Almond Butter-Apple Pie Smoothie

Any Apple Pie Smoothie recipe I've come across that is delicious seeks to replicate the apple pie a la mode idea using yogurt or thick cream to replicate the ice cream scoop mixed in with the fruit and the crust.  So, so yummy!  

I was experimenting and found that the following ingredients come together creamy, sweet, fruity and so satisfying as a dessert smoothie that you might never want to fuss around with pie crust again!

Into your Vitamix carafe put the following:

*3 Apples, sliced, core and seeds removed
*small nob of fresh Ginger, peeled and sliced or grated
*2 T. Maranatha Raw Almond Butter
*1-2 T. Raw Honey
*1 T. Cinnamon
*Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt (or to taste)
*1 C. Frozen Peaches (Secret Ingredient!)
*3-4 C. Almond Milk (I used Almond Breeze)

Whirl together until creamy smooth.  The Frozen Peaches bring out the 'apple' flavour more than apples do on their own (don't know why?).  Try it yourself and see if it is not ambrosia!

SUCCESS WITH THE SEEDS

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Thickalicious Christmas Cake Smoothie

Thickalicious Christmas Cake Smoothie

This Thickalicious take-off on a Christmas Cake as a smoothie
When designing this 'cake' smoothie, I wanted to get the essential flavour "idea" of Christmas cake but without having to expand the recipe to include all the not-so-healthy ingredients you might find in a typical Christmas cake (and I'm not referring to the commercial ones).  There is NO butter, so you don't have to worry about that... in fact, like all of the Christmas smoothies, this one is also vegan which means no yogurt either, or other dairy products.  Of course, if you are not vegetarian, you can go ahead and put in whatever you like from the animal by-product arena.  I'm hoping that the almond milk and the oatmeal carry the mouth-appeal for all the fats-- milk, butter, eggs-- in this smoothie.

I also have skipped most the rum or brandy and the raisins and/or currants.  Instead I'm using frozen  seedless grapes and I believe that these little gems do the trick as a much healthier, tastier sub.  Along with the grapes, the dates provide wholesome sweetness (I also added a packet of Sweet Leaf stevia, and you can opt for more sweetener of your choice, or just stick with the dates).  Too, I kept the spices to a minimum, using a small amount of nutmeg and a more pronounced portion of cinnamon.

I like it-- it satisfies my Christmas Cake urges in a more satisfactory way, and I don't have to start putting it together in October! (I vaguely remember that regimen from my long-ago Trudy Traditional days).

Thickalicious Christmas Cake Smoothie (serves 2)
Put the following in your blender carafe and whirl up:

• 1/2 C. Rolled Oats (Gluten-Free if preferred)
• 1/4 tsp. ground Nutmeg
• 1 tsp.   ground Cinnamon
• 9 pitted Dates (or more if desired)
• 1 C. Frozen Seedless Grapes
• 2. C. Almond Milk (or 1 C. Almond Milk and 1 C. Water)
• 1 pkt. Sweet Leaf Stevia powder (or sweetener of choice and how much you want-- optional)

Try these other Christmas Smoothies too!

Cranberry-Apple, Green Grape and Chia Christmas Smoothie

Cranberry Lassi with Coconut Milk, Cumin, Chia and Ginger Smoothie

Mandaringo-Ginger Smoothie

Luscious Eggless Nog Smoothie

Sweet Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Chocolate-Mint Smoothie

Mango-Cilantro Anti-Candida Smoothie

 

It is New Year's Eve and I am eating and drinking delicately today after having "overdone" the sugar and fats during the holiday proper. If you are looking for a divinely satisfying smoothie that is also very soothing and healthy, then you can not go wrong with this Mango-Cilantro green smoothie.

This smoothie has only four ingredients (feel free to add and subtract as you see fit, of course).  I don't think it is necessary to dictate actual proportions, but for the two of us to have a large glassful each (10-12 oz) I used about:

1. a handful of frozen fruit and 
2. about 16 oz. of water. 
3. My husband added in Astragulas to his-- I am a little more sensitive to the added 'flavours' that some of the power herbs bring to the smoothie, even though I know that astragulas probably makes up for its astringent details with vast health benefits.  Make this smoothie fit for you!

