Oregon Transplant: Swirled Strawberry Lemon Smoothies

Oh friends.

Remember the hubby and I's snowy adventure up to Chillicothe on Monday? Well, we finally heard back from the dealership at 4 pm yesterday. And it was not good news. Apparently, there is something wonky with the transmission, sooooooooo....

I'm getting a new transmission.

Annnnnnd they say it's going to be 2 weeks. Say WHAT???

Ok, so I'm admittedly annoyed that I'm car-less for the foreseeable future. Annoyed that a 2013 model needs a new transmission at 22,000 miles. Is anything built the way it used to be? Or are foreign cars going the way of American cars? You know cheap, or the kind that you have to "fix or repair daily" ------> subtle swipe there :) But seriously, I personally believe a 2013 should never need a new transmission when there hasn't been a catastrophic event or totaling of the car. I guess that's just me though. I don't have any mechanic or auto body training, so that's just my lone, solitary opinion.

I'm trying to look at the bright side. I'll get lots of yoga done, trying to keep in mind the hubby and I shared a car for 3 years. I'll finally bake those cookies that have been on my to-do list for 2 weeks or prepare my Valentines post. Make up lost time on my reading. Do a deep clean of the house.

I think I'm most annoyed because life hasn't really gone back to normal after the holidays. I'm one of those people that benefits from routine. I know, routine is like death to some people. Not me. And my normal routine is to hit the gym or run 4-5 times a week, and I just haven't had time. Exercise is like therapy to me, I need it to maintain mental calmness. I've been squeezing in yoga wherever I can, but it's just not the same as heart-pounding cardio or as sweaty as lifting weights.

It's times like these I have to take a deep breath. And just let it go.

My car will get fixed.

Sharing a car for 2 weeks will not kill me.

Everything will work out.

Enough whininess! After all, there are smoothies in the world. I loved these smoothies. Loved, loved, loved them. They took a little more effort, since I made a strawberry smoothie and a lemon smoothie, and then swirled them together. I think that little bit of extra effort paid off though. The sweet strawberry impeccably tones down the slightly tart lemon, resulting in a perfectly sweet-and-sour taste. Plus, they just look so pretty! They'd be great for breakfast, but for some reason, I like smoothies at night. They usually make up my after-dinner snack. And guess what? They taste great at night, too :)

Happy Wednesday friends!

Ingredients (makes 2 smoothies):

Lemon Smoothie-

1 lemon

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup almond milk

2 tsp Stevia

3/4 cup ice, crushed

Strawberry Smoothie-

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/3 cup orange juice

5 strawberries, sliced

3/4 cup ice, crushed

garnish- lemon wedges, whole strawberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut rind off lemon. Cut lemon in half, and squeeze juice from lemon halves into blender. Throw lemon in blender.

2. To finish the lemon smoothie, add Greek yogurt, almond milk, Stevia, and ice to the blender. Pulse until well combined. Distribute lemon smoothie between two glasses.

3. Prepare strawberry smoothie- combine Greek yogurt, orange juice, strawberries, and ice in the blender. Pulse until well combined. Distribute strawberry smoothie between the two glasses, pouring directly on top of the lemon smoothie. Take a straw, and gently swirl the two smoothie flavors together. Garnish with a lemon wedge and a strawberry, if using. Serve immediately.

Printable Recipe