Breadfast Smoothie

     It's been a while since I've posted here. I make no excuses, but I would like to rectify that with this my first of many new posts.

     I finally got a Nutra Ninja, I've been wanting a machine like this for some time so that I could make healthy drinks, soups, and snacks. I've always loved fruits and vegetables and now have a way to combine and enjoy them easily.

     There is nothing terribly original about this recipe, however it's fast, delicious, and good for you.

   
                                                   Breakfast Smoothie

                                   1 cup of Almond Milk ( unsweetened )
                                   1/2 cup of mixed frozen berries ( I use strawberries, blueberries,
                                   and blackberries )
                                   1/2 frozen banana
                                   2 tbsp. of flax seed
                                   2 ice cubes ( optional )

     Blend all the ingredients together and enjoy. I like to let the berries thaw first because the more frozen the fruit is the thicker the smoothie will be. Letting it thaw and the banana soften  will make it easier to drink. If you do leave it frozen you can have a fruit ice cream you can eat with a spoon!

     Also don't be afraid to vary the ingredients, for instance you can use unsweetened orange, apple, or other juices in the place of the almond milk. Vary the berries also. If you use blackberries or raspberries you will get tiny little seeds in the smoothie.

     Flax seed is one of many super foods. Remember when buying them that the whole flax seed itself is not digestible. You should buy ground flax seed where they've already been opened to expose the nutrients your body needs.

     You can also add some protein powder to make it a complete breakfast, or simply have a hard boiled egg with the smoothie for the protein. 

     Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Try This Juice

I have discovered what many people already have. Juice from Bolthouse Farms. It's the closest thing to juicing yourself. They have many different flavors of vegetable juice, fruit juice, and combinations of both. I am very fond especially of the Daily Greens juice. It contains per 32 oz bottle, one cup of kale, spinach, and romaine, three and a half cups of cucumber, three quarters cup of celery, and two squeezes of lemon. The smell and the taste are exactly that. Its like drinking a salad. A half cup which would be 4 oz. is equal to one serving of vegetables.

Mushroom and Zucchini Marinated

8 oz or 3 cups whole fresh mushrooms
2 zucchini sliced on bias into 2 inch thick slices 3 cups
1 small red pepper cut into squares, 1/2 cup
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 minced garlic clove
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

     Lay a large seal able plastic bag in a bowl. Put the vegetables in the bag. In separate bowl mix lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, salt, basil, pepper, and garlic. After well mixed pour over the veggies in the bag and seal. Chill overnight and turn bag over once in a while. Serve warm as a side dish, or cold with toothpicks as an appetizer. You can even use them as kabobs, adding meat or shellfish. Serves 8.

photo credit: found_drama via photopin cc      This recipe is very lo-cal and nutritious . One 2/3 cup serving has only 23 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat, 0 g cholesterol, 19 mg sodium, and 188 mg potassium.

Last Minute Carrot Recipe

     The other day I was putting dinner together. I had the meat and potatoes but I also had a bag of carrots. I like carrots but I wanted to make them a little special. It just so happened that I had a bottle of lo-cal pancake syrup on the counter. I squirted some on the carrot coins and seasoned them with salt. AWESOME!

     I like sweet and adding the salt completed the flavors to another level. Since I used diet syrup I didn't feel too bad about using it, and I didn't overdue it so the wonderful carrot taste shone through. Quick, easy, cheap and your kids might love it.

     Plus I steamed the carrots after I peeled the tougher outer layer and sliced them into coins. As you know when you boil many veggies they say you lose nutrients, but where do they go? They go into the water you boil them in. So if you do boil vegetables save the water and use it when your cooking calls for water, or save it in the fridge or freezer for future meals or soups. My mom always said " Waste not, want not ". photo credit: Dey via photopin cc