• Mango is a 'digestive' tropical fruit that contains antioxidants that are said to prevent several forms of cancer; it is alkalanyzing AND has the right amount of fibre, Vitamin C and pectin to lower Low-density Lipoprotein (the 'bad' cholesterol).  Along with pineapple and pectin, mango is considered a candida-fighting fruit.  And maybe you thought Mango was just one of those delicious tropical 'frill fruits' with nothing much to offer but yummy taste and texture? I used Moov frozen organic chunks that our son picked up at Costco-- you can see Mango's excellent nutrition profile right here:

• Cilantro is sometimes called "Chinese Parsley".  It is used a lot in Mexican dishes.  For me it imparts a delectable fresh lemony flavour, but some folks (with maybe "a genetic response") can find its smell and taste to be quite repulsive.  I feel blessed to love the taste, because Cilantro is a natural chelator, grabbing on to certain heavy metals (like the residuals of mercury fillings, etc) and getting them out of your body.  If you can't stand cilantro, then use another green like regular parsley or celery.  (I use a large handful of organic cilantro greens in my smoothie).
• Tumeric -- the trendy root from the East.  Shake in about a teaspoon full or more.  You might detect a bit of an earthy flavour, but otherwise it is pretty neutral tasting and full of benefits: there are lots of indicators that it is useful to stopping the spread of cancer; it's an anti-inflammatory; and a pile of other wonderful assets.  Read more about it here  
• Water

• Ginger Peach Anti-Candida Smoothie Recipe

Ginger Peach Anti-Candida Green Smoothie

There are all varieties of Green Smoothies out there from the dairy-rich ones that contain actual additional refined sweeteners along with fruit and greens to smoothies that are basically whirled up fresh greens, a banana, and water to recipes that are heavy on commercial "smoothie mixes"... and everything in between. I love 'em all but my body now seems most amenable to a larger proportion of fresh greens and a tablespoon of ground (or gel) chia seed along with a lower glycemic fruit (or berries)and some additional fresh ground spices or veggies like ginger or garlic.

These fresher tasting Green Smoothies are less apt to feed any nefarious fungus or  incorrigible candida overgrowth than the sweeter-type smoothies.  I hope you will want to follow along and try these high-fibre, nutrient-dense, low glycemic smoothies for yourself!  You will find the recommendation for these smoothies and other invaluable tips in the free 5-part Minicourse you can sign up for below the recipe.

GINGER PEACH ANTI-CANDIDA GREEN SMOOTHIE

Add the following to your blender carafe:

1-2 large handsful of Baby Spinach leaves
3 Celery stems (cut into 2 inch pieces to avoid stringing the gears)
2 halves, Frozen Peaches (or fresh is fine of course-- or other stone fruit like apricot or plum)
1 baby finger-size nob of fresh Ginger, grated
1 T. Ground Chia Seed (or equal portion of Chia Gel)
Optional: 1 teaspoon of Acerola Cherry Juice Powder
Optional: pinch of Stevia to sweeten if desired
About 4- 8 oz. cups of filtered water
Spin up until creamy.  Let sit for 15 minutes if Chia meal has not had a chance to soak, stir, and pour into glasses to drink.

Sign up for the free 5-Part Minicourse that will be delivered through your email.  You will learn about how candida overgrowth gets in the way of great health and tips for overcoming nasty yeast infections.

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Frozen Peach Smoothie Starter

Here is a delicious way to quickly and easily start your day with a smoothie-- called a frozen smoothie starter, it is basically a frozen smoothie pellet the size of a cupcake or muffin cup (whatever size your pan is) that you just pop into your blender along with whatever fruit, fluid or greens you want to add, and voila! A gourmet smoothie, no ice cubes needed! Dairy-free and Gluten-free.

This smoothie is made with fresh, tree-ripened, organic Okanagan-grown Red Haven Peaches, the absolute royalty among eating peaches!  But any peaches will do-- just make sure they are organic (as I explain in this blog, although they have amazing mouth appeal and health benefits, chemically-sprayed peaches are in the "Dirty Dozen" foods list).  You'll have summer in your glass whenever you pour out your peachy smoothie in the months to come!

Blend together the following Ingredients:

1. 6 well-washed (but unpeeled, if organic) Peaches, sliced
2. 4 C. Coconut Dream Coconut Milk (or Almond-Brasil nut mylk would also be delish!)
3. 2 T. shredded (unsweetened) Coconut
4. 1 T. Cinnamon powder

Pour into 12 muffin cups (I use silicone muffin pans for quick pop-out-ability but other muffin tins will do).  

There will likely be enough left over for a big smoothie base (add your fave greens, etc. and blend up again.) 

Put the muffin pans into the freezer and freeze until solid.

