Very Berry Cream (No added sugar)

I love these colors they are so vibrant and beautiful. I was thinking today they did a great job picking the right colors for our flag. I love celebrating the 4th of July and thinking about all the reasons I am grateful to live in America. Have a wonderful weekend.

What really great is these taste wonderful too. So when you combine them together you have a great treat. No sugar needed just a banana.  A fun way to enjoy the 4th of July.

Ingredients

1/2 C almond milk or other milk
1/2 C frozen blueberries
10 frozen strawberries
2 frozen bananas chopped up
1 tsp vanilla
2 T chia * optional (Great added benefits)
 garnish with extra fresh berries for topping

Directions  serves 2

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender.
2. Blend and pulse until all creamy.
3. Serve in cups and top with fresh berries.

Bob's Red Mill Protein Powder in a Smoothie

I was so excited when I found out that Bob's Red Mill had a protein powder. I went to the store yesterday and found it in the bulk section. I was so happy to give it a try. I had it in my morning smoothie it was wonderful. I am excited to do some more recipes with it. The fun begins.

Ingredients

1 C cashew milk or other milk
1 frozen banana
1/2 apple
1 C fresh spinach
1 T chia
3 T Bob's protein powder

Directions  Serves 1

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender starting with the liquid. Blend until smooth.
Enjoy!

Mango Tango (No added sugar)

Making smoothies is a lot of fun because you can use your imagination coming up with the right combination. I love this smoothie because it tastes great, and you need no added sugar. That is a nice bonus.

Ingredients

1 C Water
1 C Ice
1 C frozen Mangoes
1 frozen banana
2 tsp chia *optional

Directions  Servings 1

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender. Pulse and blend until smooth.  Serve

Almond Joy Smoothie (Sugar Free)

Here is a fun way to enjoy the flavors of an Almond Joy without feeling any guilt. A candy bar in a glass.  The banana is added to add a nice natural sweetener without adding sugar. You can blend as smooth as you want if you don't want to have the texture. I liked a little texture in mine. 

Ingredients

2 C almond milk vanilla unsweetened

1 frozen banana (natural sweetener)

1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut 

1/4 C dark chocolate chips

1/4 C almonds

2 T chia * optional

* garnish with coconut and  crushed chocolate chips

Directions  serves 2

1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender starting with the milk. Blend to desired texture.

2. Garnish with crushed chips and coconut if desired. 

Start your Day Healthy Smoothie

This smoothie is loaded with fruit and spinach. It is a great way to start on your day healthy. I love having smoothies for breakfast.

Ingredients

1 C cashew milk or milk of your choosing
1/2 C cold water
1 to 1/2 C fresh spinach
1/2 C frozen mangoes
1 C mixed berries
1 frozen banana
1 orange peeled
2 T chia
1/2 scoop protein powder optional

Directions  serves 2

1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender starting with the milk and going in order.
2. Blend and pulse until smooth. Serve and enjoy. Enjoy a great start to your day.

Blueberry Cream Dream (No added sugar)

Blueberries are wonderful because they have a natural sweetness. When you add them to recipes they add a natural sweetness so you usually don't need much sweetener at all. I love to be able to enjoy the natural sweet flavor of the foods when possible. I achieved it with this recipe. This is a refreshing drink and a great way to start your day.

Ingredients

1 C almond milk (vanilla unsweetened)
1 frozen banana chopped up
1C frozen blueberries
1 T chia

Directions  serves 1

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!

Mango Green Smoothie (Naturally sweetened)

This was so wonderful. It was naturally sweet with all of the fruit that was in it. It was a refreshing delicious afternoon snack. It left me with a very satisfied feeling. You will love it.

The leaves were from a walk up the canyon yesterday. The colors are so amazing right now. Enjoy today. I hope you have a great weekend.

Ingredients

1 C almond milk
1 C frozen mangoes
1 1/2 frozen banana
1 apple core removed peel on
juice from a naval orange
2 T chia
1 handful spinach

Directions   serves 2

1. Put all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Serve at once. YUM!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Smoothie (No added Sugar)

Here is another delightfully yummy pumpkin chocolate chip recipe. It is so refreshing and has that great pumpkin chocolate flavor. It has no added sugar so it is guilt free as well. Winner Winner! Great little snack or even a yummy breakfast.

Ingredients

1 C almond milk vanilla (no added sugar)
2 frozen banana cut in pieces
2 T canned pumpkin
1/3 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
2 T chopped up dark chocolate chips

Directions    serves 1

1. In a blender blend milk, banana, pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend until creamy
2. Stir in crushed chips or put the chips into the blender with the mixture and pulse once or twice. Enjoy!

Peach Quinoa Smoothie

This  is delicious and great for a quick breakfast or a yummy snack. The flavors combination is perfect. It was a refreshing treat.


Ingredients

1 C almond milk or milk of your choice
1 C frozen peaches
2 frozen bananas
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 C cooked quinoa

Directions   Serve 1-2

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until all smooth.
2. Serve right away.

