Veggie Kate

Take Steps Toward Healthy, Vibrant Living

Smoothie Smiles! June 16, 2012

Filed under: Recipe,Smoothie — Veggie Kate @ 2:50 pm

It has been far too long since I was able to drink a smoothie.  Before the move, I “fell off the bandwagon” with healthy eating.  It was so hard to take the time to shop, and half of our kitchen was all packed up anyway!  We hadn’t seen our stuff since that fateful day, February 13th, when the movers came and boxed up our goods.

It wasn’t until mid April that we saw our precious cargo again – but we couldn’t take it out of the boxes.

Dave was so happy to see our stuff again that he couldn’t help himself, and hugged the boxes

We were still trying to clean and prepare the new house we are renting, and it was proving to be a very daunting task.  We first scoured the bedroom and bathroom – we felt those were the top priorities.  And then we tackled the kitchen, only to have the sink clog up and leak everywhere.

But then last Sunday, oh glorious day!  I was able to pull out my old friend, the blender, and use up some of the produce we had in our fridge: watermelon, orange, banana, and kangkong.  Tossed it in the blender, and whirled it into a watermelon wonder!  Even Dave was very pleased with this one, as the flavor was sweet and mild.

Smoothie Smile!

Smoothie Smile!

Watermelon Wonder (makes approx 24 0z)

3c watermelon (can leave in seeds)
1 orange
6″ of frozen banana, sliced
2c kangkong (or spinach)
water as needed to blend

If you have a high-powered blender, just add it all and blend!  If your blender is a little weaker, start with the greens and some water.  Blend the kangkong completely, then gradually add in the watermelon and orange.  Then add the banana to help make the smoothie nice and refreshingly cool!

Smoothies are an amazing way to get a huge health kick in a simple, small package.  And with enough fruit, it is easy to add in a few cups of dark green goodness without the harsh green flavor. What a way to start my morning!  I am excited to have my blender and juicer back – and we have a new addition to share about soon: our Yonana maker!  We’ll try it out soon and let you know what we think.

Have a great weekend!  Time to go juice some pomelo!

 

Purple Protective Power Punch! Or something… April 24, 2011

Filed under: Aging,Antioxidant,Beauty,Exercise,Fruit,Holiday,Recipe,Smoothie — Veggie Kate @ 2:47 am

Happy Easter!! A wonderful time of miracles and renewal!

I hope it’s been a relaxing, blessed weekend for you all :)

I had an amazing weekend of stress-relieving fun – starting with a brisk walk to a cross-training class at Body Boutique, where my instructor kicked, er uh… encouraged me through several rounds of push-ups, walking lunges, jumping rope, and trying to lift my toes to my hands as I hung from a bar! (My toes never made it anywhere near my hands, just to let you know!) ;-)

Then I did a quick half mile jog to my weekly free yoga class at LuluLemon Athletica! What a great class it was! The first half was some good leg strengthening poses (no more!! I was so tired after the cross training!) but thankfully the second half was just a lot of deep stretching, deep breathing, and calming.

After that, I made a few shopping stops to get some last-minute food items, then home to my dear Dave to spend a chunk of time in the kitchen! We popped in some Artemis Fowl audio books, and whipped up a health storm!

I tried my first GREEN JUICE! Wow, what a shock to the system! Instead of blending a bunch of greens with fruit, I basically just put the greens through my juicer, sans fruit. An entire head of red-leaf lettuce, handful of spinach, one whole cucumber, two stalks of celery, and half a lemon. Talk about a power kick! While I normally love the health benefits of fiber from the whole food, now and then, juice is great! This fiber-free juice goes quickly through your digestive system, the minerals and nutrients being easily absorbed into your blood stream. A quick kick of tons of nutrition! The flavor took some getting used to, but I was on such a health-high from the morning workout, that I was loving replenishing my system with minerals and health!

We are also trying our hand at making home-made sauerkraut! Rich in beautifying minerals and digestive probiotics, it’s a great food to have on hand – if you can find it without being pasteurized. So, I have NO idea how our batch will turn out, but I’ll let you know Friday when it’s done!!

We also made up some salads, sprouted some sunflower seeds and quinoa grains, and Dave made raw vegan chili all on his own!! I was so proud :) He had enjoyed it so much when I made it last time, that he wanted to learn the recipe so he could make it on his own!

And another success? I made vegan burgers – that he liked!!! Amaranth, millet, onions, carrot, celery, spinach and seasoning… they didn’t taste like burgers, but they were good! And once we loaded them up with tomato, onion rings, a dab of ketchup, and he used some A1 sauce… we wrapped it in a collard leaf rather than a bun, and went to town! We were both shocked at how much we liked them! It was an easy recipe from a book, and it’s another one he hopes to learn!

