Just Add Ice

I love beets. I haven't had them in the house for a couple of weeks because the Mr. doesn't like them. But I laid eyes on some beautiful round beets this week and they had to be mine!

I have been trying to juice everyday for lunch. I either drink it down as is or jazz it up in a smoothie. Today I just juiced and blended with ice. Nothing fancy.

Today's Blend:
Base:
1 large cucumber
2 carrots
1 inch piece of ginger
1 lime
1 clementine
1 large beet


Bulk:
Just a handful of ice


Sadly, no tid-bits today

**Going back and reading my last blog post, I realize I may have started off on a somewhat complicated foot. I plan to write about a simple smoothie (5 ingredients or less) next time.

2014: The Year of the Smoothie

So, with a New Year comes new goals. One of mine was to start my blog back up. My previous URL (http://smoothie365.blogspot.com/) fell to the wayside - what can I say, the addition of our second child kept me busier than I had anticipated! I appreciate all the page views and I have received views from all over the world for my yucca root smoothie!

I never let making smoothies fall to the wayside, just writing about them. We blend frequently in our home. I hope you'll share in my fun blends and "interesting" concoctions.

My components of my smoothies have slightly changed.

Base:
I still use my trusty brewed organic green tea that has been chilled, but now I always add fresh juice. I juice the juice right before I blend it. It always changes, depending on what is in the refrigerator and what produce is about to go bad.

Bulk:
Frozen fruit. I either buy already frozen or buy fresh and freeze it when it looks like it is about to turn.

Tid-bits (the fun part):
I love the tid-bits. I get to add all these magical little extras to the smoothie, that go un-noticed by my kids, but make me happy knowing they are being consumed!



Today's Blend
(*I always strive for organic products when blending. So to save myself from typing "organic" repeatedly, I'll just state this now :-)

Base:
I freshly juiced 2 large cucumbers, 4 large carrots, a whole lime.
A splash of green tea

Bulk:
Frozen Blueberries, blackberries and pineapple - about 1/2 cup of each type

Tid-bits:
handful of steel rolled oats
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
tablespoon of local honey
dash of turmeric
2 cups of baby spinach

Ta-da!

So very yummy!

My New Normal

I've been meaning to revive my blog for quite some time. The whole "I now have 2 kids and can barely dress myself" thing has taken up more of my time then I thought. Yet, the entire time I have been making smoothies and trying new concoctions.

My smoothies have evolved slightly (read what was once my "go-to" smoothie here) to accommodate my needs during my pregnancy, post-partum return to running and to make sure me, and my clan are getting as much bang in our glass as possible.


My new normal smoothie is... (by normal I mean I always have these ingredients at home so it can be made anytime :-)

1 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup frozen blueberries or raspberries
1-2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup raw oats
Fresh juiced vegetables (typically beets, kale and carrots)
Cold homemade green tea to blend


* Again, I always try for organic ingredients when possible.
* I used to add honey but since my 7 month old drinks these I am pausing it until he is 1

Too Much Orange?

Nah... you can't have too much orange!

I have been juicing carrots and adding the juice to my smoothies... and it's a delicious combination!

Packed with vitamins and very sweet, I wonder why I hadn't thought of this idea before. And it makes me wonder what else I can juice to mix with my smoothies... probably anything!

I blended:

-1 lb of organic carrots (not peeled) - makes about 16oz of juice (i used about 8 oz in my smoothie)

-1 cup frozen blackberries

-1/2 cup frozen raspberries

-2 tablespoons flax seed

-splash of water to blend a little bit more

So delicious! Our whole family drank it down and our vision is 10 times better today (the last part isn't true but it could be... in time :-)

I did leave out my usual green ingredients because I have been trying to incorporate spinach into every dinner I serve. With that said I didn't want to over-do the spinach... my daughter is on a roll with it so I can't risk destroying that.

Back in action.

I'm back! It's been a busy Fall and holiday season - having fun and growing a baby and all :-P I continued to blend but nothing new so I didn't post.

Now I'll have some inspiration since we just purchased a juicer!! I have been wanting one for a long time, but it wasn't until we finally watched the recommended documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" that we decided to buy one. Today we filled our fridge with produce and did a test run. I have to admit, juicing is fun! I just threw some kale, carrots and strawberries in.

It's going to take a couple of juices before I get used to the taste... of juice. Real juice, no extra sugar - just pure juice. My daughter loved hers and even sported a green mustache to prove it.  I'll be sharing some recipes and hopefully inspiring others to try it!

Homemade Soup for the Soul.

I LOVE everything about Fall! The leaves, weather, Halloween, and of course the cooking. While parusing the grocery store this week I was sad to find out the pumpkin wouldn't be out for awhile - there went my smoothie idea. So I decided to make a yummy soup instead.

I cooked:
32 oz organic vegetable stock (unsalted)
1/2 whole winter squash chopped
1 large red potato chopped
1/2 cup raw lentils
1/2 large onion diced
2 cloves of garlic sliced
Sprinkle of Tumeric
Sprinkle of Curry powder
Salt and Pepper for taste

Bring to a boil and then simmer for 25 minutes or so. Cool for about 10 minutes and then blend - either in blender or with an immersion blender. (Before I blend I usually throw in raw baby spinach :-) Then serve! This soup was so delicious and sweet - I think it was because I usually use chicken stock. The vegetable stock must provide some sweetness!

The best part is.... this makes a lot of soup! Leftovers :-)


As my husband prepares for his marathon a few days I have to make some more calorie rich foods soon... maybe I will post a new whoppie pie recipe or pictures of all our pasta dinners :-)

Three.

Three days until my daughter is three.
I have been so overwhelmed with pride, sadness and wondering where has the time gone that I haven't really blended much. Oh, and did I mention we are hosting a VERY large birthday party Saturday! Over 70 people to be exact. I have purposely drained my fridge in order to make room for all the food I am about to make. So the fresh smoothies will have to wait until next week. (Maybe by then pumpkin will be in the stores!)