Almond & Banana Smoothie Recipe

Ever since I purchased my Vitamix, smoothies have become a part of my daily routine.  Today,  I wanted to share the go-to smoothie that I make at least twice a week because the ingredients are so easy to keep on hand. For anyone looking to consume more healthy fats and introduce more protein into your diet this one is for you.

Base:

• 1 Cup of Almond Milk

• 1 Frozen Banana

Ingredients:

• 1 Spoonful of Almond Butter

• 1 Small Spoonful of Coconut Oil (optional) 

• 1 Scoop of Protein Powder (optional)

• 1 Scoop of Cocoa Powder (optional)

• Pinch of Flax Seeds (optional)

• Several shakes of Cinnamon (this is what makes it taste so good!)

Enjoy!

Smoothie Ingredients To Keep on Hand

This blog is dedicated to my brother, Ben for his recent curiosity of my Vitamix obsession. Below is the email I sent to him with ingredients I'd suggest keeping on hand to whip up a smoothie as a meal replacement or snack, especially when you're in a pinch or need a healthy fulfilling quick fix. The ingredients are all kitchen-categorized and alphabetized in true sisterly fashion. For anyone into grocery lists, I hope this makes your life a little easier. You can also shop these items directly from this website. Countless smoothie recipes to come! 

Pantry

• Almond Butter (lots of it)
• Bee Pollen
• Cacao Powder
• Cayenne Pepper (lots of it)
• Chia Seeds
• Cinnamon (lots of it)
• Coconut Oil
• Flax Seeds (ground & whole)
• Ginger (fresh and lots of it)
• Goji Berries
• Hemp Seeds
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Maca Powder
• Matcha Powder
• Mesquite Powder
• Protein Powder
• Raw Shredded Coconut
• Vanilla Extract

Fridge

• Almond Milk (lots of it)
• Apples (Chopped)
• Avocado
• Beets (chopped)
• Carrots (chopped)
• Celery (chopped)
• Coconut Water
• Cucumber (chopped)
• Kale (lots of it)
• Mint (fresh - I grow this seasonally)
• Parsley (fresh - I grow this too)
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Spinach

Freezer

• Bananas (lots of them)
• Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice Squares* (squeeze into ice cube trays and freeze)
• Organic Berries (all kinds)
• Anything that is about to go bad I throw in the freezer to use in a smoothie, i.e. avocado, herbs, etc

* You can squeeze any fresh juice into ice cube trays and freeze for single serving use!

Yoga Teacher Training

We are proud to introduce our 200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training Program, held at three convenient times throughout the year at our new Noho location. Our 200-hour Training Program is for more than just the aspiring yoga teacher. It’s for anyone in a transition, looking for direction, or simply searching for a deeper understanding of yoga. Students become part of a community of like-minded yogis looking to evolve their own personal practice. Working together in this supported group environment as well as with individual mentors, students will have an opportunity to grow as teachers and individuals.

I am so enthusiastic to announce that I am participating in Yoga Vida's  200-hour Yoga Alliance Registered Teacher Training Program!

Ever since my first yoga class nine years ago in New York, I knew yoga was something that would be a part of my life in some capacity forever. In a city that never sleeps and where finding peace of mind proves difficult 99.9% of the time, yoga has been my escape from the challenges that we're all faced with daily. 

I chose Yoga Vida because I fell in love with the no nonsense approach this studio takes and their philosophy for making yoga available to all people.  I also loved that their Training Program is designed for more than just the aspiring yoga teacher. "It’s for anyone in a transition, looking for direction, or simply searching for a deeper understanding of yoga. Students become part of a community of like-minded yogis looking to evolve their own personal practice. Working together in this supported group environment as well as with individual mentors, students will have an opportunity to grow as teachers and individuals."

It seemed to me like there was no time like the present to embark on this ten weekend journey if I was ever going to do it.  I also had the goal of launching my blog, The Wren, to share some of what I learn in this endeavor.

Here is a snippet of what we've been studying throughout the first three weekends of the program: 

• Yoga Asana
• History of Yoga
• Pranayama
• Yoga Philosophy, Ancient Texts and Teachings
• Anatomy

I look forward to sharing more with you along the way!

Namaste, 

Renee 

Welcome to The Wren

wren | ren |

noun

1 A very small widely distributed bird that has a short erect tail and is noted for its song.  

2 Also happens to be a lovely combination of my name, with my last name being Woodruff and first name being Renee. 

I've carried many nicknames throughout my lifetime by various friends, friends and family members; with "Ren" being one of the more popular. And after taking over a year off from blogging, formerly as "Girl on the Go" for Shape.com, I've decided to give it another go. This time, autonomously.

The way I see it, we all have commonalities with a wren. In one shape or another, we are all songbirds, each singing our various songs. By creating "The Wren", I want to share my song with you. My hope is that in the stories that I share about my personal life,  you will find inspiration and motivation for your life.

I will use this blog to discuss topics that I'm most passionate about including: traveling, yoga, health and finding true happiness in the short lives that we've all been given. I'd love to hear from you if you discover something that you can relate to or that you enjoy on this blog. I encourage you to share the photos that I post and sample the recipes that I've discovered.

Thank you so much for reading,

Renee