Two New Green Smoothie Recipes

It's been a while since I've posted any green smoothie recipes here on the blog.  For a while, during all of our traveling before we got to Japan, I wasn't drinking them as regularly and I was really missing them.  But, I knew it would be a while (after we got here) until all of our household goods would arrive (they finally got here on Monday--2.5 months after everything was moved out of our house inTexas!), so we made sure to mail ourselves our Vitamix ahead of time so that it would be ready and waiting for us when we arrived.  And I'm so glad we did!  I am back in my daily green smoothie mode!

I love the way my body feels when I regularly drink my smoothies.  They give me noticeably more energy during the day (in the mornings especially), I feel so much lighter and healthier when I drink them, as opposed to eating something else for breakfast, and they really aid in digestion.  Plus, if I'm ever having an unhealthy eating day, I can blend myself up a smoothie for the next meal and feel like I'm sort of making up for it :)  Even if I can't undo what I've eaten, I can at least boost my nutrient and fiber intake!

So, anyway, recently I've come up with two new favorite recipes!  And my kids have LOVED both of them.  Here they are:

Berry Mango

1/2 Cup Red Grapes
2 Cups Spinach
1 Cup Mango
1/2 Cup Blackberries
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 Cup Pineapple
1 1/2 Cups Water

Place in blender and blend until smooth!

*I used all frozen fruit, except for the grapes and spinach*

Berry Berry

1 Cup Red Grapes
2 Cups Spinach
1/2 Apple
1/2 Cup Blackberries
1/2 Cup Blueberries
1 Cup Strawberries
1 1/2 Cups Water

Place in blender and blend until smooth!

*In this recipe, I used fresh grapes and apples, but the rest (including the spinach!) was frozen*

Kickin' it in SA: Strawberry Picking at Marburger Orchard

As I mentioned in my last post, last week while my brother was in town visiting, we went strawberry picking!  We went to Marburger Orchard which is near Fredericksburg.  It's about an hour from where we live in San Antonio, but it's a beautiful drive so we didn't mind at all!  

There are several "pick-your-own" farms around the San Antonio area (like Love Creek Orchards where we picked apples last year), but we had heard great things about strawberry picking at Marburger Orchard so we decided to give them a try!  And they didn't disappoint!  The owner was nice, but he was strictly business :)  He had lots of rules to follow (many of which pertaining to keeping children from yanking the plants out of the ground), but we didn't mind--I'm sure there have been plenty of situations to warrant the creation of all his rules!  We kept an eye on Will and Clara, but they did great.  They had more fun just putting the berries into the basket than picking them, so my brother and I ended up doing almost all the picking ourselves!  It turned out to be a pretty good system :)

The nice thing about strawberry season is that it's not sweltering hot!  It was a pleasant day in the beautiful orchard and we had a lot of fun.  Peach picking in a couple of months, however, might be a different story!  But I'm sure they'd be worth it.  (FYI blackberry season starts around next week and peach season starts the last week of May and goes through July.)

We filled our basket and ended up with a little over 7 pounds of strawberries!  That's more than enough for our little family to eat, so at that point we called it good and went and sat at a picnic table on the property and pulled out the lunch we had packed, which was complemented very nicely with fresh strawberries.

Going to Marburger Orchard was a lot of fun.  It's a special outing that's out of the ordinary, it provides a great opportunity to teach kids about where our food comes from, and of course there's the fact that fresh berries are just about the best thing ever!  After this little adventure, we ate strawberries with every meal for several days, I made our family's version of strawberries 'n cream (simple recipe below), and we made a batch of homemade fruit leather!  We definitely have had our fill of strawberries this season and we've loved it!

Strawberries 'n Cream

- Slice as many strawberries as you need and place them in a bowl
- Cover the strawberries with milk (to make it extra creamy, substitute half the milk with half and half)
- Add a tablespoon of sugar at a time until it's sweet enough for your liking
- Add approximately 1 tsp of vanilla extract (more/less depending on your quantity)
- Enjoy!!!

For me, eating strawberries 'n cream like this brings back wonderful memories from growing up.  Plus, I think this is the perfect sweet treat in the springtime or for brunch!  And feel free to experiment and use this recipe with other fruits as well; it works well with all other types of berries, but I particularly like to make peaches 'n cream this way!  And if you try peaches 'n cream, don't forget to add a dash of nutmeg as well!  YUM!

