs, ⅓ cup non-dairy yogurt, ¼ cup nut milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2 finely diced apples (medium-sized)

Instructions: Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix wet ingredients, including apples. Add wet to dry and mix well. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Pair a freshly baked muffin with a nourishing cup of Golden Yogini Milk or another Shakti-infused recipe.

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Tips for Autumn Thriving and Lovin’ on Your Liver

Just… WHEW! As we shift from summer’s on-the-go intensity to the calmer, more introspective winter months, let’s pause and take a cleansing breath, shall we? 🙏🙏🙏

Change is in the air, and we’re in that blurry space between summer and fall. During this time of flux, you might experience Mamma Earth’s seasonal changes in yourself: dry leaves = dry skin; windy weather = gassy belly; swirling, erratic leaves = scattered mind; naked trees = raw, exposed feelings. ⚡POW!⚡

Repeat after me: Grounding. Warming. Routine. Release. That’s my autumn mantra for vata-balancing goodness. 

⭐Grounding: Rather than maintaining the activity of summer, now’s the time to slow down and adopt different rhythms. Savor simplicity and cultivate balance in the stillness. Stabilize your mind with rhythmic breathing and leave space in your day to rest and reflect. During your yoga practice, try less postures with longer breaths. 

⭐Warming: Introduce vata-based nutrition: root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and beets; soups and broths; and late-summer harvested apples and pears. Lube your skin with oil massages, take a bath with ginger powder and use warming essential oils like geranium, mahanarayan and vetiver.

⭐Routine: Make conscious effort to stick to your daily routines of sleep, work, exercise and eating. Routine is always a good idea, especially during fall when erratic vata can knock you off balance. 

⭐Release: Autumn invites time to pause and reflect on what is holding you back from reaching your life’s true dharma and purpose. Just as the leaves eventually release and let go this season, YOU TOO can release what is not serving you. ❤️

Cleanse Your Liver with Ease this Fall

 ~give your liver some lovin’~

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Ode to the liver! As our body’s primary detoxifying powerhouse, we want to keep our livers in tip-top shape. 🎺Enter a liver detox!🎺 Before vata can take over this fall, help your body get rid of old pitta heat accumulated over the summer. A simple liver detox will help you restore and enhance liver functionality, boost your immune system and prep your body for the winter ahead. 

✨Limit caffeine, alcohol, sugar and dairy and swap excess fats and proteins for more vegetables, bitter greens, aloe vera, rice and berries. 

✨Eat lighter, smaller portions (broth-based soups are great!) Steam or lightly saute your foods.

✨Prioritize your Zzzzz’s. Liver detoxification happens during sleeping hours.

✨Your liver is a hotpot of emotions. Quiet your mind with meditation, pranayama and yoga.

✨Add herbs that support a liver cleanse: bhumyamalaki, kutki, guduchi, amla + turmeric.

✨Cleanse your colon. Yes, really. Your colon is home to the vata dosha and a therapeutic enema (basti) can be a powerful step in cleansing toxins and buildup.

✨If you’re seeking a more in-depth, traditional Ayurvedic cleanse this fall, get started with Katie’s kitchari recipe!

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Hot Girl Summer! ☀ Cool & Fun Tips to Stay Balanced this Season

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Isn’t summer just the best? Sandy toes👣 and sun-kissed glows☀️. Farmers’ markets and scents of jasmine, rose and honeysuckle wafting through the air. I don’t know about you, but I CRAVE summer – it means road trips, BBQs, outdoor concerts, barefoot walks and quality time with friends and friends. 

Full stop.

What I don’t crave is summer’s annoying skin rashes, hot flashes and indigestion, or feeling hangry, impatient and leave-me-alone frustrated. Sound familiar? Yeah, total hogwash! 

As fiery pitta 🔥 builds and the earth gets uncomfy, humid and hot, so do we! And, I don’t mean in a cute, “lightly flushed + glowing” way… No, I’m talking full-on hot, angry face. 🥵 So how do we keep pitta at bay and actually enjoy summertime? 

Easy! Ayurveda tells us how to cool our jets so we’re not walking around red-faced and moody all season – generally, stay hydrated, eat a summer diet and prioritize SELF-CARE. ((Good news! Ayurveda permits napping during the summer months! So allow yourself to take a conscious rest or siesta when the afternoon slump hits.))  

