The Beet Rejuvenator

Now that we are past the holidays, I have been trying to get back on track with eating a healthful diet. I am a sucker for sugar, and find myself craving it after eating so many holiday treats! I have been trying to detox off of sugar and caffeine, replacing sweets, treats & coffee with green smoothies & juicing.

One of my favorite juices for detoxing is Beet Rejuvenator. I really used to dislike beets, but the more I eat them, the more my palate adjusts. They are one of the most powerful, cleansing vegetables you could eat.

This juice is super cleansing and packs a punch of goodness! I’m surprised that it is one of my favorites despite the ‘my-not-so-favorite’ beets in it! The carrots help sweeten, and ginger + lemon always add a great flavor to any juice, and cucumber mellows everything out.

The Beet Rejuvenator

3-4 Carrots

1 Cucumber

1/2 Lemon

1 Ginger Root (1 inch piece)

1/2 Beet Root (including stem and 1-2 leaves)

Juice.

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Need a juicer?

Breville compact is what I use and I love it!

Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ RECIPES

Back To School Gluten Free Recipes

As summer is coming to a close, kids are starting to go back to school and lives start to resume their normal stream of busy-ness. Instead of cramming your kids full of things they don’t love, why not try

to tempt them with these healthy gluten free treats? They are chalked full of nutrients (well, minus the pop tarts, but I couldn’t resist!) and are filling as well as energy boosting.

Chard and Peach Smoothie– This chard and peach smoothie is the perfect after school treat for the kiddos. It’s creaminess is due to the peanut butter as well as the frozen bananas that make up it’s base. Adults and kids alike will love this morning or afternoon treat!

Chia Seed Jam– We have fallen head over heels in love with this chia seed jam over at our house. It’s given us the ability to stop buying jelly, and start using fresh veggies and healthy sugars for our own jam! The chia seeds are nature’s energy kicker, and will give your kiddos the brain food they need to make it through their long school days.

Gluten Free Poptarts– I really can’t say that these guys are healthy, BUT they are gluten free!! Thanks to Pillsbury for finally coming out with a great gluten free pastry crust, you can make those pop tarts your kids have been missing. This would be a great Saturday morning treat for your family.

How is your family adjusting to the back-to-school craziness?

Do you have any go-to recipes that get you through the school year?

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Meghan Newsom

Health & Gluten Free Contributor

Meghan’s site: eat.live. make.

You can follow her here:

{Facebook}{Twitter}{Pinterest}{Instagram}

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Detox Green Smoothie – So Fresh & Clean Tasting!

Detox green smoothie in mason jar with orange straw

At the beginning of the year, one of my New Year’s goals was to eat dark leafy greens everyday. I’ve done a pretty good job, but needed to find a new green smoothie recipe to mix things up a bit. This Detox Green Smoothie is my new favorite. It tastes so fresh, and the ingredients are so very good for the body. I’ve see a glow in my skin and my digestion is amazing {sheepish grin} when I drink this daily.

Another new favorite of mine is Trader Joe’s Frozen Kale. I love that if I have used all my fresh leafy greens up in salads or by making my favorite kale chips, that there is an option for my green smoothies sitting in my freezer. Now I am never out of leafy greens so I have no excuse to not eat them everyday!

Other uses for frozen kale?

~Toss into soups (great in Minestrone)
~Put a bit into an omelet
~Use to add great nutrition to casseroles.

Detox Green Smoothie

1-1 1/2 cups frozen kale (can use fresh, too, just take stem off if fresh)

1/2 cup cucumber

1 cup frozen mango

1 green apple, cored

juice of 1 lime

1/2 inch piece peeled ginger

1-2 cups water (can use coconut water)

A high speed blender works best to get the most creamy smoothie. Add all ingredients to the blender. Start with one cup of water and blend. Add more water until desired consistency. You know the consistency is right when you see a vortex in the middle of blender.

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A Little Bit About Blenders

Professional Grade High Speed Blender

Some of the best money I have ever spent!

Vitamix Professional Blender and accessories

Vitamix Professional Series 750

This is the model I have. I drooled over it for a couple of years!

It was a splurge, but worth EVERY penny. I use it 2-3 times a day.

It makes crushed ice in seconds. It takes almonds to almond butter in seconds. It makes the best raspberry fruit purees for pancakes and ice cream–obliterates all those little seeds into smooth puree heaven! We are eating 3 times the amount of fruits and veggies since purchasing this amazing blender, which I know is keeping us out of the doctors’ office and away from those expensive co-pays, so in my mind it has paid itself off.

Ninja Mega Kitchen Blender and accessories.

Ninja Mega Kitchen System

I’ve never used one, but have heard good things about them. They are not professional grade like the Vitamix, but the price is much easier to swallow and they are powerful.