Homemade Fruit Leather

Last week we went strawberry picking (more on that later!).  We came home with a little over 7 pounds of strawberries!  And they are so delicious!  However, since we're not really jam or strawberry pie people, we've just been eating them straight for pretty much every meal.  But, as madly as we've been trying to eat them, we still had more than we could handle and I really didn't want them to go bad!

So . . . I decided to pull out our good ol' food dehydrator!  I really don't use that thing enough.  Anyway, my kids LOVE fruit leather, so instead of just drying strawberry slices that I know my kids wouldn't eat, I decided to puree those ripe little berries right up and make some strawberry fruit leather!  If you have a dehydrator, it's super simple.  I just dumped my berries in the blender, blended them until smooth, then poured the puree right onto the sheet and set it for 135º F and turned it on!  (It can take anywhere from 4-8 hours, you just have to check it regularly.)  I didn't add any additional sugar because our strawberries were so ripe, but you can add honey or corn syrup or other sweetener if you'd like to make your fruit leather sweeter.  And, guess what???  You can make fruit leather even if you don't have a dehydrator!  Just stick it in the oven!  I found this great recipe from pinterest, and there were about a million more to choose from!  Next up: dried pineapple.  I'm on a dehydrating kick now!

Mango Lemon Twist Green Smoothie

I have another awesome green smoothie recipe for you today!  I like this smoothie because it's so simple, but still healthy and delicious.  Here's the recipe:

Mango Lemon Twist

1/2 of a Large Pear

1 Cup (heaping) Frozen Mango

2 Cups Spinach
2 Drops Lemon Oil (or 1/4 Lemon)
1 1/2 Cups Water

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  (If using fresh mango, you made want to add 6-8 ice cubes.)

*For an extra boost, add coconut oil, flax, or chia seeds.

I linked up to Make It and Love It!

DIY Lemon Sugar Scrub

Lately, I've been feeling like my skin needs a little rejuvenating!  (Let's be honest, I'm 3 weeks postpartum--my whole body/mind/soul needs rejuvenating!)  Making a sugar scrub has been on my to-do list for months actually, and I'm finally getting around to it!  I don't really know why it's taken me so long to get done, it literally takes 5 minutes to whip up!  I think I always forget about it until I'm in the shower or rushing to get ready and am not able to do it in that moment. Anyway, enough about me and my reasons for procrastinating . . . The reason I chose to make a lemon scrub is because the scent is so refreshing!  And when mixed with sugar and coconut oil, it seriously smells like lemon cream pies and I just can't get enough of it!  Want to make your own rejuvenating lemon sugar scrub???  Here's what you'll need:

- A glass jar/container that can be sealed shut
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
- Lemon Essential Oil (you can get some here, or you can use lemon juice)

If needed, melt your coconut oil first so that it's in liquid form.  Mix the coconut oil and sugar together.  If it's still too wet, add more sugar until the consistency is thick and not too oily.  Next, add one drop of lemon oil at a time to the mixture until the scent is as strong as you'd like it.  Store in an air tight container and start pampering yourself!

* Adding to my post about lemon oil, this is another great way to use lemon oil on a daily basis!
** Lemon oil is a great astringent and it also helps to brighten skin.  It also aids in circulation and the aroma can help to lift your mood.

PRECAUTION: Lemon oil is photosensitive, meaning it can react to sunlight or UV rays.  When using lemon oil on the skin, wait a few hours before exposing skin to UV rays.

After exfoliating my hands with this just once today, I can't stop smelling them and marveling at how soft they feel!  I also used it on my lips to exfoliate them and they are feeling super soft.  And I may or may not have tasted the scrub while rubbing it on my lips . . . YUM.  I'll seriously have to use self-control to not just lick it off completely every time I use it!

And, if you're looking for a sugar scrub that will help you relax, calm your mood, and even help you to sleep better, try this same recipe, but use Lavender Oil instead of Lemon Oil!  Or, try Peppermint Oil for a great pick-me-up and to help soothe achy muscles!  You can get Lavender or Peppermint Oil here.

I linked up to Whipperberry, I Heart Naptime, Too Much Time On My Hands, and The Answer is Chocolate!