So that was my Saturday. What a day! We relaxed in the evening, just basking in the glow of nutritious food.

And tonight, I had fun playing with a new food: açaí berry!

Probably many of you have heard of this new “superfood” berry – the media loves to promote the latest “cure all.” And I won’t go that far! But it’s yet another tool for your belt of beauty, your weapons of wonder! Like most berries, açaí berries are rich in age-fighting antioxidants, and carry a lot of health benefits. So, this weekend, I bought some frozen açaí puree, and tonight I tried my first smoothie with it!

I should play with the recipe some more, and come up with some clever name… but for tonight, I just went with Purple Protective Power Punch, or Protective Purple Paradise! (Protective to your health and beauty because of the antioxidants, fibers, and healthy fats!)

Purple Paradise
2 scoops chia seeds (about 2 Tbs)
2 cups Coconut milk (I used So Delicious Original flavor)
1- 3.5oz packet Açaí berry puree
2 Tbs organic cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs local honey (or sweetener of your choice, to taste)

Soak the chia in the milk for about 10 minutes, so they can plump up. Then add all to your blender, and blend away to smoothness!

This lovely smoothie packs over 10 grams of fiber, healthy omega fats from the chia, healthy medium-chain fats from the coconut milk, and great antioxidants from the cacao and the Açaí! Happy health and happy skin, here we come!

Alright, and happy studying – here I come! Time to continue reading my current nutrition book: What to Eat by Marion Nestle. Awesome book about the politics behind food labels and recommendations. Things aren’t always what they seem ;-)

Have a good night, and for my Polish friends and family: “Wesołego Alleluja!!!”

“Hallelujah, He is Risen!”

Peace and Prosperity <3

~Katie

 

Green Smoothie Tips April 11, 2011

Filed under: Smoothie — Veggie Kate @ 2:09 pm
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Happy Monday, all! (Yes, I know… those two words don’t normally go together. “Looks like someone’s got a case of the Mondays!”)

But perhaps if you started your morning off with a nutritionally jam-packed drink of green smoothie, your morning is going better than other mornings! ;-)
 
And I just wanted to share a few tips that I learned recently about getting the best blend for your buck.
 
While there are expensive, high-end blenders that I dream of one day owning, since they can cost $400+, for now I make due with what I have. I now have a decent Cuisine Art blender, and did pay a pretty penny for it – but I figured it was worth the investment. After burning through three $20-$40 blenders within a year, I figured I might as well get something sturdier.
 
But, if you just have a simple blender, here are a few tips to try to keep your green smoothies nice and SMOOOOOTH, instead of chunky-monkey applesaucey.
 
Dave offered to make one the other day, since I was running behind. So he just took the greens, the apple, the fruit… and piled it all in at once before trying to blend it. The result? Well, it didn’t blend too nicely since we don’t have an expensive, fancy blender. The greens at the bottom got all compacted around the blades, and the blades whirred in a big air pocket without getting much work done! So he tried to pack in more, stir it up, and add some water. Eventually, he got the blades hitting the food, and the smoothie was made with some effort. But it was done! And it still tasted good since he added extra fruits. But the texture was definitely different!
 
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way, to work with a blender that’s not an Uber Blender :) I also asked a crew of smoothie-addicted friends for some of their tricks!
  • START WITH GREENS. Just use a small handful of greens, torn a little bit if needed, and just enough water to blend (1/2 cup maybe?) Start at a slower blending speed, then work your way up. While it’s running, gradually add more torn greens. Let that run for 30 seconds or so, to try to break down all those tough cell walls. Then begin to add other items gradually.
  • ADD ANTIOXIDANTS. If using lemon juice, add it just after the greens. Not only will the extra liquid help things blend, but the antioxidant power of the vitamin C will help maintain the nutritional benefits of the smoothie and slow the browning process some. We want green!!
  • DON’T STOP! Sometimes it helps to let the blades keep a’whirring while you add in items, instead of turning it off, adding, then turning it back on. This lets the velocity of the blending just suck down those chunks of fruit and blend them into oblivion!
  • PROPER STORING.While it’s best to drink fresh, you can store it for later. Try to use a container that is airtight, and just big enough so there’s as little extra air as possible. This can store in the fridge for 24 hours; or you can freeze it for later. But again, try to use ASAP.
  • TIME IT! Jasmine, author of the blog site The Convenient Vegan, laughs and says, “I just blend for a really…long… time.” And that is a huge help! Don’t short-change your blend time, as this will help with that smooth consistency. Just try to let it run only as long as absolutely needed. You want it smooth, but the longer it runs, the more oxygen in pulls in, causing more oxidation and browning. So find your happy medium!
  • AND MORE! Check out this wonderful blog by Evelyn, From Sprout to Supper, where she shares her journey of food from ground up! She suggests:
    • To help make it smooth I add a banana. When I run out it makes a big difference.
    • You can also use cashews, avocados and coconut oil to thicken your smoothie.
    • Instead of water I use 1 cup Kombucha. The flavored ones are really good with the smoothie. I like the cranberry and mango ones the best. Mango, cacao and coconut oil make a great smoothie.
So I hope that helps, if you’ve been having some bad experiences! It’s amazing the difference texture makes to the palatability of a smoothie, even if the flavor is exactly the same! I don’t know if it has been a taste I have acquired, or the fact my blender is better at getting that great smooth texture – but I am now able to add half a head of Romaine in a smoothie, plus usually 1-2 cups of some other green, and still love it! Even Dave likes it, with only an apple, pear, and banana!
 
