Beat the heat with this chocolate cherry treat!

I’ve been on a cherry kick lately.  And I’m pretty much always on a chocolate kick.
So while I usually use my blender for whipping up green drinks,  I recently did something that felt a little more indulgent, but was loaded with good stuff.  And it helped me beat the heat!

Something else that is helping me beat the heat is all the great new music that is out right now.  I am loving Fifth Harmony’s “All In My Head” with Fetty Wap.  And “Like I Would” by Zayn.  He gives off a bad boy vibe in this song.  I have no problem with that.
So about my drink…
Even though fresh cherries are plentiful this time of year, I used frozen sweet cherries this time.  They come already pitted (which is a plus) and by blending them while frozen they give the drink a nice consistency.
Sweet cherries give you vitamin C, fiber, carotenoids and anthocyanins, which may play a role in cancer prevention.  Plus they taste great.
Chocolate is not only delicious, it contains iron, manganese, magnesium and zinc.  For more about chocolate, check out this post.  It happens to be one of my personal favorites.
Like Justin Bieber and Jason Derulo…
Raw cacao powder is a great choice, because it is much less processed than cocoa powder, and therefore contains higher levels of antioxidants.  I had some on hand so that’s what I used.  But if I didn’t I would have used unsweetened cocoa powder like Hershey or Gheradelli.
Since the cacao is pretty bitter, I used some liquid stevia to sweeten it just a bit.   There is only one brand of liquid stevia that tastes good to me, and it’s hard to find in stores, so I put it in my Amazon store.
Unsweetened cashew milk worked great as a liquid to give the drink a creamy consistency, but you could use coconut milk, almond milk, or anything you like.  Just watch the sugar content…some are higher than you think!
Of course I added a scoop of Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides…why not improve your skin, hair and nails while you enjoy a treat?!  If you’ve been following me for awhile you know I blend collagen peptides into just about everything, because I’ve seen such improvement in the firmness of my skin.
So here’s what I did:
HAPPY HEALTHY AND HOT CHOCOLATE CHERRY SMOOTHIE
1 cup frozen pitted sweet cherries
3/4 cup unsweetened “milk” of choice
1 teaspoon raw cacao powder
1 scoop Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Stevia to taste
Put all ingredients in blender.  I used the smaller cup on the Nutribullet and it fit perfectly. Blend until smooth.  Drink immediately!
So, can a frosty treat like this help you feel happy, healthy and hot?  No doubt!  A delicious cold drink will make you happy on a hot day.  The cherries and cacao are loaded with nutrients to support your health.  The vitamin C is awesome for your skin, and supports production of new collagen.  And of course the collagen peptides are amazing for your skin, hair and nails.  So you’ll be hot!   And if you really want to turn up the heat, listen to that new song by Zayn.
SHOP THE POST
Nutribullet
Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
NuNaturals Liquid Vanilla Stevia
Raw Cacao Powder