Purple Roasted Potatoes & Banana Boubon Vanilla Softserve

PinSave

This post may contain affiliate links.

What’s shaking friends?  Anything exciting happening on Tuesday for you?  I’ve been a busy girl running errands, whipping up a few things in the kitch, and trying to find myself a yoga teaching gig in Phoenix.  I think I just may have found something, but we shall see.  I’ll keep you posted!  I am super duper excited!!!!  I’ve also started working on a new professional website for myself, so that’s keeping me really busy.  Can you say screentime overload between that & this blog?

So the response on the 5-Minute, 3-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls was pretty awesome!  Thanks to everyone who said they were loving the looks of those!  Give ’em a whirl because they are really yummy and easy and when you just want something chocolaty and nothing else will do, well, those will more than do. 

 Close up of 5-Minute, 3-Ingredient Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls

And I totally, thoroughly loved everyone’s comments about whether you prefer to workout alone or in a group, and why.  I loved the feedback and your thoughts and I feel like I get to know you better when you share that kinda thing with me which is awesome!

So for today I thought I’d show you a recent TJ’s shopping trip:  Dark Sumatra coffee, carrots, cauli, taters, bananas, apples, red peppers, romaine, spring mix, poppyseed salad dressing, bag of pears, you get the idea.  Nothing earth-shattering until…

Various groceries on countertop

…You hone in on this little section with the Mango Chutney (which will get turned into a salad dressing base soon), Pumpkin Butter (seasonal & awesome on anything from apples to oats to ice cream “syrup”), Premium EVOO with a cool bartender’s nozzle thingey so the EVOO doesn’t just come flooding out, Maple Syrup (Grade B, which actually has a nicer flavor than Grade A, smoother and richer), and TJ’s Bourbon Vanilla Extract.

More various groceries on countertop

Moving along to Today’s Eats…
Well from the TJ’s trip, I scored a bag of cute little purple, red, & white potaotes so I quartered the mini-taters and sprinkled them with S & P, Ground Ginger, and EVOO (I didn’t use new EVOO from TJ’s, and had an EVOO flood, just the way Scott likes his taters)Then I roasted them covered at 375F for 20 minutes, uncovered and flipped them, and then roasted uncovered for another half hour.

Cut purple, red and white potatoes on foil lined pan with salt and pepper and drizzled in oil

Perfectly crunchy on the outside

Potatoes close up after they are done baking

Soft & Tender on the Inside (just like me)
(sorry can’t help myself)

Close up of crispy skin on baked potatoes
Crispy skin close up of mixed colored potatoes

And for dinner I tossed together a huge plate of greens, cukes, tomatoes, carrots, peppers & added in the pretty purple, red, & white taters.    Taste-wise the purple taters are pretty much the same as other colors of potatoes but what do you think if you’ve had them?

Mixed green salad with vegetables served with tri colored potatoes
Overhead of mixed salad and potatoes on plate

Then for dessert.  Well remember that TJ’s Bourbon Vanilla Extract I bought?  Well, I put that to use with a Batch of Banana Bourbon Vanilla SoftserveNever fear, Gena, I have gotten a buzz from the ‘Nana SoftserveIf you don’t have access to the TJ’s Bourbon Vanilla, any vanilla extract will do, or just a shot glass full of bourbon probably wouldn’t hurt, either.

Hand holding bottle of Trader Joe's Pure Bourbon Vanilla Extract
 
2 Frozen Bananas, Splash of Almond Milk, 1 Packet of Stevia, 1/4 c white sugar (optional but it gives a nice Fluff to your softserve if using the VitaServer), 2 Tbsp Bourbon Vanilla Extract.
Ingredients in blender to make banana softserve
Blend for 45 seconds or so.  Just until things are solid & incorporated but don’t overdo it or you will end up with softserve soup as the Vita cooks & liquifies the mixture the longer you run your machine.
Blended up ingredients of banana softserve

Scoop the luscious softserve into a bowl.

Softserve spooned into a bowl close up

And try not to devour the whole thing at once.  It will tax your skills, trust me.

Overhead of banana softserve in bowl

And as long as I had the VitaLove out, I figured I’d make Strawberry Protein Softserve for Skylar.  She’s ok with whey protein and I had this sample from YouBars so I took it plus added…

You Shake blended bliss package

1 frozen banana, 3/4 c frozen raspberrries, dash of agave, splash of almond milk and blended.

Ingredients need to make Strawberry Protein Softserve in blender

And 45 seconds later, my toddler was in Strawberry Protein Softserve Heaven

Tamper showing some of the strawberry softserve mixture out of blender

 

Softserve ice cream on tamper

And then, I decided to throw some Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls Into the Bourbon Banana Vanilla SoftserveSorry, I ate it before I took a picture.  Use your imagination.

