Sweet Smoothie Success

Smoothies! They are crucial to weight-loss and health success (in my opinion).  But don't get me wrong, they don't have to be complex, time-consuming drinks, rather, they can be easy, inexpensive ways to get your nutrition while clearing out the fridge! And as you can see with my son above, you are never too old or young to develop your love for smoothies.

Here are the keys to smoothie success, with corresponding recipes:

1) Have a few base ingredients, and always have those in the house. You, of course, don't have to use them every time but as you get started it'll help with efficiency and taste.  My go-tos are almond milk, ground flaxseed and banana.

        Recipe

Ingredients
Almond milk
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 ripe banana
1 orange (peeled)
Strawberries

Blend!

2) Don't be afraid to mix things up! Use your base ingredients (or not) but also try new things. If you have extra pineapple to throw in, do it! You never know what might work in a smoothie. I've successfully hidden broccoli in a smoothie before!

       Recipe

Ingredients
Almond milk
Vanilla coconut milk yogurt (or any yogurt you like)
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
2 oranges (peeled)
1 banana

Blend!

3)  Taste as you go! It's just a smoothie, so sample and add as you go.  Need to thicken it? Add ice.  Need to thin it out? Add more milk or juice.

      Recipe

Ingredients
Almond milk
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 banana
1 apple
1 orange
3 or 4 leaves of de-stemmed kale
1 carrot
1 blueberry coconut milk yogurt
Strawberries

Blend!

Hope these ideas help keep sugar out of your smoothies and set you up for an easy way to pack the most nutrition into each sip. Cheers!

Hearty Butternut Squash Chili

'Tis the season for campfires, apple cider and hearty, warm dishes that fill your belly on a cool night. That tasty bite up there is my latest creation, a yummy use of butternut squash as a one-pot dinner. Super simple, seasonal and inexpensive. Here's what you need:

Ingredients

olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
3 tsp cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch of cinnamon
3 cans navy or other white beans, drained and rinsed
2.5 cups low sodium veggie broth
1 14 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 small bunch of swiss chard, rinsed and roughly chopped

I also have sage that I occassionally add in.

Preparation

Heat about 2 Tbsps oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and garlic and saute until golden for about 7 minutes on medium high heat.

Add squash and spices and cook stirring constantly for about 2 minutes.

Stir in beans, stock and tomatoes (oh i added a bay leaf too). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 25 minutes. Uncovered.

Add the chard and simmer another 8 minutes. 

Season with some fresh ground pepper and serve with some crusty bread!

You could also add meat and or cheese to this but I dont think it needs either so why add the fat and cholesterol?! Enjoy!

Not Your Average Side Dish

I've been away for a while dealing with some life craziness but I promise to make more posts more consistently when we get into our new house! Meanwhile, here's one I thought you would enjoy for the 4th of July weekend.

Instead of just bringing a standard fruit salad as your side dish to pass, how about wowing them with some extra pop that will leave people wondering, "wow, what made that so good?"

This salad can be used as a side dish or dessert for any meal, but it also makes FABULOUS leftovers to use for breakfast. The best part is that if you use local, season fruit (besides the honeydew) it will cost you almost nothing to make! Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

2 cups, papaya, chopped
2 cups, cantaloupe, chopped
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 banana, sliced

For the dressing:

1 cup honeydew, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon, lime or any citrus you like (I LOVE blood orange juice in this)
1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
2 to 3 dates, pitted (use local honey or agave here if you don't dig dates!)
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger (don't skimp on this, it is soooo worth it and yummy)

Method

Chop all the fruit for fruit salad and put in a large serving bowl.

In a blender, add the dressing ingredients and puree until smooth. Pour over fruit and toss gentley. Serve. Can also be chilled for added flavor and then served.

***KID TIP***

This can also be made into a fun family friendly dish! Instead of putting the fruit in a bowl, ask your kids to put it on wooden skewers. Then they can dip the fruit in the dressing.

Just as fun as chicken nuggets without the grossness.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!