Sweet and creamy strawberry protein smoothie with coconut milk and flaked coconut for more of a tropical taste.I’m back, ladies and gentlemen! Did you even notice that I was gone? I’m sure you really missed me. Haha For the past week I was gone in Nashville for Coach Summit and while I had a few recipes ready to blog about while I was there, I honestly just didn’t have the time to blog about them. Also, it just didn’t feel right blogging about food when I was at my annual “work convention” and surrounded by fitness people. So instead, I decided to blog about the new product launches that they announced. Have you seen them? All new workout program, CIZE, brand new Shakeology Boost Supplements for added oomph to your shakes, and then a breakthrough workout supplement line, Beachbody Performance. Oh an I almost forgot about the best one… Autumn Calabrese new cookbook FIXATE.

Cherries are in full season here – red, pink, white, dark red, all sorts of colors are available. My favorites are the Amarena cherries, dark and slightly bitter, with plenty of flesh and juice, the kind of cherries that stain your fingertips and clothes… stains that bring many childhood memories back, the kind of stains that I don’t mind anymore. I loved climbing trees to pick these up when I was a kid and the taste of freshly made cherry jam is something that I will never forget.

I have been working on this recipe for a week, trying so many different ways to get the texture and taste just right .. and because baking is still not my strength, this was a bit of a challenge! I…