Put the frozen peachy-coconut discs into ziplock bags and back into the freezer for those coming days when fresh peaches will be just a dream from last summer!

To reconstitute, just add one or two of the frozen discs to a cup or two of fluid (water, juice, coconut milk, nut mylk, etc.) and add more fruit (a frozen banana goes well) if you want, and fresh chopped greens (with peaches I like cilantro, parsley, romaine or celery).  

Question: Who's the Clever Duck for getting their smoothies all ready to go in advance?

Cherry-Banana-Mango Lemonade Smoothie Bliss

Kale + Cherries = chocolate? (apparently)

Yesterday my husband made an uber-healthy but not very tasty smoothie for breakfast and my tummy asked for something a little fruitier and tastier today, so what you have below is the recipe for a slightly over-indulged princess.

Combine the following in your blender:
*1/2 C. Frozen Organic (or unsprayed) ripe Cherries (pitted of course)
*   2 C. Organic Mango Lemonade
*1/2 C.  Vegan Yogurt
*1 1/2   Frozen Bananas (cut in chunks, peeled of course)
*Handful of tender Kale greens (or other greens of choice, for example, Romaine)
*Water to thin it if necessary
Spin up and enjoy!

Thickalicious Blueberry-Orange-Oatmeal Breakfast Smoothie

This green smoothie is creamy, yummy and very filling-- it will definitely get you through the morning for five hours (until lunch)without the mid-morning craving for a piece of something starchy. I've been tweeting with a woman from Scotland who calls herself GreenThickies on Twitter and who has developed this delicious oatmeal-infused Green Smoothie that she, of course, calls a Green Thickie. I have been out of town for 2 weeks and away from my Vitamix (how I missed it!). Now I am home and was eager to give this drink a go... but I didn't have any of the lovely bits of fruit that she uses in her Green Thickie recipes, so did some innovation to come up with this recipe to use what I do have available... I'm loving it!

Put the following in your high speed blender (or blend in order in a regular blender):
*1 C. Filtered Water
*2 peeled Oranges (seedless or remove the seeds)
*1 C. frozen Blueberries
*1 C. Oatmeal (uncooked- soaked over night is good, if possible to remember to do that)
*2 T. Chia Seed or Flax Seed (or Chia Seed Gel that you can make yourself)
*3-6 Pitted Dates
*Handful of Romaine Lettuce

Whirl up until totally smoothie. Mmmmm. I think it is good to chew this smoothie a little instead of just bolting it down because it is pretty substantial and chewing ensures a better digestion process.  I threw in the dates because the combo reminds me of a lovely  muffin recipe I once had... you can omit them if you find this too sweet.

I don't have the exact nutritional breakdown but I'm guessing that this might be 300+ calories and contain around 6-8g of fat. Dairy-free, no refined sugars, Wheat-free. Check out http://www.greenthickies.com for other information and recipes. I'm pretty certain I'll be trying out some more recipes for this sturdy smoothie on here again, so please check back!
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Decadent Raw Brownie-Frozen Banana Smoothie

Yes, this raw brownie-frozen banana smoothie is sweet, chocolate-y and decadent... even tastes better than those sweet frosty drinks you get from the fast food chains... and guess what? NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP! I'm using it to wash down my Vitamin D, but you might want to make it your lunch or supper or afternoon coolie...yum!

INGREDIENTS:

*1-2 regular size slices of Raw Brownie (<~click for recipe- scrape off frosting I think)
*2 Frozen Bananas (peeled, broken in pieces)
*10 oz. Almond Milk
Blend until smooth-- a heavyduty blender like Vitamix probably works best (what I use) but it should work okay in a regular blender... just take a little longer, maybe add a little more nut milk.

Enjoy!

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.  ~Cynthia

Smoothie of the Week: Avo-Strawberry Smoothie

Avo-Strawberry Smoothie @pixabay

Here is a heart-healthy, fat-fighting smoothie that tastes very yummy (even though it might seem like a weird combination of fruits):

• flesh from one really ripe Avocado
• 6-12 ripe Strawberries
• Handful of ripe Cilantro (or other green of choice)
• 1 tsp. Barley Greens (Vimergy recommended by Anthony William)
• Water for quantity/thickness desired
• Thought: Mango would taste good in this combo

Blend up.... will blend well in any good blender.  Enjoy!

