What I'm drinking right now.

No photo again (sorry!), but this is delicious if you're in the mood for something dessert-ish but still healthy...

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 banana, frozen into chunks
4 medjool dates
1-1/4 cup vanilla soy milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon Chia seeds

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth, adding more milk if needed to make it blend.

Today's Smoothie

I forgot to take a photo, but this was a yummy one!

1 cup apple juice
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen blackberries
1/2 cup frozen cherries
1 banana, fresh or frozen
as much kale as you like
2 medjool dates

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Long Time No Post...

Sorry I haven't posted in so long. I've still been drinking my green smoothies (last weekend I even shared some with family members who had never tried them before - that was fun!), but life has been beyond crazy and I just haven't had time to get too creative with my recipes. I did throw something together this morning that turned out pretty tasty though, so I thought I'd share, even though I didn't measure ingredients. Be warned, the combination of red fruits with fresh leafy greens produces a brownish color that is not the most visually pleasing thing, but the taste is great.

a handful or two of frozen strawberries
a handful or two of frozen cherries
2 medjool dates
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional
lots of kale
enough non-dairy milk to make it blend (I used vanilla rice milk and vanilla soy milk)

Enjoy!

Repetition

Sorry I haven't posted much lately; I've been drinking pretty much the same smoothie over and over lately and here's why - I learned a few months ago that I'm mildly iron deficient. The doctor recommended a supplement, which I attempted to remember to take for a while, but I prefer to get my nutrients from whole foods whenever possible, and I recently read that combining spinach (a good source of iron) with vitamin C helps to increase your body's absorption of the iron. So I've been dedicating myself to drinking lots of shakes with spinach and oranges. Here's a current favorite -

Iron-Rich Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1 cup pineapple juice
2 oranges, peeled
half a bunch of spinach (or more)
2 medjool dates, optional
1 tablespoon chia seeds, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Popsicles

Last night I made fruit popsicles for my son. They didn't set up quickly enough for him to try one last night, but right now he's eating a popsicle for breakfast. And I don't even have to feel guilty because it's all fruit!

Fruity Popsicles

1 cup apple juice
1/2 can pineapple chunks and juice
2 handfulls frozen mango chunks
2 medjool dates

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

This recipe made more than I could fit into my new rocket popsicle molds, so I saved the leftovers and this morning, I added an orange, half a bunch of spinach, and a couple of ice cubes, and I had a delicious green smoothie for breakfast.

Sorry, No Photo...

...I gulped this one down today after my run without even thinking of taking a photo. It was tasty though!

Serious Spinach Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1 ripe pear, quartered and cored
2 hand fulls frozen mango chunks
2 hand fulls frozen blueberries
4 dates, pitted
lots of spinach - I used an entire bunch, minus the stems
just enough orange juice to make it blend

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Day of Smoothies

I overate yesterday big-time (homemade vegan cinnamon rolls in the morning, plus vegan cheese tasting and dinner out in the evening - lots of fun, but ugh!) I decided I needed to detox a bit today, so I had a green smoothie for each meal with a smaller-than-usual portion of solid food. I know, I probably should have stuck with just the smoothies, but what can I say - I have a healthy appetite. :-)

Breakfast -

Minty Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

This smoothie had a fairly thin consistency; if you prefer a thicker smoothie, reduce the amount of non-dairy milk and/or use frozen bananas instead of fresh.

1 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
1 large ripe banana
1/2 can pineapple chunks, drained
4 dates
5 small mint leaves (use fewer if your leaves are large)
3 ice cubes
as much kale as you can handle

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Lunch -

Blueberry Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla rice milk)
1 large ripe banana
1 cup frozen blueberries
4 dates
4 ice cubes
as much kale as you can handle
handful of alfalfa sprouts, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Dinner -

Mild & Fruity Green Smoothie
makes one large or two smaller servings

1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 ripe pear
1/4 cantaloupe
4 ice cubes
as much kale as you like

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Parsley Juice

Well, in case any of the ten or so people who read this blog were intrigued by my use of parsley in yesterday's smoothie, here's another parsley concoction. This makes a very thin smoothie - more like a juice really. If you prefer a thicker drink, omit some or all of the juice and/or milk.

Parsley Juice
makes two large servings

1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup vanilla rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1 large or 2 small bananas
2 oranges, peeled and quartered
4 dates
1 bunch parsley (I used flat-leaf)
4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Surprisingly Tasty

Ever since I learned that people put parsley in smoothies, I've been intrigued and a little afraid. I knew I'd have to try it one day, but it was hard for me to imagine that it would taste good. Well, today I finally brought myself to look that bunch of parsley in the fridge squarely in the eye and take up the challenge. And I'm glad to report that the resulting smoothie is really quite good!

Parsley's-Not-So-Gross-After-All Smoothie

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used vanilla almond milk)
2 handfulls frozen strawberries
1 large or 2 small bananas
3 dates, pitted
1/2 - 1 bunch parsley (I used flat-leaf)
1/4 cup walnuts, optional

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

A Smoothie in Two Acts

Last night I felt like whipping up a thick, fruity, dessert-ish smoothie, so I threw in equal parts frozen strawberries and frozen mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries), plus enough vanilla soymilk to make it blend. The resulting concoction was fairly good but not as sweet as I would have liked - I think it needed a nice ripe banana to sweeten it up but sadly, I was all out. Anyways, it was pretty.


I made more than I could eat for dessert, so I put the leftovers in the refrigerator and this morning, I put it back in the blender, added some kale, a few ice cubes, and a couple of dates, and re-blended it for breakfast.

Mmm... green sludge.

I almost didn't post about this smoothie since the taste was just okay - nothing to get too excited about - but then I thought I'd share since it illustrates the value of saving your leftovers for a new go-round the next day. :-)

A Healthy Orange 'Julius'

I remember walking around the mall sipping an orange julius as a kid... ah, those were the days. The days before I realized the horrors of disposable cups and artificial sweeteners, that is! :-) Try this healthier version at home - your body will thank you for it.

makes one large or two small servings

2 navel oranges, peeled and quartered (use more if you're using smaller oranges like mandarins)
2-4 dates (depending on size), pitted
1/4 cup vanilla non-dairy milk (if you only have plain, add a splash of vanilla extract)
2 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.

Another Green Smoothie

If you're ready to take your green smoothie adventure to the next level, here's one that's actually green in color. This was a 'cleaning out my refrigerator' kind of breakfast. :-)

(pictured with one of Hannah's Superfood muffins)

Everything-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Smoothie
makes 2 medium-large servings

1 orange, peeled and quartered
1 apple, quartered
1 banana (fresh or frozen chunks)
1/4 pineapple
1/2 cup mango (I used frozen chunks)
3 dates
2 handfuls kale
1/2 cup pineapple juice
4 ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.