The first time I saw Sailor Moon as a kid, Ami (or Amy, as it was in the '90s dub) immediately stole my heart. She was shy like me, she liked reading, and she had blue hair, which just so happened to be my favorite color as a kid.

Solid reasons, in my six-year old mind.

A drink idea for Ami was surprisingly hard to come up with; the first thing that came to mind was vanilla, and I was afraid that it would seem too boring, too predictable of a choice for her character. But genuinely, she just strikes me as someone who would like vanilla over chocolate!

And so, a vanilla frappucino it was.

Easy, mild, but also complex and flavorful. Kind of like Ami herself.


Ami's Vanilla Frappucino

1 frozen banana
1/2 c vanilla creamer (I made some using my own variation of this recipe!)
1/2 c milk of choice
2 tsp vanilla extract or some vanilla bean

Put it all in your blender and whirl it up! Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

For Mercury's symbol, I melted some white chocolate with a few drops of blue food coloring, and drew it on top with a squeeze bottle, then added ice crystal sprinkles. 


I really loved how this turned out. It had such a nice flavor and creaminess to it, like the kind of thing you could drink every morning and not get tired of it too quickly.

Next up.... It's time for F I R E. ♂

It's such a simple, easy thing to fix up. I just wash a cucumber, peel it, and slice it. Mix up some tuna salad, however you like to make it, and then scoop it onto the cucumber slices like you would crackers. Also, a lil tomato on top is a nice addition.

CARROTS AND HUMMUS


Confession: I actually hate raw carrots. The texture of them is just... Ugh. But for whatever reason, as long as I have some sort of dip for them, I don't mind. Ranch is usual my weapon of choice, but I've been really into hummus lately.

BANANA ICE CREAM



....Or "nicecream," as it's been affectionately dubbed. I LOVE this stuff. It's so perfect for those days that are so hot you don't even feel like moving. Cool, creamy, and completely customizable. Or, alternatively, add more liquid and make it a smoothie!

GRANOLA BARS


FRUIT SALAD


I never used to be much of a fruit salad person, but my grandma loves it and has made it a few times recently, and I find that I'm much more fond of it now that I'm older. It's great because you can mix whatever kinds of fruit you like best together, and it makes a cold and delightful treat.

What are your favorite summer snacks?? Tell me 'bout 'em!

Remember how I mentioned in my last post that I have a massive sweet tooth? Yeah, well...

So much for that whole "healthier eating" thing.

Just kidding! Kind of. You've gotta splurge every now and then, right? Every good diet tells you so.

My absolute favorite splurge, as far as desserts go, is warm, gooey, fresh-out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. That was, until I stumbled upon the existence of a pizookie.


A pizookie is all the beauty of a chocolate chip cookie, except you get to eat it with a spoon out of a cute lil ramekin, complete with melty ice cream on top....

Also, personally—and maybe this is sheer laziness—but it's so much easier to scoop the batter into a few little ramekins than to have to space them 1-2 inches evenly apart on a pan. I get kind of fussy about making sure they're perfectly even so they don't end up getting stuck together, so putting them in a ramekin where I don't have to worry about that is so much easier for me. But, maybe that's just the weird perfectionist inside of me.

The best thing about it is it's only six ingredients! It's honestly the only baked good recipe I know by heart. Easy and tasty.

First things first, whip up the butter & the brown sugar.


Then, beat in the egg and vanilla.



Slowly incorporating the flour...


Then, stir in those chocolate chips, and you're ready for baking!

I leave them in the oven for about 15-16 minutes—watching them like a hawk in the meantime, since that extra minute could mean the difference between perfection & unexceptional. I like them slightly undercooked for maximum gooey-ness.



Alright, alright, enough drooling. Onto the recipe!

Gooey Chocolate Chip Pizookies
Cook time: 15 min.
Total time: 25 min.
printable recipe

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips of choice

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2.) Cream together the butter and the sugar until smooth.
3.) Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
4.) Slowly incorporate the flour, just until it's all mixed in.
5.) Stir in desired chocolate chips. (I use dark chocolate!)
6.) Smooth batter into ramekins, adding more chocolate chips on top if you're into that. (I am.)
7.) Bake anywhere from 15-20 min, depending on how done you like it.
8.) PLOP SOME VANILLA ICE CREAM ON THAT CREATION AND EAT UP.

Go forth, friends, and make the beauty that is this delicious little dessert! And maybe tell me about your favorite desserts... I always wanna talk sweets!!

So, I’ve never had a Shamrock Shake from McDonald’s.

*horrified gasps*

I know, I know.... I don’t know how I’ve managed it, but it’s just never happened.

I have, however, been unable to miss all of the hype surrounding them. I hear they’re delicious, and the pretty green color is all-too appealing.


And so, in honor of St. Patrick’s day, I made a green smoothie. A little healthier, I’m sure, than a shake from McDonald’s. 

Literally the easiest thing to make, and preeetty tasty.

Green mint smoothie —

• 1-2 frozen bananas
• Almond milk (I used the hint of honey variety!)
• 1/4 tsp of peppermint extract
• A small handful of raw spinach leaves
• Optional: whipped cream + gold sprinkles

1. Whirl the bananas up in a blender until they’re getting creamy, adding milk as needed until you reach your desired consistency.

2. Once the consistency is about how you want it, add in the mint extract + the spinach leaves, and blend again until the spinach is ground into fine pieces.

3. Pour into a cup + add a little whipped cream on top for fun, and some gold sprinkles for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow!