Chocolate Cherry "Milkshake" -- a green smoothie in disguise

Basically I just wanted chocolate a few nights ago... then I wanted a milkshake... then I decided just to make a healthy version of a chocolate shake... I had frozen cherries in the freezer from a friend. I had spinach. I had raw cacao powder. I had bananas. I had almond milk. All that stuff + ice = mmmmm. Unexpectedly mmmmm.

This one's a win! It's a green smoothie in disguise. You can add more greens if you like. It's quite sweet with the stevia and fruit, so you could definitely pack in some more spinach or kale. They will never know... it's chocolate, so it's supposed to be brown... they'll never guess that's partially from the greens as well.

Michael also likes this with a few tablespoons of peanut butter thrown in for good measure. I, however... am the purist... just give me the chocolate and the cherries.

Chocolate Cherry "Milkshake" 
Gluten/Grain-Free, Dairy/Casein-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan, No-Added-Sugar
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com

1/2 medium banana
1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen, pitted cherries
1-2 handfuls baby spinach
2 tablespoons raw cacao powder (of course if you don't have this laying around just toss in some Hershey's cocoa powder!)
1/2 cup almond milk
3-4 ice cubes
few drops liquid vanilla stevia

Add all to high powdered blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes until thoroughly creamy and resembles a dark chocolate milkshake. Makes 1 large serving -or- 2 small servings.

{Summer Smoothies} Kale Pineapple Protein Smoothie

Kale Pineapple Protein Smoothie served in an old salsa jar

Felt like a quick smoothie this morning. I'm learning to make smaller smoothies. For some reason in the past I always ended up making them HUGE and I couldn't finish them. This little 16 oz. smoothie is just enough! And I love that it fits perfectly in my old salsa jar! I also use earth-friendly glass straws by Glass Dharma... love them!

I did a lot of baking yesterday and even though I didn't eat a lot of it (took it to a gluten free support group meeting), I was really feeling the need to down a few greens today. Kale is one of my favorite smoothie greens. It is SO healthy and you don't taste it at all. My new second favorite ingredient in smoothies is pineapple. It's very sweet and replaces the need for any stevia, honey, or dates!

What are your favorite smoothie ingredients?

Kale Pineapple Protein Smoothie
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, and soy
Printer-friendly recipe

2 stalks kale, remove the stems
2 rings pineapple + a little juice
half a banana
1 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons vanilla hemp protein powder
1 packet Emergen-C, mixed in about 1/3 c. water
6 pieces ice
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup additional water, if needed

Toss all in a high-powered blender (I use a refurbished Vitamix) and blend on high for about a minute. I generally blend twice just to make sure it's really smooth. Pour into a favorite glass and serve!

Apple Blueberry Pie Smoothie

I love smoothies! Especially in the summer! Lately I've been making green smoothies with spinach and lots of superfoods like raw cacao, maca powder, and spirulina. And for a delicious addition of protein: brown rice protein powder and raw almond butter.

Occasionally though for a more "dessert" like smoothie I just want fruit.

This smoothie was especially good. I don't think smoothies really need recipes. Add what you like. See what works. Play.

This smoothie that I'm calling an "Apple Blueberry Pie Smoothie" had:

• a handful of fresh blueberries from our csa box
• about half a cup of apple sauce
• almond milk
• cinnamon
• vanilla stevia
• lots of ice!

What are your favorite summer smoothies?
What fruit and vegetable combinations have you been using lately?

Want to learn more about green smoothies? Check out this series.

Need help learning how to create awesomely healthy and delicious smoothies? Meghan Telpner is releasing a brand spanking new version of her Green Smoothie Cleanse Tutorial THIS WEEK and it features a favorite smoothie recipe from my blog! Go check out her amazing blog and pick up your copy of her incredibly smart & yummy green smoothie tutorial!

Gluten Free Chocolate Protein Smoothies

I really love smoothies for breakfast & right before bed as an evening snack in warm weather. Lately I've been making a variation of this protein "ice-cream". During the summer I really want something cold (but healthy) that feels like a treat and this smoothie really hits the spot.

I like to use either raw cacao or raw cacao nibs in this smoothie because the health benefits and because I just like the taste. You could also use regular cocoa powder or even carob powder.

If you don't want to use a protein powder (and if you don't like the taste of protein powder, you probably won't like the taste of this smoothie) you can also just use a frozen banana or other fruit of your choice. I really like this vegan brown rice protein powder. You can also use a dairy or soy based protein powder if your body is okay with those proteins!

And check out the awesome blog "Heather Eats Almond Butter" she's become one of my favorite foodie blogs. She focuses on foods that work for her body type. For Heather that means a higher protein, lots of veggies & healthy fats. A base of foods similar to what we eat in our household as well! Heather is also expecting, so lately she's been posting a variety of fun pregnancy recipes! It's been a joy to read about her daily journey to becoming a mom! Go visit and send her happy congrats!

Cinnamon "Chocolate" Protein Smoothie
a variation of Heather's Heabified Protein Ice Cream

1 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon raw cacao -or- raw cacao nibs
2 tablespoons brown rice protein powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch xanthan gum (only if you want an "ice-cream" type texture)
1 dropper-full vanilla stevia
1 tablespoon raw honey
9-15 cubes of ice

Directions:
Add all to your blender and blend until smooth. If you have a Vitamix you are one lucky duck & I am insanely jealous!! :-) However, my KitchenAid blender does a fairy decent job of blending this into a great smoothie! I also blend this in a Magic Bullet, and while it doesn't have the power of my blender, it still turns out a fantabulously yummy chocolately smoothie!!

Serve immediately with a really fun and super green handmade glass straw from GlassDharma! Makes 1 large serving!

Enjoy!

Raw Apple & Banana Sauce Recipe

I used to be an applesauce fanatic. During college I constantly bought those little cups of pre-portioned apple sauce servings. It seemed like a frugal option at the time. (And hey, I always reused the cups, so I figured that justified the purchase! :-)

But especially in the last year I've become very wary of extra ingredients (either for flavor, color retention, or longer shelf life) that are added to storebought canned & jarred goods. I was reminded of this when I stopped by the grocery store today to pick up a few things for my husband who has a bad bout of the stomach flu. I looked at the jar of unsweetened applesauce and I noticed while it didn't contain added sugar, it did contain erythorbic acid, a type of ascorbic acid or in layman's terms: manufactured Vitamin C. A food additive used to preserve color in canned goods.

Vitamin C is a really good thing. Especially when you are trying to build immune health! But to get Vitamin C in the form of an extremely processed food additive isn't the best way. I worry about how this additive was manufactured. What it was made from? Where did it come from? Will it be metabolized the same way that natural Vitamin C is in our body. I don't know.

I looked at the jar of applesauce and decided I could do better than that. How hard would it be to go home and throw a regular apple in the blender and make a raw applesauce without any super processed additives? It wasn't hard at all.

From now on when I need applesauce I won't be buying it in a jar. This was so easy to prepare and so delicious!

So often we choose what we think is the faster way to make food. The easier way. The way that's most convenient. Yet, so often it can be just as easy & convenient to make at home.

If you've never made a raw applesauce (which you could also just consider an apple smoothie!) I really suggest you give it a try. I love that you don't waste any of the apple. Simply remove the seeds & core and toss in the rest, skin and all! (Note: If you have a Vitamix - you lucky duck- just toss in the whole fruit!)

Voila... instant, raw, healthy, delicious, vegan, naturally sweet & gluten free applesauce!



Raw Apple & Banana Sauce
An "unrecipe" by: Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, sugar, and a ton of other completely unnecessary things!
Printer friendly recipe.

3 large apples, any variety, preferably organic, cored & cut in large pieces
1 banana
1 pear, cored and cut into large pieces
1/2 cup water (may not be needed if you own a Vitamix)
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

In your high-powered blender (or your Vitamix and I'm seriously jealous if you have one) add cut up apples, the banana, and the cup up pear pieces. With regular high powered blender: add water & blend with fruit. Blend on highest speed until smooth and the consistency of applesauce. Pour apple & banana sauce into a jar and stir in lemon juice. (The lemon juice will help to retain the light color of the sauce.)

Serve applesauce chilled with cinnamon sprinkled on top!

**In a Vitamix you MAY be able to leave out the additional water needed to help blend the sauce. In my high-end (but not a Vitamix) blender, I needed the water to help break up the fruit and blend into a smooth consistency.

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 5

Day 5 -- Green Smoothie Cleanse, Final Post

Dear Mr. Beet,
I tried. I tried you in my smoothie this evening and I'm sorry... I just can't eat you raw. I really tried and I love still you love cooked, but raw just won't cut it! But don't worry, we used your smoothie to give a nutritious boost to our newly planted azaleas, I'm sure they will reap from your nutritious benefits!!

Very Sincerely,
Carrie @ GingerLemonGirl.com

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It is the last official day of the Green Smoothie Cleanse! This is my last post in the series and I did it!! I made it through 3 entire days of all green smoothies! I feel healthier and I'm really glad I did this for my body... but I'd also really like something to eat.. something crunchy! ;-)

Three days was a great length of time for this cleanse! It's just enough time to allow yourself to stop bad habits and learn new healthy ones. Tomorrow I will have raw foods such as a green leaf salad with carrots, mushrooms, sunflower seeds, cucumber, and oil and vinegar for dressing. Thursday I'll add cooked vegetables back into the menu, and Friday I'll reintroduce healthy lean meats and whole gluten free grains in very small portions.

Today I wanted to make an all veggie V8 type smoothie for dinner, minus the tomatoes. And well, as you read above, it didn't really work out. In the colorful smoothie, I used a small beet with the greens, 2 shredded carrots, red cabbage, celery, spinach, kale, and parsley. I was a brave Ginger Lemon Girl and tried to chug it down... but soon gave up. I'm sorry. I just didn't like it. No offense Mr. Beet.

So instead of a V8 smoothie, I opted for something a bit sweeter. What can I say... sweets are indeed my weakness, but at least this would be a healthy, natural sweet treat!

I decided to use shredded carrots, an apple, a handful of peaches, and of course greens.

At the last minute I tossed in some cinnamon and some fresh vanilla bean and voila... a carrot cake smoothie! It's very tasty and just slightly sweet! The cinnamon adds a lovely hint of natural sweetness and I love the fresh vanilla!

Enjoy!



Carrot Cake Smoothie

2 carrots, shredded
1 apple, cored
1/2 cup frozen peaches
2 tablespoons soaked almonds
1 cup spinach
1 cup kale
1 cup collards
2 tablespoons gogi berries
1/4 cup coconut (I used whole pieces of fresh coconut)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 of a vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped from pod into blender
2 cups water
1 cup ice

Add all to blender and pulse until very smooth. Add more water if necessary. Serve immediately!

Many thanks to Meghan Telpner for her constant support, positive encouragement, and her wonderful green smoothie cleanse program and information. Please visit her site for excellent resources on whole foods nutrition and healthy living!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 4

Day 4 of the Spring Green Smoothie Challenge!

I have to say I'm proud of myself for sticking this out! We're halfway done! Tomorrow will be last full day of the cleanse and then I will take 3 days to slowly transition back to eating healthy meals.

This has been a great challenge to me in so many ways! I'm proud of what I have learned during this process and I'm proud of myself for having the discipline to stick with this program. It is 9 days total from the first day of transition to the last. I slowly entered into the program and I will slowly transition back to whole, nourishing, gluten free, dairy free, and soy free foods!




A few things I've observed while doing this program:

- I feel really healthy and I like that feeling!!
- I am learning what it means to be a conscious eater -- a true accomplishment for this girl who will eat when stressed, bored, or ill-at-ease.
- I have learned that I do not "need" a full course meal (especially for every meal) to make my tummy happy.
- I am learning how to recognize when I want a type of food simply because I have fond memories for it, not because it is healthy or good for my body.
- I am starting to enjoy exercising just for the sake of exercising, not necessarily to accomplish a forced goal!
- I feel like smiling more often when my body feels well!
- I have more confidence in myself and what I believe I can do!

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Speaking of conscious eating and comfort foods...

Tonight's smoothie is probably my absolute favorite so far in the program! On the way home I thought about the smoothie I would like to have for dinner. It's amazing the things your body will crave during programs like this ;-) ... do you know what I wanted all day today? A peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Heavy on the peanut butter, light on the jelly.

How could I make a smoothie that *might* taste similar? My favorite jam is strawberry, so I knew strawberries would go in. And with strawberries... a banana always makes a happy companion! For the "peanut butter" part, I settled on almond butter since we are not eating peanuts during this cleanse to avoid mold.

Here's my smoothie. Compared to other smoothies I have made so far, this one is very filling due to the high protein content of the almond butter. Feel free to adjust the amounts to suit your taste and calorie consumption!

Carrie's Strawberry Almond Protein Smoothie


2 cups collards
3-4 leaves romaine lettuce, stems removed
1 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 teaspoon bee pollen
1 cup almond milk
1 cup water
1 cup ice
*swirl of agave nectar -or- pinch stevia to sweeten, if necessary (I didn't need additional sweetness!)

Add all to blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately Makes around 1.5 pints depending on how much liquid you add. This is one smoothie I'll definitely be making on a regular basis!


Carrie's Notes:

- I was surprised at how well the collards are blended into this smoothie! The primary flavors are a mixture of strawberry, banana, and almonds, even though there are substantial greens! It was a nice break in the routine of very, very green smoothies!

- I loved added the bee pollen to this smoothie because it reminded me even more of peanut butter and jelly, or honey in this case! It's very healthy and a great source of natural sweetness!

- I bough very very ripe bananas at the grocery store today. I find that overripe bananas are wonderful in smoothies because of the serious natural sweetness! The lady in line behind me asked why in the world I would buy such ripe bananas! I told her that I peeled them, froze them, and added them to smoothies. She was genuinely delighted. She smiled and said, "Wow, I never would have thought to do that. What a smart shopper you are!" It made my day!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 3

Day 3... which is actually day 1 of the beginning of ALL green smoothies, for all three meals, for three consecutive days. I transitioned into the 3 day green smoothie cleanse by going from one green smoothie meal to today, 3 smoothie meals.

I have to admit yesterday was harder than today. I like to chew and crunch and munch. So the lack of these comfortable motions of my mouth were really missed by yesterday afternoon. Was it hard today? Well, a little, but I kept telling myself, this is only for 3 days. You can do anything for 3 days! Today actually went quite smoothly (pardon the pun) as a matter of fact! ;-)

For the occasion my steadfast old trusty blender died. Yes, it died. Just when I needed it consistently for about 6 days! So while I couldn't buy a Vitamix, I was able to afford a nice Kitchenaid Blender. I am IN LOVE with my new blender! The shakes are VERY smooth, ice crushed perfectly, and it makes me one happy little smoothie maker! I decided to go with a Kitchenaid because I use a KA stand mixer that has lasted over 12 years, and it's still working like it's brand new! I have high hopes for the quality of this blender!

I think I have decided I'm not extremely fond of parsley in a smoothie. My morning breakfast smoothie had parsley and it was quite strong tasting. I still finished it, but decided I would use other greens for the rest of the day!

Tonight's smoothie has a little bit of protein, a few tablespoons of pineapple, and my favorite greens: spinach and kale. It has been very refreshing way to spend Sunday evening! If you try it tell me what you think!


Gentle Evening Smoothie

1/4 cup pineapple
1 Asian pear
handful of grapes
1 tablespoon gogi berries
2 tablespoons soaked almonds
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 1/2 cups kale
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 1/2 cups ice
1 1/2 cups water
* add stevia or agave nectar for additional sweetness

Place all in blender and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately.

Are you making smoothies? Do you enjoy them? What kinds of smoothies or shakes do you make in your blender? Share with me in the comments!

Until tomorrow!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 2

GOOD MORNING!!!

How are you today?

Me? I feel GREAT!

It's Day 2 of the Green Smoothie Cleanse. The Cleanse actually starts officially on Sunday, but I've already started making and drinking smoothies and getting ready for the big day!!

Today I woke up, took a 20 minute walk in the gorgeous spring sunshine, and made my morning smoothie! It was such a wonderful start to the day! I feel refreshed, energetic, and ready to go!




My smoothie this morning was based on Meghan's morning smoothie from her Green Cleanse Program. If you still want to join in the cleanse, it is not too late! You can still join in the Spring Green Cleanse here. You will NOT be disappointed!! It's going to be the best $10 you have ever spent!! Meghan has a wealth of information on healthy living and you will learn SO Much more than simply how to make smoothies! I have learned so much already!! Come join the Spring Green Smoothie Team!!

This is the wonderful smoothie I created this morning, it was so refreshing, light, and delicious! I just want to share all this great raw veggie energy with you!! I hope you'll try it this weekend and then take a nice long walk in the sunshine!!

Here's to your good health!!




Carrie's Morning Power Smoothie
(Top 8 + Gluten Free)

2 tablespoons almonds (soaked overnight)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon hemp protein powder (ground hemp seeds)
1/2 a small gala apple
1/2 cup green grapes
2 stalks celery
1-2 cups fresh spinach
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch stevia
2 cups water
2 cups ice

Add water, celery, apple, spinach, and grapes to blender. Blend until smoothie. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth! Serve immediately or store in a glass jar in the very back of your fridge to keep cold and icy until serving! Enjoy!