The Green Smoothie vs. Radiation Poisoning

COMBINE THE FOLLOWING IN THE VITAMIX CANISTER:
*2-6 Celery stalks, chopped
*1 Apple, cored, chopped
*1 C. Blackberries, frozen or fresh
*1 T. Cinnamon
*1/2 tsp. Turmeric
*Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt
*1 T. Raw Honey
*1/4 C. Raw Pumpkin Seed
*1/4 C. dried Coconut
*Water (1 - 1 1/2 Quarts)

Spin up. Drink by itself (i.e., don't eat it with your breakfast, etc. Give yourself about an hour before and an hour after eating to digest this. There are several kinds of radiation that will be protected against by drinking Green Smoothies every day.  (recipe adapted from David Wolfe)
*********************

Smoothie of the Week: ABC Smoothie

I was with a group of people last week talking about refreshments we would serve after a presentation we were hosting. We wanted the said refreshments to reflect upon our support for healthy living, so out went coffee, Black Forest cheese cake, and the like.

 Someone suggested fruit trays. Another pointed out that people get as much of a glycemic surge with several pieces of fruit as they do with a cookie.

It got me thinking about fruity smoothies... and today's recipe is for a smoothie that is sweet, without being cloying, but made with blackberries and mostly greens. There is no banana-- just an apple and an avocado. It is smooth, flavourful, and creamy delicious... isn't that what one wants in a smoothie? Oh yes, and extrememly healthy!


Put the following in the carafe of a Vitamix and whirl up together until smooth and creamy:

• 2 C. frozen organic Blackberries (or other low glycemic berries)
• 1 handful fresh organic Cilantro
• 1 small, very ripe Avocado
• 1 4" piece of fresh Aloe Vera (if you have it- and peel off/discard the outer layer of skin)
• 1 small organic Apple, cored
• Stevia to taste (if desired)

Smoothie of the Week: Raw Caesar (Dressing)

Yes, Caesar Dressing is a kind of smoothie!  Image courtesy of ailinder at pixabay

Again, acting on the premise that ketchup is basically a smoothie, here is my favourite smoothie of the week: delicious raw Caesar dressing for a delish broccoli-caesar salad.  Besides giving the little fishes (anchovies) a break, this smoothie is full of vitamins, minerals, omegas and flavour.  It is magnificent in a salad made of raw veggies like broccoli, romaine, onion, cucumber, tomatoes and orange sweet pepper.  It is also yummy as a veggie dip. 

Combine the following in your high-speed blender (soak the seeds and dates if you have a regular blender):

3/4 C. organic, shelled, unsalted Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C. Nutritional Yeast  (ask at the Health Food Store)
1/4 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt
3 or more cloves Garlic
2 Lemons, peeled, seeded, and chopped
Freshly grated Black Pepper (to taste)
3 pitted Dates
2 large stalks Celery
1/2 C. Water
Optional: 1 tsp. of dried Sea Vegetable (I used Dulce) to simulate anchovies
Store in a glass jar with lid.

Smoothie of the Week: Orchid Green Tropical Smoothie

                    

Orchid Green Tropical Smoothie

 Today's breakfast smoothie (although it would taste just as sensational any other time of day) is one that I would never have drunk back in my macrobiotic cooking days-- the fruits would have been deemed "tropical" and out of my geographical availability, therefore, not healthy (?)-- and I suppose my 100-mile diet would also frown upon these fruits from far, far away-- but it is delicious, and organic (except for the pineapple) and has a special ingredient that makes it super-digestible.

That ingredient is about 2 C. of homemade kefir.  Harold Tieze at Kefir, Yogurt for Life, if you are someone who thinks of using 'drugs' to heal, then kefir is one powerful drug.  But of course, it is not a drug, but a lactic acid fermented food.  Kefir restores healthy flora to the digestive system.  If you want to read of the wide list of amazing things kefir can do, go back to the link above.  If you want to buy kefir "grains", you can likely find them in a health or whole food store.  Kefir to me smells a little reminiscent of butter milk (which I loved).  When I add it to smoothies I have an almost instant feeling of balance.

Here is that smoothie recipe:
Add the following to your blender carafe and blend until creamy smooth:

• 1 handful fresh organic Cilantro
• 2-3 C. diced chopped Pineapple
• 2 frozen organic Bananas
• 1/2- 1 C. organic shredded Coconut
• 2 C. water or dairy Kefir

To your better and better health, ~Cynthia

Smoothie of the Week: Blueberry Coconut-Chia Shake

When I wrote this blog, we were doing a 28-day cleanse with the Raw Food Rehab community and I had been enjoying using (and adapting) recipes from Penni Shelton's book, Raw Food Cleanse: Restore Health and Lose Weight by Eating Delicious, All Natural Foods--Instead of Starving Yourself. Today's recipe is an adaptation (the ice cubes are frozen blueberries for one thing) of  the Chia Coconut Custard Shake in the book.

