Smoothies

We had a small group yesterday-but it was so fun to try all the different recipes. Alisha will have to post her recipe for all of us. The ones we tried I will try to post.

Here is the first one:
a handful of frozen mixed berries
1 tbs flaxseed meal
1 handful of spinach
1/2 banana
1/2 c yogurt
apple juice
ice

Green goddess that turned a funky color:
1 banana
1 handful of spinach
1/2 c mango
orange juice
ice
w dash of honey
This one grew on you, but then we added strawberries and it was REALLY good~

The carrot one was

strawberries
a handful of baby carrots
ice
1/4 banana
1/2 c yogurt
a dash of turbinado sugar

I think that is all. I will try to copy and paste the email with all the good ideas...



Vegetable (fresh and RAW): pick one
Baby Spinach: A great place to start. Baby spinach adds very little taste but lots of nutrition. Regular fresh spinach is fine but can add a little more bitter taste especially if its getting old. I haven’t personally used frozen chopped spinach, although some people have made it work (use a lot less since its much more condensed)
Kale: A real superfood – like Spinach on steroids. The fact that this can even be consumed in its raw, most nutritious state is miraculous – and delicious!
Carrots: Carrot juice is always sweet and delicious – making it into a smoothie just gives you more fiber and nutrients. You may want to blend it a little longer for texture reasons (otherwise it is like drinking applesauce).
Beets: Another super super food. No need to cook or peel, just scrub and chunk. I find 1/3 beet adds a good amount of color/nutrition without totally overpowering the fruit. Beautiful red/pink color for your little girls.
Fruit (usually frozen):
pick a few
Berries: Any kind and combination. Darker (blueberries, blackberries) are more healthy and hide the green colors. Strawberries and Raspberries are standard, people (kid) pleasing. I most often use the bags of frozen berry blends.
Mango: A very nice addition to any smoothie – right up there with Bananas. Very nice fresh, but frozen is very convenient.
Peaches: Nice undertone, but “peachy” taste is very hard to pull out unless you really pump it up with white grape/peach juice and peach yogurt
Pineapple: Common green smoothie sweetener
Mixes/Melons: I know these can be great, I’m not a huge melon fan so I haven’t played around as much with these.
Crisper drawer produce. Apples – I’ve seen green apples used a lot for fresh/tart additions as well as the juice of limes. I assume you can’t go wrong throwing in grapes or pears although I haven’t tried them.
Liquid
Orange Juice
100% Clear Fruit (Apple, White Grape, Peach, etc)
Water
Others – I have no experience with grape juice, V8, lemonade, other things you could try.. let me know if you try something else and like it

If things don’t taste right or you want to add additional things consider the following:

Ice
The more intense the vegetable is (read: Kale and Beets) the more important it is that the smoothie is cold and thinned (not so fibrous) – start with 1-2 ice cubes
Mix-ins – obviously there are dozens of things you can mix in for added health benefits, these are some I’ve experimented with.
Parsley – a little sprig can add more fresh green taste.
Cilantro – some studies suggest it’s a mood elevater (anxiolytic), it has a unique taste which some people love and others dispise.
Flaxseed – Contains high amounts of lignans, Omega 3 fatty acids, fiber to benefit heart, diabetes and anti-cancer
Coconut Oil – A “good cholesterol” fat used as an energy boost in energy bars, Asian cooking
Yogurt- adds creaminess, and plain adds tartness
Sweeteners
Honey – 1 tsp goes a long way
Agave Nectar – low glycemic index (although high in fructose) an alternative to honey – a little sweeter and dissolves quickly in liquids
Sweetened yogurts,, ice creams


Tried and True combinations

Kali’s all-time favorite:
Flaxseed, 1 Banana, 1 handful of baby spinach, 1 handful of frozen berry blend, 2-3 peaches, 2-3 mango pieces, Orange Juice.

Traditional Green Smoothie:
2 Bananas, ice, Kale, 2-3 pieces pineapple or mango, water

Carrot Juice:
Banana (optional), Handful of baby Carrots, Frozen Strawberries, Apple or white grape juice

Beautiful Beet:
Banana, ice, 1/3 raw beet, 1 handful frozen berry blend, apple or white grape juice

Refreshing Cilantro:
Banana, Pink Grapefruit, Spinach, Cucumber, Lime, Cinnamon, Agave

I did it! Hope you all enjoyed yesterday! I know I sure did. I will look for a date for next month and let everyone know!
Love ya'll!
Amanda