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!

Summer Sipping - New Ebook from Meghan Telpner with a GLG recipe!

As you know I truly heart Meghan Telpner & her blog "Making Love in the Kitchen". Meghan has just released a new e-book this week called "Summer Sipping." This is a collection of special HEALTHY summer drink recipes from smoothies to iced mochas, to mojitas, to gelatos, to lemonades, etc...

I'm thrilled that Meghan is also featuring one of my recipes for an Iced Lemon Basil Cooler!

The recipe is available exclusively in Meghan's wonderful book! I hope you'll stop by and pick up a copy. I can't wait to serve these recipes to summer guests at family barbecues & picnics!



One of the best things about summer is the amount of fresh fruits & vegetables that are available to you all season! Meghan's new ebook is a wonderful resource on how to use many fresh summer fruits, vegetables, and herbs in healthy icy drinks & desserts that will keep you nourished & hydrated all summer long!

Many thanks to Meghan for featuring my Iced Lemon Basil Cooler recipe in her new ebook! Now go get your copy today!

Meanwhile, summer is also the perfect time to make LOTS of green smoothies! Check out my series from April 2009 on Meghan's Green Smoothie Cleanse program! I think it might be time for another few days of green smoothies for me!

What's your favorite summer smoothie recipe?

Guest Blogger for Meghan Telpner - Making Love in the Kitchen

I've been a huge fan of Meghan Telpner since April 2009. Meghan is a nutritionista extraordinaire & author of the blog "Making Love in the Kitchen." She has inspired me to REALLY change my health for the better. Meghan taught me how to make foods that heal, nourish, and sustain our bodies. I followed Meghan's Green Smoothie Cleanse program last year and I still have green smoothies on a regular basis.

I highly recommend Meghan's E-guides for health. If you are looking for a whole foods/whole life nutritionist who truly cares about your health and about your future, Meghan is your girl!

Some of my favorite E-programs from Meghan are her:

• Green Smoothie Tutorial
• Healing with Everyday Superfoods
• Natural Body Care
  
• Guide to Low Glycemic Eating
  

Today I had the honor of sharing one of my favorite, easy, superfood-filled, always gluten free recipes with Meghan!!


These Tropical Pineapple Date bars are the perfect snack for summer afternoons! They are filled with amazing superfoods like coconut, quinoa, raw pumpkin seeds, rolled oats, and pineapple. These bars have serious protein, fiber, and are low on the glycemic index.

Check out Meghan's blog today with my recipe for Tropical Pineapple Date bars, and let her know that Gingerlemongirl sent you!

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Stay tuned later today for Day 9 in our 30 Days of Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals! Erin of GlutenFreeFitness, will be sharing one of her favorite "un-recipes."

CSA Week One: Lettuce, Radishes, Lots of Greens

It's the first week of our summer CSA (community supported agriculture). I love this time of year & getting our boxes of fresh produce each week. We started using a CSA last year.

This year we ordered from an organic farm that's closer to our home. They also deliver which is wonderful. Plus, we additionally will have fresh eggs delivered each week with our produce.

It's the next best thing to having my own garden & chickens!

This week we received:

• little white radishes
• some type of pink radishes
• a beautiful head of escarole lettuce
• a bag of colorful swiss chard
• a bag of a spinach variety
• several fresh leeks
• a pint of strawberries
• 2 sweet potatoes
• 1 dozen eggs

Now, here's where you come in...

Other than making a really good salad & green smoothies (which I love) I need some help figuring out how to use all these greens & radishes. What are some things you would do with them? Do you have any radish recipes? Any really good (dairy free) spinach recipes?
PLEASE share them with me in the comments below!!

Speaking of green smoothies...For lunch today I took a few leaves of escarole, spinach, and chard. I washed them thoroughly and added them to my blender.



Added in a banana, some frozen blueberries, lots of fresh water, a few superfoods (raw cacao, maca powder, spirulina, raw pumpkin seeds), ice, and some vanilla stevia for sweetness. Blended away...



...and had a really awesome green smoothie! It was so neat to know that all my fresh vegetables & greens were from a farm less than 10 miles away.

Each week this summer I'll post the items we receive in our CSA box and I hope you'll help me figure out what to do with all the farm fresh vegetables and fruits!

If you want to learn more about how to make green smoothies for your own health, please visit Meghan Telpner's amazing blog.

Also if you'd like more green smoothie recipes, please read my series of Green Smoothie blog posts from last year. A whole week's worth of fresh, healthy, green smoothie deliciousness!

A Simple Salad and Lessons on Eating...

As you know, I just finished Meghan's fantastic Green Smoothie Cleanse program. I have learned so many things in the past 6 days. For instance at one point today I thought I was really hungry, I just wanted to munch on something... instead of instantly grabbing for a snack, as I normally would... I stopped and thought about why I was hungry.

Was I truly hungry? Was I thirsty instead? Was I bored?

I realized I had not had very much to drink so I decided to have a glass of water. After the water I wasn't hungry anymore. This revelation is a huge accomplishment for me.

Meghan is truly onto something when she talks about conscious eating. This one concept alone could change my life. I've always been a conscious buyer, being very aware of needs and wants... yet for some reason up until now I have never applied this towards how I eat. I know that you shouldn't eat when you are stressed, bored, or thirsty... and as simple as this is, I never truly understood how to put this into practice.

I love food. I always will... I can't deny that fact or try to change it. But I can change my relationship with food. How I eat, what I eat, how much I eat, and when I choose to eat. And for that Meghan, I will always be in your debt. I cannot thank you enough for your wisdom and encouragement! You have helped me to get on the right steps towards positive, life long healthy weight goals.

I am gradually adding whole foods back into my diet. Today I had a salad for lunch. It was the first time I had eaten foods in their whole form in 3 days. It amazed me how quickly a simple salad of all vegetables with an olive oil and vinegar dressing could fill me up! And it was so satisfying.




For dinner, I decided to make a large salad with some of my produce from the past three days. I had a salad of mixed greens with the following on top:

- 1 shredded carrot
- 1/2 an avocado
- 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/2 an apple
- 1 stalk of celery, chopped
- 1/2 of a medium zucchini, julienned
- 1/4 of an orange, juice squeezed over the salad
- drizzle of olive oil
- drizzle of sesame oil
- drizzle of red wine vinegar
- sprinkling of black sesame seeds

This was a delicious, fast, and filling salad! It was beautiful presentation, and it was a dinner I felt great about eating. How often do you leave the dinner table with a true sense of healthy wellbeing? Tonight I felt that way. It made me smile!

For dessert? Yes I wanted something crunchy, or sweet... but decided on a simple fruit smoothie with a banana, homemade almond milk, and a few strawberries! It was simple and delicious and instantly curbed my sugar craving!! I can do this... I know I can!

Here's to your good health!

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!