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vitamix

Drinks/ RECIPES

Blender Lemonade

blender-lemonade-mason-jar

What if you could have homemade lemonade without juicing a bunch of lemons? How great would that be? What if I told you this is possible thanks to Blender Lemonade? Yes, it is true. Blender Lemonade is my new favorite way to make lemonade and I think it will be yours, too.

Blender lemonade sounds like it could be a recipe for slushy lemonade, but that is not this. This blender lemonade recipe is a way of making lemonade that is quick and easy. The final product has the goodness and health benefits of lemon oil from the peel because you use the entire lemon to flavor the lemonade.

It also uses a couple of tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk, so the finished glass of lemonade has a milky hue to it. It is quite beautiful in a glass over ice, and the bit of creaminess is very appealing to the palate, which makes a this lemonade special. It is a great recipe to make when having company, or just sitting on the porch with a friend.

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Drinks/ GF, Vegan & Raw/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

My Kids Drink Their Greens: Simple Easy Smoothies To Give Your Kids More Greens

My-Kids-Drink-Their-Greens

by Teniel Moore–our Austrailian Raw Foods Contributor

Now that I have your attention……. Do your kids get enough vegetables in their day?
I know as a mum of 3, with 2 younger kids it can be a challenge. But quite simply you can get loads of greens into your little darlings even before they walk out the door for school or kindy that day. It’s as simple as throwing a few items in a blender and off you go.

I have included a few recipes that I make for my kids as an example. But like any recipe you can make it what ever you want. Just remember to include a leafy green and or a vegetable. Lets face it. Most kids get enough fruit in their diet. It’s the veggie part I’m trying to emphasise here.

If you have to start off by hiding the greens you put into your drinks, then do so. Do whatever you can to get your kids enjoying them. After they taste how delicious drinking their greens are, they might not mind you adding the mystery items.

I have come to a point now where I don’t need to hide what I put in. They see me throw in zucchini and kale and they still drink it. Some are more popular than others, so don’t give up. Just keep trying new recipes and combinations until you find what works for your child.

Green Pineapple Smoothie : Aka Tropical Slim

1 cup of good quality coconut water (look for one that has no added sugar)
1 large handful of organic baby spinach
1 Tsp of Raw honey (or your sweetener of choice)
1/2 small pineapple
1/2 zucchini (trust me, you can’t taste it)

Blend until smooth & creamy. Pour into a fun cup or mason jar with a straw. Kids love straws.

 

Banana Smoothie: Aka Nutty Monkey

1 Banana fresh or frozen
1 cup of Almond milk
Generous dash of cinnamon
Stevia to taste
1 Tbls of Nut butter
Dash of vanilla
Ice
1/2 peeled zucchini (I peel the zucchini in this recipe to keep the colour nice)

Blend all in a high-speed blender till smooth & creamy. Pour into fun glasses with a straw.

 

Green Juice : Aka Rise & Shine

1 Small aloe vera leaf (leave this out for newbies)
1 – 2 celery stalks leaves & all
1 bunch of Pak choy or Bok choy
1 green Apple
1 Lemon peeled
Handful of green grapes

Juice all your ingredients. If you do not own a juicer you can blend everything in a high-speed blender & strain through a nut milk bag then pour into a glass and serve with a cute straw.

 

My Tips For Getting Kids To Drink Them

1. Give them a choice of the type of smoothie flavour they want and work from there
2. Let them help you make it
3. Make up crazy silly names for the drinks
4. They gotta taste good
5. Make their smoothies attractive and fun to look at. It’s as simple as giving them a straw or a fun cup, Let them add a topping like coconut, chia seeds, fruit or crunchy nuts or seeds

………………..

Teniel-Veggies-Resized

 TENIEL MOORE OF ADDICTED TO RAW

Raw Foods Contributor

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Drinks/ Healthy Eating/ RECIPES

Creamy Caramel MilkShake

Resized- Caramel-Milkshake
{by Teniel Moore-Raw Foods Contributor}
Growing up I was always a sucker for a delicious creamy caramel milkshake.
So when I came up with this combination I was pretty happy with what I had created, and knowing it was raw, dairy free and no added sugar had me doing a happy dance in the middle of my kitchen.
Lucuma-Powder
This recipe uses some interesting raw powders that maybe you have used before, or maybe its something totally new to you.
“This high protein powder has a great mineral profile with significant quantities of calcium and magnesium.  It also contains the amino acid, lysine.  Mesquite has a sweet, distinctive flavor with a hint of caramel.  Its low GI if 25 helps maintain stable blood sugar levels.  Mesquite has been used as a staple food by native American desert dwellers for thousands of years.”
“An excellent source of carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals, Lucuma Powder smells divine and has a creamy citrus flavor.  This exotic Peruvian fruit is known as the “Gold of the Incas”, and is considered one of the lost crops of the Incas.
Lucuma Powder is a very versatile and tasty gourmet ingredients in ice cream, yogurt, milkshakes, cocktails, cakes and desserts.”
I encourage you to try these and see for your self how sweet and delicious they can make your raw treats.
So get your blender out and lets begin:

Creamy Caramel Milkshake

Serves One
1 cup of almond milk
1 heaped tsp of tahini
1 heaped tsp of raw carob powder
1 tsp of raw lucuma powder
1 tsp of raw mesquite powder
Blend in your until combined and creamy.
Serve in your favourite mason jar and enjoy.
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Brunch/ Healthy Eating/ HOME/ RECIPES

Baked Banana Chocolate Oatmeal with Triple Berry Puree


 Baked-Banana-Oatmeal-Triple-Berry-Puree-Pinterest

Oh how I love my oats.  I never tire of them, especially when they have chocolate in them and are drizzled with a triple berry puree!

This felt very decadent, like eating dessert for breakfast.  It reminded me of eating chocolate chip oatmeal cookie dough, but doing it in a way that is grown up and sophisticated. The berry puree is the perfect accompaniment, and I just might have guzzled the left-overs!

Using berry puree as a topping in place of syrup, is a great way to get those antioxidants in to my kids, and saves money as they are less expensive than 100% maple syrup.  Making berry puree have saved me many times when making pancakes, waffles and oats that I would usually top with syrup.  Perfect for when you have run out of syrup and have a freezer full of berries.

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Baked Banana Chocolate Oatmeal

(inspired by this recipe at The Oatmeal Artist)

  • 2 bananas
  • 3/4 cup of milk of choice
  • 1/2 cup water, or more milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • Berry Puree
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease 8×8 pan or line with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mash bananas, and then mix in milk, water, and vanilla extract.  Add oats, baking powder, and salt.  Stir.
  3. Add chocolate chips.
  4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  5. Top with Berry Puree (recipe below)

TRIPLE-BERRY-PUREE

Triple Berry Puree

  • 1 12 oz bag frozen mixed berries (I used Trader Joes Frozen Mixed Berry Blend of Strawberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, & Blueberries), thawed
  • 2 medjool dates (or more depending on sweetness desired), pitted
  1. Pour thawed berried into blender.
  2. Add pitted dates.
  3. Puree until smooth.

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A Little Bit About Blenders

My Very Favorite by far–Professional Grade High Speed Blender

Some of the best money I have ever spent!
Vitamix Professional Blender and accessories
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 puree 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.

Runner Up

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.
Oster and New Vitamix blenders in kitchen.
{my old Oster on the left, my New Vitamix on the right}

Economy

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.
—
What about you?  Do you have a high-speed blender?  Do you desire to have one?
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Drinks/ RECIPES

Chai Spice Mix + Chai Spice Almond Coconut Smoothies

 

 

Oh how I love Pinterest.  I’m amazed by the things people come up with, and the awesomeness I find there.  I found a chai smoothie recipe and started drooling right away.  I pinned it to my smoothies board and made it the next day!

 

This smoothie is so satisfying.  You would never know you are getting great nutrients and healthy fats.  It is sugar free, but perfectly sweetened with the dates & coconut.  The almond butter and coconut oil are great fats that are good for you, and spices are a great way to get nutrients into the body.  I love that this recipe makes a sort of chai spic mixture, which is enough to make several chai spice smoothies!

 

Chai Spice Mix

 

 I think it would be great stirred into hot almond milk for a nice, comforting hot drink, too!  

Chai Spice Mix
 
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground ginger (I used fresh 1/2 inch piece, grated)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp allspice (I had berries..had to crush mine)
1/2 tsp turmeric

Mix together and store in a small mason jar.

 

 

Chai Spice Almond Coconut Smoothie — filling enough to be a meal!

{from Coco Janelle}

1 cup almond milk

1 banana, frozen

1 heaping tbsp almond butter

1 tsp chai spice

2 tbsp chia

2 tbsp shredded coconut

2 medijool dates

1 tbsp coconut oil

Put all into a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

——–

To read about the amazing benefits of coconut oil and why you should put it in your smoothies, click here.

To read about my favorite blender, click here and read my Green Smoothie For Kids post that tells you all about it.

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Drinks/ RECIPES

The Velvet Elvis Smoothie

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™ and Post Pebbles, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #PostWalgreens http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV.”

One of my favorite smoothies comes from a local place called NuVibe Juice and Java.  They have an awesome smoothie called The Velvet Elvis smoothie.  It is unique, filling, creamy & tastes like a decadent peanut butter banana smoothie treat.  Nu Vibe uses milk, oats, Grape Nuts, peanut butter, banana, yogurt, whey protein powder and ice.