Give it another go if you have had trouble! Start light on the greens if needed, but either way…Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho!~Katie
 

Michigan Day Two September 29, 2010

Filed under: Fruit,Raw,Recipe,Restaurant,Smoothie,Travel,Vegetables — Veggie Kate @ 9:01 pm
Tags: , , , ,

Alright, my friends! Here it is!! Day TWO of my Michigan Raw Trip! The festival was only that Saturday, but Dave and I got to spend that Sunday in the wonderful company of Carla and Mark!

And what better way to get all pumped and ready for church than…

a green smoothie, of course!

 

This had to be one of the most fun smoothies to make – getting to dance around the kitchen with Carla as we soaked, chopped, washed, and pitted. And then got a smiling nod from BOTH men! They agreed it was one of the best tasting smoothies they had tried! (Mark and Dave said Carla and I just need to hang out more so we can continue making these lovely creations.)

And what, you may ask, was in this smoothie that our men enjoyed?

Apple Pie Smoothie
3 honeycrips apples
1 banana
2 plums
1 pear
about 1 cup almonds (that we soaked over night)
1 stick of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
a small piece of fresh ginger
as much fresh kale as we could put in without the guys groaning! (probably about 2-3 cups?)
water as needed

We first blended up the almonds and some water, as that was going to be the toughest part to make into a smooth consistency. But her heavy-duty blender had no fear! And we soon added the remaining ingredients to our breakfast drink.

Almonds are a common nut used to make crusts of raw pies, so mixing that with the apples and spices turned this into a holiday decadence! (Though it’s not quite holiday season… so I imagine this baby will be making a comeback over the next few months!)

We poured the lovely smoothie into travel mugs and bolted for church. And what a beautiful place that was! Sadly, it didn’t cross my mind to take my camera into the church, so I have no photos. But it was so bright and cheery, and Carla sang with the choir, making it just such a meaningful day!

Afterwards, we wanted to grab some lunch… and of course, by this time – after more than 24 hours of NOTHING BUT RAW – poor Dave was caving! My man wanted MEAT!

Dave enjoying his big ol’ grease burger!

And the waiter was so flexible for us! I wish I remembered his name and could send out a giant THANK YOU to him!! I wanted to try to stick to the raw deal, as I was feeling amazingly energetic! So, looking through the recipe, there weren’t too many options other than salads. So, how to spice up a salad? Just ask!

I asked him if I got the “Chicken Salad” without the chicken, could they instead add some extra vegetables to it? He responded, “Sure! We have zucchini, beats, cucumbers… what would you like?”

I simply responded with an emphatic, “umm… YES!”

He got the idea, and in came my salad loaded with extra veggies!

I just drizzled it with a little of the honey-mushroom sauce which would have been topping the chicken. (Ok, that may not have been raw, but I didn’t use much!)

We finished our meal with good food, good chats, and headed to the Apple Cider Press of the area! Ahhh, fresh apple cider… there’s nothing like it!

You can see the two men standing at the apple shoot here. Somewhere else, apples are loaded into a blender of sorts, and the apple bits come tumbling down the shoot onto these cloth-covered trays. Tray after tray is stacked, then a huge machine compresses them all, squeezing out all that luscious juice! Sad to say, I asked what happened with all the left over pulp, and they said it just gets pitched. How sad!! Apparently they used to try to compost it, or do some other things with it, and it just wasn’t working for them. So it became easier to trash it. (Hmmm…. perhaps there’s an opportunity for some Michigan resident to get free apple pulp…..)

