Banana Basil Smoothie and WIAW

I don't know a better way to end summer than with this drink. August has been all about summer eats and this drink fits the bill 100%.  

Along with peppers the garden has been overgrown with basil plants. They are actually much more like basil bushes.  They are huge.  The more I pick the more they grow. I have had so much pesto already. We have been have Italian dishes left and right. We even made basil browned butter mash potatoes.  Still we have tons and tons of basil.  




I decided that throwing basil into my morning smoothies made perfect sense.  Thus when I ran out of spinach my green monster became green with basil.

Basil Banana Smoothie

by Emily Morris

Prep Time: 5 minutes

6031360

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2 bananas
• 10 Basil leaves (fresh is better)
• 1 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup coconut milk

Instructions

Place all smoothie ingredients in your blender and blend until the basil leaves are minced into tiny pieces and enjoy.

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I was off to Michigan for a few days and forgot to take a photo of my lunch.  Don't worry it was nothing special.  Olive Garden unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks. I love that meal.  The soup is comforting and the salad is healthy.  The breadsticks are just well...amazing.  I refrained from eating more than one.

My dinner was in Ann Arbor at Zingerman's Roadhouse.  It is also amazing.  A completely different amazing than the breadsticks from Olive Garden.  I always thought in my travels to Ann Arbor that this was just a deli place.  Big Jewish Deli style sandwiches.  Although good, I live near New York City. I don't travel to Michigan to get a sandwich. I found though that this is only one of the many Zingerman's branches.  The Zingerman's Roadhouse is a restaurant featuring southern cuisine. 

I seriously wanted the corn dogs. But I also wanted to try the BBQ which was highly recommended, and the sweet potato fries, and the mac and cheese. You get the picture.

After some bargaining with the waiter and my co-worker I managed to get the pulled pork platter with bacon braised greens and sweet potato fries with a side of mac and cheese.

It was amazing like I said.  The pork was incredibly tender and flavorful.  The sweet potato fries were more like gigantic wedges with sea salt.  The mac and cheese would make you drop to your knees. It was so rich; I couldn't imagine having more than this little plate.  We shared and I still couldn't finish it off. 

Want to know why it is even greater.  When we were leaving one of the hostesses was going around to those waiting offering cookie samples.  I heart any places that gives out cookie samples to those waiting for dinner. I only wish I wasn't too full to snag a bite.

If you are in Ann Arbor I highly recommend this place.   

I may have also hit up the Great Harvest for a loaf of bread and cookie. The man I spoke with was so tickled that I come there for bread. We had a nice conversation about the different colored rewards punch cards. Ann Arbor's is hot pink. Love.  Connecticut's is yellow.