Chunky Monkey Smoothie (No added sugar)

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

One more post today for the National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center for Excellence.  We love the ingredients that are in this. The smoothie turned out so refreshing and yummy. You are going to love it!

We love oats. They are sometimes easy to overlook when you are trying to eat whole grains. They are so familiar that we sometimes forget they are a legitimate, amazing whole grain.

Oats contain more soluble fiber than any other grain, which makes you feel full longer. They also contain beta-glucans, which have been proven to help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, and therefore lower heart disease. Oats are okay for people who are looking to avoid gluten as long as they are certified gluten free.

Ingredients
1 C milk of your choice
1/2 C old-fashioned oatmeal uncooked *
3 T peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 frozen bananas, chopped up
1/4 C dark chocolate chips
garnish with chopped up dark chips

Directions   serves 2
1. Blend milk and oatmeal, peanut butter, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
2. Pour in bananas and blend until smooth.
3. Pour in chocolate chips and blend to desired consistency. I like keeping the chocolate slightly chunky. Garnish with additional  chopped up chocolate chips if desired.
* You can add the oatmeal at the end with the chocolate chips if you want the oatmeal chunky.

An InLinkz Link-up

Peanut Butter Chocolate Oatmeal Smoothie

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Did you know that 99% of Americans do not eat the recommended amount of whole grains, and that 85% do not eat enough dairy? If you know our blog, you know that we are big advocates of using whole grains in your cooking, so it only seemed natural for us to team up with Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and The National Dairy Council to create a recipe that used both oats and dairy.

We love eating smoothies first thing in the morning to add in some of the food groups that we often miss. If you eat them first thing in the morning, then you don't have to worry about them for the rest of the day! This Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie gives you a blast of protein in the morning, gets you some of those missing whole grains and dairy, and also is delicious and easy to whip up! Enjoy!

Ingredients
1/4 C old-fashioned oatmeal
1  frozen bananas (frozen makes it creamier) 
1 T natural peanut butter
1 T chocolate protein powder (or cocoa powder with 1 T honey)
1 C  milk 1% 
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1. Pour it all in to the blender and blend till creamy. 

Serves 1

An InLinkz Link-up

Banana Cream Dream (Healthy)

So my brother in law last weekend got a banana cream shake that he loved. It made me start dreaming about how I could make a healthy version of that. Here is what I came up. It was creamy and dreamy. My son who claims he hates coconut even liked it. (I think the texture of the coconut is what bothers him the most.) I love bananas. No added sugar and dairy free too. 

This is a wonderful refreshing drink you will love, and so easy to make. 

 Ingredients

2 frozen bananas chopped up
1/2 can of coconut milk full fat (chilled if you have time)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until creamy and dreamy.

(If the milk separates when you chill make sure you get the solid pieces and a little liquid.)

Naturally Sweetened Protein Drink

So I was craving something healthy for dinner but not feeling like eating the typical dinners I make. So I came up with this recipe. I love that It is naturally sweetened by fruit. When I was making it tonight and taking pictures of it I had Britney's 15 mos old with me. He recognized it was something he wanted to partake in. He started to say "Dink, Dink. " His persistence paid off and he got His "dink" He loved it. It made me happy he was craving something healthy. He is a busy little boy, and very cute. He has a sweet smile and disposition. This would be great on a hot Summer night (Easy clean up and doesn't heat up the kitchen) too, or anytime of the day.

Here is the cute little boy with his Daddy!

Ingredients
2 oranges peeled broken apart
1/4 C frozen raspberries
1/2 C frozen blueberries
1 frozen banana
1 C washed spinach
1 T hemp seed Bobs Red Mill
2 T chia
1 T flax seed
1/2 C water

Directions
1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender and let it whirl until nice and creamy. Enjoy!

Creamy Melon Slushie

I had never thought about using honeydew melons in a slushie until I tried one in Hawaii. It was refreshing and yummy and I wanted to make one when I got home. So here is my creation that I came up with.

It was also fun to learn that honeydew has some good nutrients in it to. A cup of it has half the vitamin C requirement for the day. It also has dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin B. The produce man said the best way to pick up a ripe one. He said you push against the skins and it should be slightly soft. If it is firm it is not ripe yet.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C chopped honeydew melon* (frozen the night before if possible)
1-2 T honey or sweetener of \choice (depending on how sweet the melon is.)
3 T chia
1 C spinach
4 C ice cubes

Directions  serves 2

1. Pour into the blender melon, honey, chia, and spinach blend until smooth.

2. Then pour the ice cubes into the blender and pulse a couple times. Leave small chunks.

3. Serve in cups right away.

* Ideal to freeze the melon the night before. If not possible you can use fresh. It will be more slushy if it is frozen.

* Check out this refreshing watermelon mango slushie. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Split Smoothie and Graduation Day!

Yum!

It was a happy day celebrating our son Derek's graduation. He is a great young man. It is weird to be all done with high school graduations. I am sure we will be a part of grandkids graduations some day. We love having family times together. We had most of us together. We were missing a few. Life is really about family. We feel so grateful for our family. 

