Beyonce in Bowl Form

Possibly the only time I find my creative juices running wild, acai bowls (it's pronounced ah-sai-ee, but if you don't know that by now you need to re-evaluate your cultural participation) are not only fun to create, but they are also delectable, exquisite, indulgent (but not really), refreshing...and somehow healthy as hell. Seriously, these succulent berries are the Beyonce of sustenance: there's absolutely nothing wrong with them. The dark purple magical nuggets that are acai berries are the offspring of acai palm trees, which are mostly grown in Brazil's Amazon rain forest. Just a fun fact.

Anyway, these superfood berries pack a nutritional punch with a wide variety of antioxidants, amino acids, and essential fatty acids. Labeled by the Brazilians (who blessed us with Adriana Lima) as the “Beauty Berry,” acai berries do the body good from the inside out, with health benefits such as increased energy levels, a boosted immune system, improved metabolic function, and better hair and skin.

Like I said, Beyonce.

Along with being a nutritional powerhouse, an acai bowl stimulates not only the body, but the soul. It keeps you full for hours, and, since it feels like an indulgent treat, you won't go reaching for that Snickers when that awful 11:30 pm post-breaky/pre-lunch hunger strikes. Acai bowls look like ice cream, almost taste like ice cream, and are basically what breakfast dreams are made of. Without further ado, here's the only reason I decided to get out of bed this morning:

Ingredients:

• 2 frozen acai smoothie packs
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk, used: almond milk (more as needed to blend)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (or substitute with more almond milk)
• 1 large frozen banana
• 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• toppings:1/2 cup berries, 1/2 a banana, 1/4 cup granola, 1/4 cup coconut shreds, 1/8 cup goji berries, 1 Tablespoon chia seeds, a sprinkle of cacao nibs, and another lil sprinkle of bee pollen

Directions: put everything (except the toppings) in a blender and blend until you see a water-fall like effect going on at the top of the mixture (you'll understand when you see it). Pour into an instagram-worthy bowl or mason jar and go nuts with the toppings. Figuratively and literally (almonds, cashews, pistachios, pecans, macadamia nuts, fresh fruit, chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut, almond butter, peanut better, goji berries, mulberries... I'm exhausted you get it). Last but not least, savor every. single. bite. Because like a celestial Beyonce song, it's over before you know it.