Blueberry Pie Smoothie

Over the summer, we spent a week in New York. It was a very Page family trip which means a few things -

• Miles and miles of walking - We like to wander and since Dubai is not a wandering kind of city, we wanted to make the most of it.
• Plans often revolving around discovering the city's best eateries - You've got to start somewhere with a schedule, so why not put food at the core of the plan?
• Steering away from the really busy places - We're not big on crowds or queuing, so taking the path less trodden suits us just fine.
• Doing something for everyone -
  • For Hella, it was the flagship American Girl store (including an American Girl breakfast - thank you to both teenage sons for playing along with this).
  • For me, it was spending more than an hour in the biggest ever fabric store (I think it was over 6 ... yes, 6 ... floors). Again, thank you family for humouring me.
  • Both teenage sons had thought they would want to eat a real-life hot dog from a real-life NY hot dog stand, but to be honest, they didn't look half as desirable as they do in the movies, so they passed on that one. Instead, they opted for something a bit more energetic - cycling along the Hudson River Greenway bike path and over the Brooklyn Bridge. A perfect way to spend a few hours and burn off all those NY big portions.

The sky was bright, it was unseasonably mild, we had bikes, a cycle path and a map and we were happy. Yes - the path ran parallel to a major highway so there was no fresh air to be had, but it was -

1. Good for #1 and #2 teenage sons to burn off some energy.
2. A treat to see a different side of the city.
3. Great to work up an appetite for dinner.

For me, one of the best things about a long cycle ride is looking forward to a refreshing treat at the end - especially on the last mile or two when everything is starting to ache.

And the treat that day felt particularly special - a tall glass of Iced Blueberry Lemonade from a little outdoor cafe by the cycle path. Back home in Dubai, I was keen to find out how I could make this gorgeous drink but it soon became clear that this is what you make when blueberries are cheap and abundant, and that's not going to happen around here any time soon.

So instead, with my small punnet of supermarket blueberries (were they really this expensive before they were rebranded as a superfood?), I created the next best thing, this Blueberry Pie Smoothie. More of a breakfast/snack than a refreshing drink but still transports me back to the BIG Apple nevertheless.

What do you need to know about this Blueberry Pie Smoothie?

The addition of quinoa powder gives a kick of protein which keeps those hunger pangs at bay and its malty flavour puts me in mind of a buttery, crumbly pastry. Substitute with your favourite protein powder if you like or miss it out altogether. And I threw in a few raspberries too just to enhance the fruity flavour and to pretty up the colour. And for the milk - you know what you like ... dairy, soy, almond. Any type will work perfectly.

Blueberry pie in a glass - aaaahh - aren't holidays just the best?

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