Leche de Coco y la Papaya

It seems i've been on a blog hiatus.  Although it wasn't intentional (I actually didn't even notice), it does remind me that time is so sweetly precious and passes so very quickly.  This past week i was in Sayulita, Mexico, a small town outside Puerto Vallarta.  For the past 3 years i've been coming here with Core Power Yoga for their annual HaraMara yoga retreat.  It's always the perfect balance of healing, yoga, hiking, friendships, alone time, and time to well.....FIESTA (and perhaps there is some tequila and margaritas involved in this area....)

My favorite place in all of Sayulita is a little fruit stand on the beach where you can find me cada dia (everyday).  Without fail my post breakfast routine is to pack up, hike into town, lay in el sol, and drink a big fat coconut and nibble away on either pineapple or mango.  It also made it really easy for people to find me once they made their way down to la playa (the beach).

I've only been home one full day and i'm already having withdrawals from my fruit stand, the blazing hot sun, the steep hike down to and back from town, and all of the lovely yogis and smells and sounds of nature that surrounded me at the retreat center.  Trying to relive my mexican vaca i made a little smoothie ala coco this morning.  Sip away and visualize you're in a warm, sunny place.....

Leche de Coco y la Papaya

quite simply this is a blended concoction of coconut milk and papaya.  I added a date and vanilla almond milk for extra 'sabor'.

Water from one coconut
meat from 1/4 to a 1/2 a coconut (start with 1/4, blend, and see if you need more...it will thicken quick)
a few big scoops of papaya
1 date
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
ice and any additional water to thin out to your preferred consistency.

My coconut was really small and only produced 3/4 cup of coco water, so i added an additional 1/2 cup of water and 4 ice cubes.  Most times i buy coconuts they produce about 1 1/2 cups of water.