  Generally, though, I just stick to Penni's recipes (i.e., don't adapt them) because they are so delicious.  She is a raw chef.  And, while we're talking about Penni, I'd like to point out that Raw Food Rehab was voted on "The Best of Raw" as the Best Raw Community at the time (April 2011).  I highly recommend joining a health-nutty community get-together like this for one of the many "challenges" you can find online.

  See your trusted health provider in advance and let them know about what you are considering, though, just to make sure you don't hook up with a group that is doing something really off-the-wall unhealthy (like 30 Days of Unlimited Wine Tasting, for example hahah).

This smoothie is soooo sweet and delectable.  Please note that using the chia seed gel (the chia seeds MUST be soaked for at least 15 minutes in one cup of filtered water-- thoroughly stirring 2-3X to encourage the gel process) lowers the glycemic rating of this sweet treat way down-- you might even feel like you are cheating, it's so sweety-pie sweet and tasty.

Add the following to your blender: 

• 2 Young Coconuts Meat and Water (or coconut water from the store)
• 2 T. Chia Seed Gel
• 1/2 C. Frozen Berries (I used blueberries)
• 1/4 C. Raw Honey (I actually used "Royal Jelly"--mmmm)
• 2 T. Vanilla Extract
• Pinch (however you define that) of: Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Celtic Sea Salt

Blend until smooth and creamy and e.n.j.o.y.

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I would really appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.To your better and better health, ~Cynthia

Eggless Nog for a Cholesterol-Free Christmas

This Luscious Eggless Nog is #5 of the 7 Christmas Smoothie Recipes.  My husband says he likes this much better than the store-bought egg nog, or what we remember of it.  Hope you like it too!  Sign up for the recipes under the recipe itself!

LUSCIOUS Eggless Nog:

• Add 3 tbsp or so of Chia Seed soaked in 1 cup of Water- for 10 minutes before making nog. I pour this into blender and add 
• 3 cups of Coconut Dream or the milk of a young Thai Coconut,  
• 1 tbsp of Coconut oil, 
• a packet of Sweet Leaf  Stevia, 
• 6-8 frozen Bananas, 
• Blender may be topped up with more Water. 
• Blend up- add Pumpkin Pie Spice and Nutmeg to taste. It really does taste very similar to egg nog.

Perfect Merry Christmas drink for that health-conscious vegan sweetie! 

Here are the other 6 Christmas Smoothie Recipes for you to sample!

Cranberry-Apple, Green Grape and Chia Christmas Smoothie

Cranberry Lassi with Coconut Milk, Cumin, Chia and Ginger Smoothie

Mandaringo-Ginger Smoothie

Christmas Cake Smoothie

Sweet Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Chocolate-Mint Smoothie

Smoothie of the Week: Coconut-Peach Punch

Peach Smoothie @pixabay

This is my absolute favourite green smoothie in a long time.  If you are new to the 'green' in a green smoothie, you might be surprised by the ingredients... but keep your mind open... I think you'll be surprised!  It's fair to preface the recipe with a few other ideosyncratic details of my own: I freeze all my fresh fruit and berries and then I don't have to use ice cubes.  Sometimes I will throw in unfrozen, fresh off the vine fruits, but quite often not.  The peaches in this recipe were peeled by hand (they were that ripe) and sliced and put into a medium freezer baggie (I also really like to use mason jars in the freezer, but more for berries).  I hack about 1/8 of the resulting block off-- maybe a couple of peaches.  We'll go with that.

All smoothie recipes have a "you-decide" quality-- you can decide if you want more or less or different ingredients!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 peaches, cut in sections (no pit)
• 4-6 ribs of celery, including leaves
• 2-3 frozen bananas
• 1 coconut, water and meat (or a small container of coconut water from the store)
• Water to the top of the blender container, or as much as you wish

Whirl up to heavenly smoothness.  Drink.  Enjoy!

This smoothie information is for you-- it's my bias-- so please see your own health care professional before making any health-related decisions. If you found anything useful, intriguing, or have questions, I would really appreciate your feedback... please use the comment box below.
To your better and better health, ~Cynthia