Cherry blossom foodie resources and a smoothie

Okay, these are magnolia blossoms.

Every year I forget how crowded cherry blossom season is in the District. The entire city is overrun with tourists, even far from the Tidal Basin. I always wonder what guidebooks or travel apps these travelers are using to navigate the city's foodways?

For hungry veggie tourists, I'd recommend:

• VegDC, the excellent local dining guide from Compassion Over Killing
• Happy Cow's DC page or their VegOut app for the iPhone
• The Veracious Vegan blog, featuring Angela's restaurant reviews
• Yelp's DC restaurant reviews
• The Washington Post's Going Out Guide to area restaurants
• The City Paper's annual Best of D.C. restaurant picks

And here is a smoothie recipe to celebrate the cherry blossoms. It's made using my new favorite item from Mountain Rose Herbs: Hibiscus Flower Powder (see photo below). 

Cherry Berry Flower Smoothie
Blend the following:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup frozen cherries and black raspberries mix
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 1 tsp hibiscus flower powder 
• 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds (optional)
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1 tsp amla powder (optional)

Serves 1.