That is what life is all about family!

I love love that you can throw a few ingredients in the blender and and let it whirl and you can make a delicious healthy drink. This one was so good and healthy too. It gave me some extra energy when I was starting to wind down after getting up early. It is a winner. Have a sweet weekend. We are enjoying the sandal weather.

Ingredients

1 C almond milk
1 1/2 T natural peanut butter
1 T cocoa
1 frozen banana
1 T chia
1/4 C vanilla yogurt or plain
* optional handful of washed spinach

Directions serves 1

1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender starting with the milk.
2. Turn on the blender and let it whirl until all smooth.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Here is a yummy chocolate peanut butter chia pudding.

Refreshing Strawberry Kiwi Chia Smoothie

So as you can see from my latest posts strawberry season is being enjoyed at out house. We love strawberries around here. We have been lucky to get some really yummy ones. We are doing are part in enjoying the season. :)

This is a yummy smoothie with mostly using the fruit at the sweetener. If you want to make it thicker cut down on the milk. You could have a nice soft serve treat. It will also thicken if you put it in the freezer for a while. It is a refreshing treat. You are also getting the benefits of Chia if you add that too. Read the health benefit to Chia here. :) It can be healthy and taste great at the same time.

Ingredients  Serves about 3

2 C almond milk *Cut down to 1 1/2 C if you want it more like ice cream.
2 C frozen strawberries
2 kiwi peeled
1 frozen banana
2 T chia
1 T honey *optional
*You could add a handful of spinach too

Directions

1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Drink right away or put in the freezer to thicken up. 

Tropical Green Smoothie

So it is that great time of the year to eat a lot of great fruits. I love making them into smoothies. If you add some greens and some other healthy ingredients you have a great meal or snack. There are so many yummy smoothie recipes. This is one that I came up with today when I was making my breakfast. It ended up being pretty thick you may need a spoon. Isn't it wonderful to get so much nutrition in one glass. A handful of nuts would be a great addition to the meal too.  It is a great way to start your day.  "Seize the day"!

Ingredients

1 C coconut milk or almond milk
1 handful of washed spinach
1/2 C frozen or fresh mangoes
1 frozen banana
1/4 C frozen or fresh pineapple
1/4 C old fashioned oatmeal
1 T chia
1 T flax seed


Directions Serves 1 to 2

1. Pour all the ingredients in the blender and let it whirl until all combined. Drink right away.  Enjoy

*For additional sweetness add a little honey. If you want it not as thick increase the liquid.

Saint Patrick' s Day Green Smoothie

This can be a healthy and fun way to start your day on Saint Patrick's Day. It is the perfect color for the day. You can eat it with a handful of nuts or some eggs and have a great breakfast. It would be great any day of the week as well. Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 C vanilla almond milk
1 C of spinach
3/4 C Greek plain yogurt
1 T to 2 T honey
1/8 tsp almond extract or vanilla extract
1 frozen banana chopped up
4 ice cubes

Directions Serves 2
Pour all the ingredients in the blender starting with the milk. Blend until smooth. Serve right away or keep cold in the fridge.

Here is refreshing green smoothie that would be great for the day.
Here is green soft serve ice cream you could have that is delicious.
 

Raspberry Orange Ginger Swirl

Recipe Redux this month is spotlighting beverages. Have you been noticing a lot of drinks popping up in your Pinterest feed? Well, you want to add this one, too. Just as the name suggests, it's a lovely mix of frozen raspberries, oranges, and just a bit of ginger. It tastes like sunlight in the middle of winter.

Even my baby couldn't get enough of it. See?

Ingredients (serves 2)
1 1/2 C fresh orange juice
2 frozen bananas
1/4 tsp ginger
1 C frozen raspberries
1/2 C water

Directions
1. Blend together orange juice, bananas, and ginger. Pour into a small pitcher or liquid measuring cup.
2. Next, blend the raspberries and water together. (You don't have to clean out the blender prior to mixing.)
3. Pour some of the orange mixture into the two cups you'll be serving it in, until they are a little over half full. Pour the raspberry mixture evenly into both.
4. Pour the remaining orange mixture in the cups. Use a shish kebab stick (or whatever you have on hand) to gently blend the two together so the raspberry mixture shows through the sides of the cup. Serve immediately.
 You can also try this Mango Blueberry Swirl.

An InLinkz Link-up

Nutritious Pina Colada Smoothie (Nonalcoholic)

I know that Pina Colada is traditionally something to drink during the summer, preferably sitting on a beach or besides a pool. But this light refreshing smoothie could be a delicious treat anytime of year. It certainly tasted good today during a winter snow storm! Give yourself the gift of summer in the winter. :)

Ingredients
1 1/4 C crushed pineapple (unsweetened) drained
2 C vanilla almond milk or coconut milk
2 frozen bananas
1 C ice cubes
1 tsp coconut extract

Directions serves 2 to 4 
1. Pour all the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.
Enjoy a refreshing Treat