Hey, speaking of self-care, summer is the perfect time to unleash your sensual goddess and get your sexy on, girl – nudge, nudge, wink, wink. More on that later…

To help you beat the heat, stay mellow and enjoy summer’s sun-drenched days, I’m sharing some essential pitta lifestyle tips (SPOILER: yummy DIY recipes + HOT hints on how to rediscover your sensual self.) Get ready to roll with the heat by priming your body and soul for the season! Onward…

Katie’s 10 Favorite Pitta-Pacifying Foods

~foods that cool your body + calm your mood~

A pitta-pacifying diet includes heaps of hydrating, fresh seasonal produce that have cooling energies. During summer, it’s best to favor sweet, bitter and astringent tastes and reduce salty and pungent tastes. Here’s what you can always find in my kitchen during the summer months.

✨ Aloe Vera 

✨ blueberries 

✨ cucumber

✨ coconut (coconut water with slices of lime - yum!)

✨ leafy greens: radicchio, watercress, arugula, spinach

✨ turmeric

✨ stone fruits: peaches, pears, apricots

✨ melons: cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon 

✨ mint, cilantro, basil, coriander

✨ beets

Sexy, Sassy Summer

~celebrate your divine sexual energy~

Balmy nights, bare legs, sun-kissed skin – summer is an oh’ so SEXY season, isn’t it? Connecting to your physical and energetic sexual centers is key to boosting your vitality and should be an area that is nurtured and attended to regularly. This summer (heck, anytime!!), I want you to tap into the HOT sensual goddess that you are and rediscover your feminine magic.

Try a few of these tips to reconnect with your sexual prowess… or have fun with a partner.

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💋 Light up your libido with a sensual photoshoot. No, really. Grab your sexy boy shorts, summery lingerie or go a la’ nude. Keep the photos to yourself to gawk at or share with another!

💋 Cultivate self-love. Stand in front of a mirror and note all of the intricate details you love about your body. Say them OUT LOUD, lady! You are special and deserve to hear it.

💋 Let loose your inner Beyoncé! Move your hips through dance to ignite your sexual energy. Your hips, located at your second chakra, are linked to your sexuality and pleasure.

💋 Go skinny dipping and relish the erotic feel and freedom of water on your bare skin.

💋 Write yourself love affirmations: I am desire. I am sexy. I am magnetic. Yes. You. Are!

💋 Try this meditation for building and healing sexual energy.

💋 Share a chilly treat with your bae – chocolate-dipped strawberries, ice cubes, whipped cream, need I say more?

💋 Incorporate intimate acts of deep connection with your partner, such as massage, talking, walking hand-in-hand, long hugs, kind words or simply gazing at one another. Pleasure is a journey, not a destination!

💋 Get busy! Wild and spontaneous or soft and sensual – sex is a magical and beautiful part of life. During summer, the body’s ojas are not up to optimal levels and sexual frequency may be reduced (but hey, you do you).

✨For more deep real-talk on sex, spirit and shakti-infused self-care,✨
subscribe to Katie’s Spirit Sessions podcast.

Skin That’s Good Enough to Eat

~homemade scrub for dewy, glowing skin~

Keep your skin cool, smooth and lickable with a DIY body scrub. Whip up this super-simple scrub using coconut oil (one of Ayurveda’s best pitta-pacifying ingredients), brown sugar and your favorite pitta-balancing essential oil. Ready to get your sexy back?

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🥥Sugar Scrub for Sooth, Supple Skin 

  • ¼ to 1 cup coconut oil 
  • 2 cups brown sugar or any organic sugar
  • 10-15 drops of essential oil
  • Mix oil & sugar until creamy
  • Add essential oil while stirring 
  • Add remaining sugar until you reach desired consistency 

Katie’s favorite cooling oils to calm fiery pitta: Jasmine, rose, chamomile, geranium

honeysuckle and sandalwood. Choose one or mix and match!

Cooling Blends for Sultry Days

~kick back with a refreshing cuppa~

A scorching summer day = cooling off poolside with a citrusy, refreshing drink in hand, am I right? Before reaching for a margarita, cue da herbs! Our plant companions (like, mint) can help us beat the heat while supporting our constitutional balance. And, it’s yummy! Mix up this delicious, totally guilt-free Ayurvedic-inspired limeade and get outdoors to kick back.

🥒Cooling Cucumber Mint Limeade 

  • 1 cucumber
  • 3 limes
  • 1-2 sprigs of mint
  • Honey or agave to taste (optional)
  • Peel & cube cucumbers, removing seeds if needed 
  • Put cucumbers, juice of limes, mint, sweetener of your choice & 4 cups water into blender 
  • Blend until smooth & sip away
  • Drink at room temp to allow the herbs to naturally bring down your agni

✨For more tasty recipes, visit Katie’s blog! ✨

Frayed Nerves? Try Sitali Breath!