Since I don’t do dairy, I have them leave out the yogurt and use almond milk.  They also use whey protein powder, which I have them leave out, too.  I prefer a plant protein powder, if I use any. They end up adding more milk to make up for the creamy yogurt and also add more ice to mine.  I can’t tell anything is left out.  It is SUPER yummy, and so delicious that I had to recreate it at home.  I’ve done just that, and love how it tastes and how healthy it is!

Did you know February it is American Heart Month?  I am passionate about finding heart healthy foods.  Heart disease is the #1 cause of death in women, and breast cancer is the second.  Both concern me.  I had chemotherapy that is quite toxic to the heart when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010, and also had radiation on the left side of my chest, which includes the heart area.  Keeping my heart healthy is key for my long term health and survival.

This smoothie is a great example of something that is super heart healthy.  

~The peanut butter has great protein & heart healthy fats.  Peanuts are rich in monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

~The banana has potassium which is amazing for the heart. It is “an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function.”

~Oats are known to keep cholesterol low which is good for the heart.

~Post Grape Nuts is key to make this smoothie a filling meal replacer. Did you know Grape Nuts are now free of GMO’s? A 1/2 cup serving has 7g of fiber, 8g of protein, & 90% of your daily iron needs.  It also has a high percentage of magnesium, which is the calming mineral.  This is a big deal as we all know what stress can do to our heart health!

This is not a low calorie smoothie, but it is very nutrient dense.  It really is breakfast in a cup, and will keep you full for hours.

Make this recipe. You will love it!  When you do, make sure to shop for your Post Grape Nuts Cereal at Walgreens.  They have an exclusive, in-store discount of Post cereals.

 

The Velvet Elvis Smoothie

1/4 cup peanut butter
1 banana
1/2 cup Post Grape Nuts Cereal
1 cup oats
1 1/2 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)
2 Tbsp honey
1 cup ice

Add all ingredients to the blender.  Use a high speed blender for best results.  If you don’t have a high speed blender, let the oats and Grape Nuts Cereal sit in the milk for a few minutes to soften.  Blend until smooth.  Add more milk if needed.  Consistency is right when a vortex forms in the blender and contents move freely.

____

Some nutritional information:
This recipe makes 30oz of smoothie, which can replace a meal and snack or share it with someone to cut calories in half.

1,210 calories (605 for 1/2 recipe)
20 g fiber
21 g protein
50% daily calcium
50% daily vitamin e
100% daily iron
50% folic acid

And lots more!  High in potassium, niacin, and magnesium.
Enjoy the taste of this great smoothie and the amazing energy it brings.

(to cut calories even further, use 1/2 the amount of peanut butter, which would save you 190 calories, taking the 1/2 recipe down to 515 calories.)

 

{my niece shopping with me at Walgreens.  Isn’t her sparkly hat so cute?}
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Drinks/ RECIPES

Clementine Mango Green Smoothie

A new favorite green smoothie recipe!  Clementine Mango Green Smoothie is super sweet and fresh. Kids and those new to green smoothies will love this one!

My Avery and I had it for breakfast this morning and it was delicious.  The banana I used was really ripe which adds great sweetness and creaminess to the smoothie.

Frozen mango added frostiness, and clementines added a nice citrus sweetness.  Say that 10 times…citrus sweetness, citrus sweetness…

{her smoothie was on the side table just out of sight of the camera}

My little one slurped away on her green smoothie while reading.  She commented between slurps that she liked being able to eat breakfast while reading at the same time.

When she finished she asked how many fruits and vegetables she just ingested.  I thought that was a great question.

I told her what she just drank was like eating a big spinach salad for breakfast.  I told her to picture a big handful of fresh leafy spinach on a plate, topped with 1/2 cup of mango chunks, one clementine, and 1/2 a banana.

We split the smoothie so this was 1/2 of the blender contents.

I told her if she ate some carrots with her dinner and berries for snack, she would have eaten all her servings of fruits and veggies for the day.

She grinned and said.. “yep, I’m eating the rainbow!”

I love that she thinks about the importance of getting all the colors in.  She is starting to get the importance of eating her fruits and vegetables.  Yes! #momwin

Clementine Mango Green Smoothie

2 large handfuls of spinach (about 2 cups)
2 clementines, peeled
1 cup frozen mango (fresh is ok but if fresh use a frozen banana)
1 ripe banana (can be frozen)
2 cups water

If you have a high-speed blender, go ahead and throw all in and blend away.

If not, start with spinach and one cup of water.  Blend well until spinach is in teeny tiny bits.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend away.  

The key to good consistency is seeing a vortex in the middle.  Keep adding water until you see this.

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