{my old Oster on the left, my New Vitamix on the right}

Oster

I had one of these for years and it does the job. You can’t beat the price, and for smoothies, it works, although you have to blend much longer. You will still have chia and raspberry seeds in your smoothies, but if you don’t mind the extra texture, this one will do. If you have had a high speed blender, you will not be happy with this one. If you are looking for something to get by until you can get a high speed blender, and to just get those smoothies in you, this will do just fine.

Drinks/ RECIPES

Chocolate Cashew Mocha Smoothie

This has been my go-to smoothie when I need a creamy and decadant snack. I love coffee and chocolate together, and the soaked cashews give this smoothie an amazing creamy texture. It is dessert-like, but so filling, and packs a great protein punch with 5 grams of protein. I love when my desserts are not just empty calories but actually have some nutritional value.

Not only are the cashews a healthful whole food, but cacao nibs are considered a superfood. Cacao nibs are my new favorite food, and they contain heaps of anti-oxidants to boot! They add a great texture to smoothies that reminds me of little chocolate chip bits. They are not sweet, but add a great chocolatey flavor to this smoothie.

Coffee Cashew Smoothie

via Shape.com

The creamy texture in this decadent drink comes courtesy of the cashews, which also add 5 grams of protein to help keep your blood sugar—and hunger—steady, Brazier says.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup cashews, soaked six hours or overnight (just add water to cover nuts and refrigerate)
1/2 banana, peeled and chopped (frozen optional)
1 tablespoon cacao nibs
1/2 cup Ice
1/4 cup cooled coffee
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 tablespoon coconut sugar (optional, or sweetener of choice)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

I added a bit of almond butter & cocoa nibs on top for pretty.

Nutrition score per serving: 361 calories, 7.5g protein

Drinks/ RECIPES

Green Smoothie For Kids

I’ve been able to get more greens into my kids this summer than ever before, thanks to our new Vitamix blender. I have been wanting a Vitamix for years, and finally saved enough Amazon bucks (thanks to you all clicking on my amazon links in the sidebars!) to get one for our family. They are pricey, but MY WORD they are worth every penny.

We have been making green smoothies at least 5 times a week. I’ve been freezing them in Popsicle holders which my kids love. Kids are used to seeing green Popsicles, so this is a great way to get picky little ones to eat green.

Back to the Vitamix. I got the top of the line, the professional series 750 The difference in this blender compared to others is its power. I can make crushed ice in seconds. It chops our greens so small that they just end up coloring the smoothie, there are no tiny green pieces to get stuck between your teeth or for your kids to turn their noses up to. The series 750 has pre-programmed settings so I can walk away and let it do its thing. There is a smoothie setting, a puree setting (oh my the peach and strawberry puree’s I’ve made are to die for!) a soup setting (it whips so fast that it creates just enough heat to make perfect soup), and my fav, the self -cleaning setting. You just fill the container half full of water, add a drop of dish soap, and push the button. It cleans itself!

Here is more from the Vitamix website:

With all the quality and precision of a commercial machine and a quieter, more elegant design, the Professional Series 750 offers five pre-programmed settings, including a self-cleaning option. The ultra-responsive Variable Speed Dial and Pulse feature allow you to precisely chop and mix ingredients to your exact specifications, making this blender the ultimate sous chef for your home kitchen.

Five pre-programmed settings ensure simple cleaning, walk-away convenience, and consistent results for smoothie, frozen dessert, soup, and purée recipes.

Newly designed 64-ounce container is perfect for family meals and entertaining, while fitting comfortably under most kitchen cabinets.

It is big, POWERFUL, and I love it. If you have been thinking about getting a Vitamix, I highly recommend them! If you use this link from Amazon I will get percentage of your purchase, which I will put towards the food dehydrator I’ve been eyeing..and will be most grateful.

Shipping was free through Amazon and delivery was quick. I was a happy girl the day this came in the mail!

On to our green smoothie! This is a delicious smoothie that my girls really like. It has twice the amount of fruit most green smoothies have compared to greens, so it is a good started smoothie. As you get used to the flavor of greens, I encourage you to use less fruit and more greens.

Green Smoothie For Kids

2 cups (I use handfuls) or spinach or kale ( I used baby kale)

1 cup water

1 cup frozen mango

1 cup frozen pineapple

2 frozen (or not) bananas

Place greens and water in blender. Blend until greens pieces disappear. Add the fruit. Blend until smooth.

If you look at the recipe, it counts for 8 servings of fruits and vegetables. This recipe made enough for my 3 girls to have about 4 ounces each, and I had about 12 ounces, which means this counted for 4 of my 8 daily servings of fruits and veggies for the day! Not bad for a snack, huh? This is precisely why I am a big fan of green smoothies.

Isn’t the color amazing? This is sweet, tropical-tasting, and delicious!

The bananas make it so creamy. I always make sure I have frozen bananas in my freezer, as they are the base for most of our green smoothies.

More smoothie recipes to come!

What do you think of green smoothies?

Have you tried them?

