Two Smoothies and Flower Power Granola Squares

Is this not the best-colored smoothie you've ever seen?

The color reminds me of Ecto Cooler, but the taste and ingredients? Not so much.

It's a Pina Colada Smoothie from Zesty Cook, and it's awesome. Coconut milk, baby spinach, banana, fresh mint, and pineapple. So refreshing (and so green!)

One morning, I wanted to make a smoothie with flavors of strawberry shortcake, but I didn't want it to be too rich or heavy. I certainly could have added lots of things to make it more shortcake-like (quick oats, baking soda, butter extract, cashew butter), but I wanted something simple and light.

I blended together some frozen strawberries, banana, hemp protein, raw cashews, water, ice, and a pinch of cinnamon. It was just what I wanted - not too sweet and not too thick. It was the perfect recovery drink after a run!

Of course, I don't just drink smoothies and eat salads all the time. Sometimes I even bake stuff :) 

These are Flower Power Granola Squares from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, and these are a party in your mouth. Mix together some seeds (I used sunflower, pumpkin, and hemp seeds), quick oats, dried cranberries, flaked coconut, chocolate chips, soymilk, melted Earth Balance, and agave nectar. Smoosh it all together and bake for 25 minutes. Then, show some restraint and try not to eat the entire pan by yourself.

This is a wonderfully "sneaky-healthy" dish for kids. My son acts like he's getting a cookie for breakfast, yet there is only 2 tablespoons each of EB and agave in the whole dish (an 8x8 pan). How can a mama not love that? It's basically a super-loaded bowl of oatmeal in a semi-solid form, and it's got chocolate. You can't go wrong! It's a little crumbly in texture, so I usually just scoop some into a bowl and we eat it with a spoon. It's good right out of the oven AND cold from the fridge. Take that, Pop Tarts!

Summer Salad Slam!

If I had my way, I'd exist on smoothies and salads for the entire summer. I love their taste, nutrition, ease of preparation, flexibility, and portability. I also love the fact that I don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen any hotter than it already is!

Here are some salads I've been enjoying lately:

Roasted Portobello Salad (except I sub eggplant for the 'shrooms!) from Veganomicon, with a side of millet:

Roasted Cauliflower and Rice Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Lightened Up Protein Power Goddess Bowl from Oh She Glows, with a side of Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Arugula and Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing (1,000 Vegan Recipes), frozen Alexia fries, Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction), carrot sticks, and roasted chickpeas:

Umm...I can't remember where this recipe came from. It appears to be massaged kale, apples, carrots, and something else?? I'm sure it was tasty!

Raw Mediterranean Kale Salad from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen:

Romaine and Grape Tomato Salad with Avocado and Baby Peas (1,000 Vegan Recipes) and Forty-Clove Chickpeas & Broccoli (Appetite for Reduction):

A completely random salad made with baby arugula, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, celery, carrots, fava beans, roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, chopped green olives, pine nuts, capers, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Yummmm.

My new obsession - Purple Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing, Walnuts, and Apples from Choosing Raw:

I've been eating it by the boatload lately. Here it is with some brown lentils and more socca (my other new obsession):

This is the simple but tasty Chopped Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes), served with Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction) and a baked potato. The romaine lettuce was fresh from a friend's garden and it was so tender and delicious!

Creamy Curry Pasta and Vegetable Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes) with some steamed broccoli:

And, finally, another delicious smoothie creation. This one had spirulina, hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, spinach, pineapple, coconut water, and ginger. So tangy and refreshing!

What are your favorite summery salads?

A Symphony of Smoothies

I have been going buck-wild with my smoothies lately. I think I've finally had my fill of Chocolate Cherry and Chocolate Blueberry Smoothies. Plus, there's an exciting new superfood in my fridge:

Spirulina! I know, I know, I got the memo, like, 25 years after everyone else. Dude, spirulina rocks! I have had a blast coming up with new smoothie creations for my favorite blue-green algae.

Yeah, spirulina made me wink.

 Carrot-Berry Spirulina Smoothie

1 medium frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
handful frozen raspberries
3/4 cup carrot juice
3/4 cup water
2 shakes cinnamon
1 shake nutmeg
2 big handfuls baby spinach
1 inch chunk of fresh ginger
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
2 tablespoons hemp protein powder
1 teaspoon spirulina
3 ice cubes

Blend with high-speed blender until smooth.

Strawberry-Ginger Swamp Monster Smoothie

1 medium frozen banana
8 large frozen strawberries
3/4 cup carrot juice
3/4 cup water
big chunk of fresh ginger
few shakes cinnamon & nutmeg
2 big handfuls baby spinach
1 teaspoon spirulina
3 ice cubes

Blend with high-speed blender until smooth.

Multi-Berry Protein Smoothie

1 medium frozen banana
4 large frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
2 big handfuls baby spinah
1 teaspoon spirulina
2 tablespoons hemp protein powder
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup seltzer water
3 drops liquid stevia
3 ice cubes

Blend with high-speed blender until smooth.

Blueberry-Mango-Ginger Smoothie

1 medium frozen banana

3/4 cup frozen mango chunks

3/4 cup frozen blueberries

big chunk of fresh ginger

few shakes of cinnamon

1 teaspoon spirulina

1 cup water

1/2 cup seltzer water

3 drops liquid stevia

Blend with high-speed blender until smooth.