~pacify the building heat in your body~

Sitali Pranayama, “the cooling breath,” is my absolute go-to yogic breathing exercise during summer. It helps lower our body’s temp, calm our nerves, take the edge off hunger pangs, and reduces fatigue, fevers and high blood pressure. It’s a super easy practice and will leave you feeling renewed, refreshed and energized. Here’s the deets! 

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

- Sit in a comfortable position with your head, neck and spine in alignment
- Close your eyes, breathe consciously for several minutes
- Form the lips into an “o,” curl your tongue lengthwise and project it out of the mouth
- Inhale deeply through your tongue as if drinking through a straw
- Focus your attention on the cool breath across your tongue as you fill up your diaphragm
- Bring your tongue into your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose
- Start with 2-5 minutes of Sitali breath and increase to 10 minutes over time

 ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

Not a tongue curler? 🙋No worries - lots of people aren’t! You can get the same results with Sitkari.

- Sit in a comfortable position with your head, neck and spine in alignment
- Close your eyes, breathe consciously for several minutes

- Press your lower and upper teeth together, and separate your lips so your teeth are exposed
- As you inhale slowly through your teeth, focus on the sound of the breath and the sensation
  of the air on your teeth
- Close your mouth and exhale slowly through your nose 

- Repeat Sitkari breath for 2-5 minutes and increase to 10 minutes over time


🙏 Finish with several minutes of meditation to notice the sensations throughout your body. 🙏

I hope that my recommendations assist you on your journey this season. I wish you the most balanced summer in your being.

Love yourself. Enjoy yourself.

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Katie’s Spring Time Ice Cream

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Katie’s Spring Time Ice Cream

“Oh my horror of Ayurveda horrors! Ice cream in the spring is a big no-no Katie Silcox!”

Yes, yes. But you still wanna’ eat it, right?

You, see I don’t believe in dogmatic Ayurveda food rules. (I ditched all fundamentalism a few years ago :-))

But what I DO think is really cool is using the principles of Ayurveda and the seasons to adapt and work with my cravings and desires. Ice cream in the spring included.

So, how do I do that in the spring? In this season there is a domination in the heavy, wet and unctuous qualities. And what’s so weird about imbalances in our system is that when we have imbalance, we will often crave things that are exactly the opposite of what we need. 

Which is why, before I got way healthier, I craved lounging about with an ice cream bowl on my belly exactly in the Kapha season.


End result - mucous, sad-face, lethargy and a lack of getting s%$t done. 

So, my hot little healer-woman, here’s a GREAT spring ice cream replacement that will totally douse your cravings, but also keep Kapha at bay.

It’s fruit-only sugar. A powerful protein and healthy-fat punch. As well as chock full of mind-tonic herbs that will keep you sharp all day. The secret ingredient is that it replaces the dairy of ice cream, which is super heavy and mucus producing with a wonderful Kapha-reducing replacement. Cauliflower! And I don’t even like cauliflower. 

 

Give it to me, Silcox:

2 cups frozen cauliflower

One cup frozen blueberries

One scoop of any good bone broth protein. My favorite is this chocolate kind from Ancient Nutrition.

One scoop Anima Mundi Qi Energy powder

One scoop Anima Mundi Shroom mocha milk

Add in 1/2 tsp ginger, cinnamon cardamom to spice it up and further reduce the kapha

2 cups water- add a bit more if needed

Blend in a blender til’ creamy smooth.

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How to Support Ourselves Through the Delicacy of Fall

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A Guide to Seasonal Transition

In the Ayurvedic tradition, paying close attention during seasonal transitions is an important way that we can connect to and honor the unique relationship we have with our bodies. In the areas north of the equator, we are approaching the Fall Equinox. This transition into Fall is all about the transition from light to dark. At all transitions we can be more vulnerable to an accumulation of ama (toxins) in the body and in the mind, which is why it can be a perfect time for gentle cleansing and emotional release. We also will start to experience shorter hours of sunlight, the mornings and evenings will get cooler, and the air will become more breezy and dry. As mother nature will be letting go (of leaves, of daylight hours, the work of photosynthesis), we too can mimic this behavior by practicing the art of letting go.