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Kale Tacos

Today I have a delicious vegetarian recipe for you!  Several months ago, our family decided to eat less meat . . . we haven't cut it out entirely, but we have meatless meals probably about 4 times a week.  Peter and I have both been really happy with the change.  We feel better overall, and it's been easier to manage our weight since doing so.  Anyway, this is a recipe that I came up with that is totally filling while still not being too heavy.  Plus, if you are vegan, you can easily make this meal meet your needs by omitting the cheese!  Here's the recipe:

Quinoa, Black Bean, and Kale Tacos

*Makes about 8 soft tacos

1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1 Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1/2 Can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
1/2 Onion, Chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Cup Chopped Kale
6-8 Small/Medium Tortillas
2 Avocados, cut into cubes (optional)
Shredded Cheese (optional)
Salsa (optional)

Pour the olive oil into a frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the onions.  Once the onions are translucent, add the black beans, cooked quinoa, and enchilada sauce.  Cook together for about 2-3 minutes, until the sauce starts to boil.  Turn the heat down to medium low and add the kale.  Cook for another couple of minutes (until the kale is cooked to your liking).  Remove from heat.

Warm up your tortillas and add the quinoa-black bean mixture to each tortilla.  Garnish with shredded cheese, avocados, salsa, and enjoy!

My "At the Spa" Green Smoothie

You know spa water?  Like citrus and herb or fruit infused water that is sitting out in pitchers at fancy spas?  Some of you may make fancy water like that to drink at home, and each time that I drink this fancy water at a fancy spa (not that it's very often--maybe twice a year if I'm lucky!), I think to myself, I'm going to start doing this at home!  But, I never do.  I guess I always just forget about how much tastier fruit infused water is . . . and how easy it would be to to make and have at home!  Anyway, I'm kind of rambling here . . . What I'm trying to say is . . . One of my favorite spa water blends is orange and cucumber.  I drank some at the Kura Door Spa in Salt Lake City in December and it's been on my mind ever since.  So, the other day, as I was trying to decide what to put in my green smoothie, I thought I'd try and recreate this same spa water taste and blend, but in my smoothie.  And, I'm happy to say that it turned out just like I'd imagine it to be!  So, if you want to feel fancy and like you're visiting the spa next time you go to drink your green smoothie, try out this little recipe!

"At the Spa" Green Smoothie

1 Navel Orange
1/3 of a Large Cucumber (with the skin!)
2 Cups Spinach
6-8 Frozen Pineapple Chunks (about 3/4 cup)
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil*
4-5 Ice Cubes
1 1/2 Cups Water

Place all ingredients in the blender, blend until smooth, and enjoy your "spa" experience!

* I put coconut oil in all of my smoothies because of the supposed health benefits of consuming it.  I, personally, have noticed an increase in energy when I include it in my diet which is the main reason I continue to eat it.

Let me know what you think!  And do you usually keep fruit infused water at home?  I really think I'll give it a go one of these days . . . it might be a nice way to feel fancy at home :)  And don't forget to check out my other green smoothie recipes here and here!

Panko Crusted Miso Salmon Recipe

Tonight my husband whipped up a delicious dinner. Panko Crusted Miso Salmon. YUM. It was as delicious as it sounds. Check it out.

We paired it with some roasted asparagus. Recipes below. Enjoy y'all!

Panko Crusted Miso Salmon

(Slightly adapted from this recipe.)

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Mix all of the ingredients except for the fillets and panko bread crumbs into a shallow baking dish or ziplock baggie:

2 salmon fillets
1/4 cup miso
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1/2 cup - 1 cup Panko bread crumbs

Remove 1/3 cup of marinade for drizzling/dipping later. Take this 1/3 cup and warm it on the stove until condensed and set aside.

Place two salmon fillets into the remainder of the sauce.
Let marinate for 10 mins to 2 hours (the longer, the better).

Cover baking dish/cookie sheet with aluminum foil, remove salmon from the marinade and shake off the excess. Bake for 10-12 minutes.  While the salmon is baking, brown the Panko over medium heat for 2 minutes and sprinkle over salmon during the last 2 minutes of bake time.

Drizzle condensed sauce over the fillets and serve.

Roasted Asparagus

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Asparagus (we used one bunch)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder

Place asparagus onto a cookie sheet or in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle and lightly coat asparagus with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or longer, depending on personal preference as to how well done you prefer your asparagus; I like mine with a little crunch :).