I had no idea celery could be SO refreshing!! It was such a beautiful and healthy way to start the morning! I loved this smoothie!! Visit Meghan's site to learn about how you can make your own green smoothies!

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Meghan also offered up a wonderful curried vegetable salad for dinner last night! She has done such a thorough job with this great program! I had no idea what to make for dinner last night that was all vegetable based! Meghan's homemade curry was fantastic! Even the picky husband ate his entire plate! I couldn't believe it!! Thanks Meghan!

Here's Meghan's recipe for this fantasic, simple, and veggie*full curry!! Enjoy!!
This recipe will be added to our meal rotation! We really loved it!

I'll keep you updated tomorrow on another yummy green smoothie from my kitchen!

Have a GREAT Saturday!!

Green Smoothie Cleanse -- Day 1

Meet Meghan, a beautiful, happy, healthy, gluten, & dairy free nutritionist! I found Meghan's blog via Ellen @ I Am Gluten Free. Ellen wrote about a 3 day "green smoothie cleanse" that she was participating in and I was very intrigued.

If you read my blog, you know I love meat...especially bacon. And that my friends, is not going to change... but I think every once in a while we do need to let our bodies recharge, refresh, and renew... eating a bunch of good raw vegetables and fruits in the form of a healthy, delicious smoothie is a great way to do that!

This spring cleanse is more than just a way of eating, it's a way to jump start daily exercise, prayer, and good health in general.

Basically beginning on Sunday, I will have three days in which I will eat "green" smoothies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an AM and PM snack in between. The smoothies will be chock-full of wonderful green veggies such as:

• raw spinach
• mustard greens
• celery
• cucumbers
• cabbage
  
• fresh parsley
• kale
• mint

I am very excited about this 3 day veggie filled body cleanse! It will be a great time to refocus on becoming healthy both inside and out!

To work my way into the cleanse I am already eating at least 1 green smoothie a day. I am going to try to share the smoothies I have with you each day on this cleanse! I hope it will inspire you to try a green smoothie for yourself! They are really healthy and a fantastic way to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet! Dust off your blender in the back of the cabinet and start making smoothies!

To get your started, here is Meghan's fantastic tutorial on how to create your own green smoothie!

I owe a HUGE thank you to my friend Clara of Six Food Intolerance Living for introducing me to smoothies a few weeks ago. She shared her recipe for a Kale and Pear smoothie, which started my current obsession with healthy, raw smoothies! Thanks Clara for helping me on my journey to good health!!

Here is the smoothie that I had as a dessert last night and for breakfast this morning. It is a little heavy with fruits, but since I'm working my way towards more green and less fruits it's a good start! It was absolutely delicious!

I made this smoothie last night so I would be prepared for today. To keep my smoothie "icy" I store it in the very back of my refrigerator on the first shelf. It stays icy and crisp for my morning breakfast!

photo courtesy of Chaotic Peace

Carrie's Morning Breakfast Smoothie
This smoothie is full of fiber, protein, green veggies, sweet fresh fruit, and lots of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids from the hemp protein, chia seeds, and ground flax seeds. The sweetness of the fruit really shines through in this wonderful smoothie!
*Top 8 free (soy, casein, eggs, wheat, peanuts, treenuts, fish, shellfish, + gluten)

- 1 cup mustard greens (or kale if you prefer!)
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 cup italian parsley
- 1/2 cup grapes
- 1/2 an apple
- 1 small pear
- 1 banana
- handful of blueberries
- handful of blackberries
- 1 1/2 cups hemp milk
- 2 tablespoons hemp protein powder (crushed hemp seeds)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar
- 3 cups ice

Overwhelmed? Don't be! I know it's a lot of ingredients, but trust me, you'll LOVE just tossing all of these wonderful fresh foods into the blender and making yourself a delicious treat!

To make my smoothies I add the liquid first (hemp milk in this case!), and add the greens. I pulse them on high until they are very smooth and then add the other ingredients and pulse again until smooth. Lastly I add ice and once again pulse until very smooth and serve immediately or store in the back of my fridge where the smoothie will remain icy until breakfast! I would love to have a vitamix one day, but this blending technique seems to work really well in my old, run of the mill blender!

Do you have any tips or ideas on how to make a delicious green smoothie??
PLEASE share with us in the comments below!
I can't wait to hear from you!!

Stay tuned for additional Healthy Green Smoothie posts through next week!