No spirulina here, but this was crazy delish. I think this one had frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, goji berries, frozen banana, cacao powder, hemp protein powder, and hemp seeds. I topped it off with some goji berries, mulberries, and golden berries. Yum!

 Spirulina, I think I love you. We're going places, you and me.

A Duo of Green Smoothies

I am a huuuuge fan of green smoothies. I feel virtuous throwing some greens and veggies into my Vita-Mix (along with fruit, protein powder, hemp seeds, water, Amazing Greens powder) and blending my way to a virtual salad in a glass. It sure beats a Frappuccino for breakfast, I can tell you!

Look at that gorgeous color! I don't even remember what this one was. I want to say it was mango, banana, almond milk, chard, celery, and chia seeds, but I could be wrong. It could have been kale, or spinach, or collards in there. I dunno. It was delicious, regardless!

I do know what this one was - it was Gena's Lime-in-the-Coconut Smoothie. It was a little too tangy for my palate, so I added some frozen mango in there, too. I think it helped balance the flavors for me.

I really like this smoothie because it is avocado-based and not too sweet - it made a refreshing light lunch yesterday when I wanted something quick and hydrating after mowing the lawn.

I'm looking for other avocado-smoothie ideas. Any suggestions?

Mango Powerhouse Smoothie

Sometimes, I break out of my usual chocolate smoothie rut and experiment with something new. The other day, I wanted an afternoon snack that would give me some energy. I peeked in my fridge and freezer, pulled some stuff out, and came up with this beauty:

Isn't it beautiful?! Nothing makes me happier than a bright green smoothie. I know I am treating my body right by filling it with healthy ingredients, and besides that, it just tastes delicious!

Mango Powerhouse Smoothie
Makes 1 large serving / 2 small servings

1 cup frozen mango chunks
1 frozen banana
2-3 large Swiss chard leaves
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds

Blend until smooth!

It was so creamy, so thick, so....mmmm. And seriously, folks, how can you not feel good about drinking something this wholesome? I love it when healthy is yummy! :)

Breakfast, My Favorite Meal of the Day

I just love breakfast. It is my favorite meal of the day, for sure. I think I know why: to me, there is nothing better than waking up, getting some exercise (running, hiking, weights), stretching, and then sitting down to a delicious smoothie, the morning newspaper, and Sesame Street with my son :) It's a great way to start my day!

Here's some breakfasts I've been enjoying lately:

Quinoa flakes, sliced almonds, pistachios, goji berries, goldenberries, and mulberries. Super yummy!

Quinoa flakes, sliced bananas, sliced almonds, raisins, and blackstrap molasses. Mmmm!

Smoothie with 1 cup frozen mango, 1 frozen banana, 3 stalks chopped celery, 1 cup almond milk, 1 TBS chia seeds, and 1 TBS hemp protein powder.

Mama Pea's Flex on the Beach Smoothie. *Drool*.... A thick, tropical, nutritious, and dee-licous blend of banana, strawberries, pineapple, coconut water, avocado, coconut oil, chia seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. This is so refreshing and it makes a great post-workout recovery drink.

My old standby smoothie: frozen blueberries, frozen banana, raw cacao powder, hemp seeds, hemp protein powder, water, ice, Amazing Grass powder, 2 raw collard leaves, and 3 stalks celery. I have this for breakfast at least 3 times a week!

Any other breakfast lovers out there? I'm always looking for new ideas! :)

Three-Bean Cassoulet and Kale

I'm starting to realize something that's both good and bad. The good news is, the new camera I had to buy in Costa Rica did a pretty good job of taking pictures in Costa Rica. With all of the beautiful, bright sunshine, the outdoor pictures couldn't help but come out well. The bad news? Well, it turns out that the camera takes pretty lousy pictures indoors. I definitely need to read the manual and see if there is anything I can do to improve the picture quality. In the meantime, you and I will have to put up with some pretty unappealing food pictures :)

A couple of nights ago, I was in the mood for beans. This may or may not have something to do with the copious amounts of gallo pinto I consumed while in Costa Rica :) However, I've been decidedly lacking in motivation to cook again after being on vacation. What, no one is going to provide me with freshly sliced papaya, pineapple, and banana for breakfast? Or a beautifully arranged salad of avocado, hearts of palm, and tomato? Whaaat? Yeah, I haven't been feelin' it in the kitchen. So I decided to make a super-easy bean dish I'd made and enjoyed before - Three-Bean Cassoulet from 1,000 Vegan Recipes.

A base of carrots, onions, garlic, and celery is sauteed together, then mixed with tomatoes, spices, cannellini beans, navy beans, and great northern beans. After sprinkling with some panko bread crumbs, the whole skillet goes right in the oven to bake.

I also threw some kale in a pot to steam until tender. My hubby and I were both shocked when our son ate ALL his kale...and then asked for MORE! I guess all my talk about how it is so "kale-licious" is paying off :)

We were also in the mood for a little vino with our beans, so we opened up a bottle of Riesling we've had lurking in the downstairs fridge for almost a year. It must have been pretty doggone delicious, because we drank the entire bottle that night! 

In the morning, I was feeling a little guilty about my wine overconsumption, so I decided to atone with a simple tropical smoothie. I threw some frozen mango, frozen banana, and frozen pineapple in the Vita, along with some water and a dash of coconut milk. It was creamy, fruity, and refreshing, and most importantly, very hydrating :)

I've finished going through my Costa Rica pictures, so I hope to get that post done in the next couple of days. Stay tuned!