It could be time to let go of the high intensity schedule you may have had during the pitta time of year. This is the time to slow down and focus on more fluid and intentional movement. Morning and evening meditations, slow walks in nature (bundled up), and staying inside with a book and a cup of chaga can all be more appropriate activities during this time of the year.

While depletion is on the rise, it’s more important to take time for rest and reflection rather than keeping a busy schedule. You can also take advantage of this time of letting go to release any stored up emotions that may have accumulated throughout the early part of the year. Taking more time to journal, pray, and reflect can be a powerful way to welcome the beginning of Fall.

During the early stages of Fall, the pitta season is drawing to a close and the vata element is on the rise. As vata season becomes more predominant, it becomes even easier to encounter imbalances, especially in the qualities of wind and ether. Similarly, in the Chinese medicine tradition, such imbalances can have a major effect on the organs specific to the lungs and the large intestine. This is why it is crucial to take extra care and pay close attention to how you go about your daily routines. The most common imbalances at this time manifest as seasonal allergies, dryness, constipation, sadness, grief and anxiety, and a tendency towards dehydration.

Food For Fall Support

The best way to support this transition into Fall is with grounding and nourishing foods. Think of foods that help to counteract gas and bloating and focus on foods that nourish and strengthen the liver.

This is the perfect time for stewed mung beans, roasted winter squash, cooked dandelion greens with ginger and fresh turmeric. Apples cooked with a small amount of ghee and spices would also be a great way to hydrate the body and help to keep things moving. If you can, try to plan for a gentle cleanse. Ayurveda highlights the time between September 15th and October 15th as the ideal range for a kitchari cleanse. See our free cleansing guide below.

Herbs for Fall Support

Perhaps one of the best ways you can additionally support yourself at this time is through the power of herbs or mushrooms. Try adding some reishi, chaga, or lion's mane to your morning or evening beverage. These mushrooms are considered major superfoods and are strongly anti-inflammatory, promote longevity, better immune function and mental clarity.

Tulsi, ashwagandha, licorice, and gotu-kola are all some of our favorite ayurvedic herbs for fall. Tulsi and licorice make a delicious tea to sip on all throughout the day. We also love this blend from banayan to support yourself through the fall Adrenal Support. (Use code KATIE15 for 15% off). 

Practices for Fall Support

The fall tendency is to become more mentally scattered, anxiety can rise, and emotions can become a little more intense. Try focusing on exercise that incorporates more fluid movements like walking, gentle yoga, and body weight mobility circuits.

Meditation in morning and evening sun can be most effective and taking the time to journal can help to ease any extra stress. In particular, it could be helpful to use writing prompts such as I let go of or I release. Taking the time to reflect on what has and has not served you in the six months would be constructive and intentional practice as you move forward into the season of release and surrender.

This is a crucial time for building and tonifying the body in preparation for the winter months ahead when the body tends to become weaker and more susceptible to illness. Take the extra time and dive into the healing practices of Ayurveda.

Katie’s Autumnal Must Haves

Reishi

Chaga

Open Heart Rose Powder

Adrenal Nourish

Golden Milk 

Vata Spice Blend

Use code SHAKTIPOWER for 10% off everything from Paavani Ayurveda

Use code KATIE15 for 15% off everything Banyan Botanicals

Click here to access Shakti School's Ayurvedic Cleanse Guide

Want to go deeper into the healing power of Ayurveda? Seasonal transitions can often be the perfect time to set new intentions. Join Ayurveda School to learn more about cleansing, herb support, and get certified to help support others!

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Every year, it’s a total honor to introduce all Every year, it’s a total honor to introduce all of our teachers. I especially want to shout out @sandhiyaramaswamy who brings so much joy, femininity, fun and intelligence to our lessons, each level 1 and 2!
“...Should I start with the doshas? The Divine F “...Should I start with the doshas? The Divine Feminine? The 5 elements? Or just keep it basic?” 🤓

Okay, drop your best dinner-party answer to the question, “Ayur-what? What’s Ayurveda!?” below so we can share them the next time we need a Divine Feminine Ayurveda elevator pitch.👇🏼
Coconut Yogurt is so delicious and easy to make. I Coconut Yogurt is so delicious and easy to make. It is one of my favorite things to top onto mung daal (if using for savory dishes, exclude the vanilla and maple syrup) or to eat with berries and nuts! Plus, it helps keep the digestive system in check. I especially love it around the early spring/summer months. ⁠
⁠
Add coconut milk, probiotic capsules, vanilla bean and maple syrup to your shopping list—it’s the perfect time to make this cool, sweet recipe! 🥄
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