Raspberry Carob Smoothie

I've been trying to mix things up with my smoothie ingredients lately...still trying to go easy on the sugary fruits and still include lots of greens. I made this one today that really helped to steer my eyes off the sugary treats sitting on the counter from the girls' activity days yesterday...and it satisified my craving for chocolate!

Raspberry Carob Smoothie

1 small banana (fresh or frozen)
1 handful of spinach
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 T chia seeds
1 T Carob powder
1 cup rice milk (or almond milk)
crushed ice

Blend together!

*Add more carob to your desired taste

Healthy Chef Camp

Well, we feel pretty lucky to live by Robyn Openshaw (aka Green Smoothie Girl).

Her daughters held a 3-day healthy chef camp this summer in Provo.

The girls were so excited and got to bring home their own chef book

full of yummy recipes.

 Fortunately, I got to sample almost everything they made.

I have to say that the hummus was the best I have ever had! (Recipe below!)

No more store bought for me after I get my high-powered blender!

We will be whippin' up some of that goodness for sure! 

 They also got to design their own little aprons...

of course Brooklyn went above and beyond...

"Brooklyn rocks.

Brooklyn is a hero.

Brooklyn is beautiful.

Brooklyn can fly.

Brooklyn will marry a boy."

 Enjoying...Bryn has always been open to trying almost anything I make.

I am SO grateful for that...

She makes me want to keep trying...

Words that come to my mind as I reflect on our journey: 

Peaceful; fulfilling; energy;

enlightenment; hope; courage;

persistance; patience; love;

kindness; sharing; blessing;

thankful...

HUMMUS

1 Can Garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained well)

1 clove garlic

1/4 Cup lemon juice (fresh squeezed)

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)

Pinch of sea salt

Optional: 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes

Blend lemon juice; salt; olive oil; tahini and garlic in the blender

until there are no more chunks of garlic.

 Add beans and mix until smooth.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.



Veggie Chili

Don't ask me why I'm making chili in 100 degree heat! What am I thinking? Well, with soccer season in full force, and my husband and I coaching the team...plus everything else going on in life, I'm on the lookout for quick and healthy dinners that everyone will eat...(who am I kidding??!, that's the ONLY kind of dinner I like to make! Quick. Easy. Healthy. Delicious.) This is hard to do when everyone has different likes and dislikes. I'm happy to say that we are overcoming some of those dislikes...Addyson figured out that she can actually eat zucchini and not die from it! lol... And we can easily convince her that crushed tomatoes are just ketchup!

THIS recipes is not only easy...but it's delicious and healthy! And we have leftovers to freeze or eat later in the week...I know that it uses a LOT of canned food, but you let me know if you have time to crush up about 25 tomatoes and soak 3 cans worth of pinto beans...that is just NOT for me right now.

Veggie Chili

2-28oz cans crushed tomatoes

2-28oz cans hominy (more about what hominy is below) drained

3-15oz cans pinto beans (drained)

1-4oz can chopped green chilies

2 small zucchinis, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise (you may want to peel them so your kids won't be suspicious of the "green")

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 C water (opt depending on how "hearty" you like it)

1/2 cup shredded montery jack cheese (opt)

Combine all except cheese. Bring to boil. Lower heat; cover and simmer until veggies are soft and chili has thickened (about 35 min). Stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

Now, lets talk about HOMINY. I had NO idea what I was looking for, but finally found it in with the mexican food in a 29 oz can. I searched for info about hominy, but didn't get much. This was the best I could find from an unknown source:

Hominy is corn that's undergone nixtamalization. It means the corn's been mixed with something alkaline (basic), like lime (the mineral lime, not the fruit). Nutritionally, nixtamalization makes the niacin in the corn easier for your body to absorb, and also can add calcium, iron, zinc, and copper.

I LOVE the texture it gives to the chili...you could even use it as a substitute for meat in tacos! YUM!

Mini Pizza Smiles!

This is one meal I can make that everyone loves and doesn't take a lot of time.

The girls loved designing their own faces on the pizza.

Ezekial's Sprouted Grain English Muffins

Pizza Sauce

Mozzerella

Toppings

(We used spinach; mushroom; tomato; broccoli

and red peppers...they make great lips, lol)

Broil on low for 15-20 min or until the cheese melts

Shopping list

I thought I would share a typical shopping list so you would know what kind of things I'm buying on a more regular basis...to give you an idea of how much you would be spending for a weeks worth of food...My shopping list is for 5 people for a week, but it actually goes further because we end up having leftovers on some days or even CEREAL for dinner! Or pancakes! Or french toast! This is a journey by the way, lol...

I usually end up having to go to 2-3 different places for groceries...and I don't have a Costco membership (yet), but when I do it will be glorious! I go to Winco for the bulk of my groceries; Sunflower Market for things like almond butter and sprouted grain tortillas, and Macey's for their fresh pico de gallo...

Shopping List

 (This costs me about $220)

We typically end up spending around $500- $600 in groceries every month

Celery
Cilantro
Carrots (whole)
Sweet Potatoes (3-4)
Parsley
Tomatoes (4)
Broccoli (3 stems)
Spinach
Cucumber (3)
Romaine Lettuce
Onion
Leek
Green Onions
Avocados (8)
Roma Tomatoes (8)
Frozen Mixed Veggies
Green Pepper (2)
Ginger Root
Frozen peas
Lemons (3)
Limes (8)
Pineapple
Green grapes
Banana (2 bunches)
Frozen blueberries
Fresh Raspberries
Fresh Strawberries
Green Apple (8)

Pico de gallo
Honey
Cider Vinegar
Veggie Broth
Rice Milk (3)
Coconut Oil
Almond butter
Pizza sauce

Black beans (3 cans)
Pinto beans (2 cans)
Cereal (Kashi brand)
Red lentils

Brown basmati rice
White corn tortillas
Hamburger buns (thin whole wheat)
English muffins (sprouted grain)
Sprouted grain tortillas
Tortilla chips
Wheat bread

Salmon
Turkey (2 lbs)
Mozerella cheese (8 oz pkg)
Kashi snacks
Spring water jugs

Carob vs Cocoa

"Carob, like cocoa powder, comes from a tropical pod, which is dried, roasted, and ground into the powder that we're familiar with. However, carob is a slightly healthier alternative when comparing the two. With a higher calcium count (three times as much), no caffeine content, nor fat, carob presents your taste buds with a different experience (1). When contemplating substitution, consider that while unsweetened carob powder is slightly sweeter than its cocoa counterpart (containing twice the carbohydrate content), due to the composition and lack of fat, carob is considerably less flavorful. When making the switch, for every one part of cocoa powder, use 2.5 parts carob by weight (1).
Don't forget that both contain properties thought to reduce artery clogging and cancer risks (1), so go ahead and indulge...I mean get healthy!" http://mariyayufest.blogspot.com/2010/04/carob-vs-cocoa-powder.html

**Check out the No-Cook Chocolate Chia Crispies

under "snacks"

in the left upper corner on my blog!

Good stuff!**

Dinner Menu for the week...

Dinner menu for the week

 in no particular order:

Curried Red Lentil Soup w/ Lemon (http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/)  

Pineapple Turkey burgers w/ sweet potato fries

Baked black bean taquitos w/ cafe rio rice (http://www.greenshakesandgiggles.com/)

 Broccoli-Rice Bake w/ Coconut curry sauce (http://www.greensmoothiegirl.com/)

Curried Quinoa and Salmon  

Mini Pizzas

Stir Fry

 

And don't forget dessert:

Banana Blueberry Whole Grain muffins (http://www.graincrazy.blogspot.com/)