The juice then runs through tubes to various dispensing machines, and right there, they’ll fill a half-gallon jug for you to take! It doesn’t get much fresher!

So we bought a half-gallon, and (*gasp*) just HAD to try the fresh cinnamon-batter donuts that they sold, to go with the cider. Oh, so worth it! Soft, warm, and spicy – perfect pair for the cider!

As we enjoyed our treat, we wandered through the isles of fresh apples – so many types! It was amazing!

 

Dave picking out a bag of apples for us to take home

You better believe some of those apples went into a smoothie that next week! In fact, my dad had come to visit, and so I thought that the Apple Pie Smoothie had been such a hit in Michigan, that he just may like it! And he did! He had his entire 12 ounce glass! Go dad!!  I was so proud of him! :)

And so ended our trip. It was getting on towards evening, and so it was time for us to buckle up and make the drive south to home.

What a wonderful time, wonderful memories, and new friends! Again, I cannot thank Carla and Mark enough for their loving hospitality! What beautiful people!

Have a great week, everyone :) See you back here with more doses of natural goodness soon!

~Katie

***EDIT: Thanks, Carla!!  She’s got the better memory ;-)   The restaurant was Hogan’s.  Yum yum doodle dum!

 

Passion For Peaches! July 6, 2010

Filed under: Antioxidant,Beauty,Fruit,Recipe,Smoothie — Veggie Kate @ 8:49 pm

Happy Summer Time!! Guess what fruit is now in season?

PEACHES!!!

And when you get a good peach, it is Oh-So-Good! An okay peach is still pretty tasty, but a great ripe peach is just beyond words!

And I am so thankful that my parents had a gianormous crate of peaches that they were willing to share! We made a drive by the homestead, and swiped about twenty peaches, since they are verging on ripeness! So, this week – it’s peach recipes!

And a simple start…

Peach Summer Smoothie:

1 apple
2 large, beautiful peaches
2 c spinach
1-2 sprig parsley
1/2 c frozen mango
water to thin

Blend, and enjoy the summer sensation!

Parsley’s not just for garnishing anymore! A mere two tablespoons will provide you with over 100% of your daily need for Vitamin K! Because of some of its volatile oils, parsley has been labeled a “chemoprotective” food – meaning it can help inhibit tumor growth from various dangerous carcinogens (like benzopyrenes in cigarette smoke or that summer favorite: charcoal grill smoke.) It is also rich in various flavonoids (specifically apiin, apigenin, crisoeriol, and luteolin) which make it a rich source of antioxidants! It can actually increase the antioxidant capacity of your blood!

Peaches are a wonderful source of natural sugars, for some good natural energy – but they are also chalk full of nutrients! One peach has 3 grams of healthful fiber, 2 grams of protein, and is a good source of niacin – useful for cholesterol levels, and it’s also good for a healthy nervous system, digestive system, and good for healthy skin, hair and eyes! Peaches also pack some good potassium, and has vitamins A and C!

Nothing beats a seasonally ripe peach. But go organic – they’re part of that Dirty Dozen highly pesticided fruits. So enjoy some peaches while they’re here – and let’s see what recipes we can find for peaches (or just enjoy plain!) I have eaten so many peaches already that I may just start to grow some fuzz….

~Katie 

 

Blackberry Bursting Smoothie June 14, 2010

Filed under: Antioxidant,Recipe,Smoothie — Veggie Kate @ 7:29 pm

Good morning, sunshines! :D I hope you’re beaming bright and beautiful light to all those around you!! (…since some days I give off more than my share of gray rain clouds to those around me…)

Today I was less in the mood for a deep green smoothie, but I still wanted all that wonderful alkalinizing health from my leafy greens! So, I decided to use FRESH blackberries instead of frozen. It is AMAZING how much extra flavor they have that way! So today, this was my smoothie:

Blackberry Bursting Smoothie
2 c spinach
2 c romaine
1/2 cucumber
1 tbs flax oil
1.5 c red grapes
6oz blackberries
ice

Antioxidant PACKED! Along with the wonderful, cool hydrating effects of the cucumber, the skin-healing properties of red grapes, and the omega-rich benefits of flax oil (granted, oil will lack some of the other perks of the  entire flax seed, but I was just going for omegas today!)

The blackberries actually turned this green smoothie into a beautiful burgundy! I tried to take a few pictures, but the lighting was no good, so I have nothing to share. Sorry!

So, if you have still been hesitant to try a smoothie, I recommend using blackberries or pineapple as a base – they have potent sweetness that helps to overcome greeness. And just start with some spinach, as it is less flavor-bursting green than Romaine and other leafies!

Have fun and give a smoothie a try!

~Katie

 

 
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