Dark Chocolate Fudge Balls close up on plate
Banana Softserve overhead in bowl
So you know the $25 Shopping Spree GiveAway for the EcoStore USA products I’m having?  Well I wanted to say that both the Dishsoap Liquid
Eco Store Plant Based Dishwash Liquid in bottle
Back of dishwash liquid showing what it doesn't contain

and their Pure Oxygen Whitener (a Green Version of OxyClean for the laundry)

Eco Store Pure Oxygen Whitener
Back of Pure Oxygen Whitener showing what it does not contain

both work wonderfully!!  As they say on their website, “Free of any synthetic chemicals, your family and the planet will appreciate it.”  

Here’s a little more from their site:

“Our eco friendly, plant-based household cleaning products are as effective as the leading supermarket brands, and our body and baby care ranges are gentle on your skin and are simply beautiful to use.  
All of our products are made from plant- and mineral-based ingredients, free of toxic chemicals that bring people closer to nature with non-toxic, environmentally safe solutions that also help to reduce our carbon footprint”.  Thanks, EcoStore USA!  You get Two Thumbs Up from this Green Mama!

Yoga Today is Kukkutasana (Cock Pose).  Yes, really that’s the name, as in PeaCockAhem…moving right along….

Woman doing Kukkutasana yoga pose

Tip of the Day: My EcoStore USA Give Away!!!!! 

Your chance to win a $25 Online Shopping Spree!  You really need to get on this one to help green up your life, so go Get Entered Now!!!!!

Holly’s also got a Give Away Going On!

What Green thing do you do, or what would you like to start doing that’s a little more green?  A few things that come to mind for me are: Using cloth grocery bags, and at least once a week not driving anywhere and walking where I need to go in order to reduce my carbon footprint.  I cloth diapered for half Skylar’s diaper days as to not put 500 years into the landfill for each plastic diaper thrown away.  I re-use plastic baggies and save all my containers from nut butters, jelly, hummus, etc and re-use them for food storage or for car snacks.  I use nontoxic and eco friendly cleaning products when possible.  I am vegan, and although it’s largely for health reasons, that choice also reduces my carbon footprint.  What do you do that’s Green or Eco-Friendly?

Stay Tuned For A Creative Fresh Veggie Salad & Dressing Recipe…

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

Get the latest recipes via email!

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Comments

  1. I'm so glad that you enjoyed teaching!! I teach "Vinyasa" haha as you said- people get scared when I even say advanced!! But I am NOT a basic teacher! Sure I try- but it's really not who I am.. you know? I really don't like heated yoga at all. I think that its something that only advanced students should do. Mostly because the muscles get way to lucid, and those who don't know what their bodies can/can't do will just push themselves too far and pull muscles and just injure themselves. Of course everyone is different- but I can't stand it!!
    I can't imagine having to pay for child care on a yoga teaching salary.. I have to waitress now- I could only imagine the hours I would have to work to afford that! But its nice to have a husband who is supportive of the process.. I've been working on cutting down my hours from the day job and adding more classes. Unfortunately I am going to school as well- so I'm trying to pay for that! But like they say yoga is a lifelong process!! I wish you the best of luck with your new teaching spot! Please keep us updated with your progress!!

  2. So glad your yoga class went well! I would be SO nervous to do something like that in a totally new place. What a great way to meet new friends:)

  3. Can I just say you mentioned/linked to your coconut snowballs THREE times on this post?! With a picture on each mention. That cracked me up, but I can see why- because they are that darn good!

    I am hoping you'll be my first blogger meet up- just because I'm not planning on going anywhere other than Phoenix until I leave for school, so we will see. Hopefullyy.

    Also- we see so much of you and Skylar, is Scott camera shy?! I think we'd all love to meet him. :)

    Dream celebrity blogger meet up: Jenna of Eatliverun or Kath of Katheats. Those two gals were the first I think anybody read of blogs, and their friendship with each other is enough to make me want to meet them. Also, HEAB, she would be awesome to meet. But anybody I read/who reads my blog would be so so awesome. There are just so many! I want to meet everybody.

  4. The headstand has to be one of my favorite, if not favorite, yoga poses. The rush of blood to your head is so…invigorating? I'm not sure if that's the right description, but either way, I love the feeling!

  5. love the recaps and love how you always re-show pics and link recipes to make it easty for your followers to find and print them out if they so choose!

    did you teach another class this morning?? howd it go? i am sure you are a fabulous teacher and I would love to take a class with you!

    as Skylar gets older are you brining her up vegan? or will you let her choose?

    xoxo

  6. Averie, I just LOVE these weekly highlights! All your scrumptious eats in one juicy post :)

    Glad the yoga teaching went so well! And yay for new in-real-life bloggy friendships.

    Have fun with Skylar! Stay sane while Scott's away :)