With summer quickly approaching, the weather has been getting hotter and putting me in the mood for some cool treats like these two!

1. Homemade smoothie bowl: skip the drive to Playa Bowls and create your own delicious treat in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Ingredients:

• 1 heaping cup organic frozen mixed berries
• 1 small ripe banana (sliced and frozen)
• 2-3 Tbsp light coconut or almond milk (plus more as needed)
• Desired toppings: granola, fruit, chia seeds, nuts, peanut or almond butter, Nutella, coconut flakes, honey… the list could go on!

Directions:

1. Add frozen berries and banana to a blender and blend on low until small bits remain.
2. Add a bit of coconut or almond milk and blend on low again, scraping down sides as needed, until the mixture reaches a soft serve consistency.
3. Scoop into 1-2 serving bowls and top with desired toppings (my go-to is usually sliced strawberries and bananas with granola, sliced almonds, drizzled honey, and chia seeds!)
4. Grab a spoon and enjoy!!

2. Peach Crisp: okay so maybe I’m a liar for saying that there would be two cold treats in this article butttt this looked so good that I had to put it in (plus you can add a scoop of cool vanilla ice cream on top!)

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lbs fresh peaches, pitted and peeled
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup soft butter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Slice the peaches and lay them into the prepared baking dish.
3. Sift together the flour, salt, sugar, and cinnamon into a medium bowl.
4. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal; sprinkle evenly over peaches in baking dish.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, until topping is golden brown and peaches are tender.
6. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream (but let’s be real here – you know it’ll taste best if you top it with both!)

This article originally appeared in the May 2021 edition of The Nazareth, Volume XCIV, No. 4.