What is your favorite fruit/greens combination?

Drinks/ RECIPES

School Lunch Smoothies

I am constantly trying to figure out how to get fruits and veggies into my kiddos in ways that they get excited about. School Lunch Smoothies are a great way to do just that! My girls get so excited about these, and like them so much that I make lots of extras for them to grab a quick after- school snack from the freezer.

{my favorite, reasonably priced blender-Oster 6 cup, glass blender}

I linked some smoothie recipes below, but honestly, I just throw in whatever frozen fruit we have in our freezer. I always include banana or peach, each give a nice thick base for the smoothie. I try to add greens whenever possible, a couple big handfuls will do. Usually it is spinach, as it is the most mild tasting green. These smoothies had one frozen banana, about a cup each of frozen blueberries, pineapple & strawberries, and spinach.

I then add almond milk and blend until desired consistency. I never measure. I just add milk until I see a cortex in the middle, as in the picture below. That is when you know you have a great smoothie consistency. Sometimes I add protein powder (love this one by Plant Fusion), sometimes I add chia, sometimes I add hemp seed or oats. Or not. Smoothies are very forgiving.

The above smoothie is a pretty safe purple color. I usually don’t send my go-to green smoothie to school with my girls. We drink it at home as an afternoon snack instead. My girls don’t really enjoy the attention they get at school when drinking green, kids have quite the reactions to green smoothies! Despite the color, my girls love how they taste. Click Here for our Everyday Green Smoothie recipe.

{Ball Plastic Containers}

I only use plastic containers for our lunch boxes. (Click here to see what lunch box and containers we use.) Everything else I store in glass ball jars. These plastic containers from Ball are really, REALLY convenient and the perfect size. The have screw on lids to prevent spilling, and the cups stack into each other so nicely, which is great for the freezer.

They thaw just enough by lunch time into the perfect cold smoothie consistency. Make sure to pack a straw!

{Ziplock Smoothie Packets for the Freezer}

These are awesome timesavers. If all your smoothie cups are full of frozen smoothie, just divide the fruit into baggies and they will be ready for you when you are!

{My Smoothie Boards at Pinterest}

I’ve started a smoothie Pinterest board for awesome smoothie inspiration! How about you? Do you have any favorites to share?

HEALTH/ RECIPES

Monday Morning Musings

She Makes Hats

Happy Monday!

I woke up to the excitement of being featured at two of my favorite online places! The first one is She Makes Hats, a site by my very talented and sweet friend, Robyn. Yes, the same Robyn who handles all my ads for me and pops up on this site once in awhile! I love her, and what she said about me at her blog really touched me! I had the privilege of being featured as one of the recipients of her amazing hats. I also got to play model, which was kinds fun..and funny! I love my new hat, I’m wearing it as I type!

At the second site, my Homemade Lip Balm was featured. Simple Organic showed it as part of her favorite weekend links. This made my Monday as Simple Organic is an everyday read for me. Love that site!

Carrot, Apple & Ginger Juice–it was yum!

This was breakfast today. It is day one of a juice detox/cleanse that I am trying out, inspired by this movie:

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead – Official Trailer

You will hear more than you probably care to about this all week! I’m about to go make my mid morning snack juice, called The Mean Green. So far so good, slight headache from lack of coffee!

Here is all the produce I brought home last night from Trader Joes and my local health food store. It is now stuffed in our refrigerator. My middle girl opened the refrigerator and said “Wow Mom, it is so pretty in here! This makes me want to eat healthy!” That was a proud moment for this Momma! I will be posting the cost of everything, it was less than I thought, thanks to Trader Joes!

My 12 year old was busy over the weekend, making new product for her Twisted Tape Etsy store. She made some rings, headbands and some more fun flower hair pins. I will be getting her new product listed sometime today!

I have a sick girl home today. She seems to get sick every spring break. She has spring seasonal allergies that trigger her asthma, which gives her an awful sounding barky cough. She is fine today, but was up most of the night. At one in the morning she was sitting in the bathroom with a Little House on the Prairie book while breathing in the steam from the hot shower, which is what finally got her cough to cease. Finally.

This morning it started to rain and storm clouds came in, so she decided to sit in our sun room to listen to the storm and make clay creations. We discovered this great book, The Incredible Clay book, when spring cleaning her room, and it has kept her busy for hours.

{honey, soy sauce, ketchup, onion, garlic, s&p, sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, oil}

This is the sauce I just made for my family’s Sesame Honey Chicken crockpot dinner. It was a quick mix up the marinade, pour over chicken, and turn on the crockpot! I will make some rice later for them to eat with it. It smells delish already, and I’m thinking I just tortured myself by making such a yummy smelling meal on the first day of my juice fast!

I just got up to make my mid morning Mean Green juice and this clay creation greeted me. I screamed. I saw it from the corner of my eye and thought it was a huge bug. It is a “finger hook.” Kids…gotta love ’em!

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