a sweet blend

I love this smoothie so much, I mean, who doesn't want to eat a rainbow (okay, I know I have to give that one to Skittles)? I have this smoothie almost every time after I workout because I freeze almost all the ingredients, so it's nice and cold. And let me tell you, when my pale skin gets worked up my face is the color of a cherry tomato for hours, so I need everything, going in my body post-workout, to cool me down fast. 

                                         

It's so delicious and sweet that it feels like a treat, but it's deceptively filled with nutritious ingredients that are really good for me. 

The wonderful thing about a smoothie is the ability to customize a healthy, filling meal that includes so many essential nutrients. Do you like smoothies? If so, what do you normally put in yours?

Rainbow Smoothie for One

Makes 1 serving

Recipe Notes:

- Feel free to replace or add anything. I use apple juice because it’s pretty neutral in terms of flavor, but adds a little sweetness to the plain yogurt. If I have pomegranate juice on hand, I like that too. I think orange juice overpowers the flavors, but if you love that then by all means…

- If you’ve got banana’s that are bruised, dark brown, or you’ve only eaten half and the rest is at risk for being tossed (or attracting those annoying fruit flies!) than it’s time to put it into a baggie and place it in the freezer for your next smoothie.

- The same rule applies for any fruit or vegetable. Of course you can buy a lot of these items in the freezer section of your grocery store, but if strawberries are on sale, and I know I won’t eat all of them, I wash them, trim the tops off, dry them and place them on a wax paper (or parchment) lined baking sheet and place that in the freezer. Once the fruit (or veg) is frozen I then place it in a freezer-safe zip top baggie.

Ingredients:

1 Cup water (or juice, if you prefer it sweeter tasting)

½ cup non-fat Greek yogurt (optional)

about a ¼ cup of each frozen fruit/veg: carrots, spinach, banana, berries, mango, pineapple

1 Tbs. ground flaxseeds, or Chia seeds

protein powder (I use the scoop included in mine- it’s probably 2-3 Tbs. worth)

Directions:

1. Start off by pouring the water into the blender, then the yogurt (if using). Follow with the fruits and veggies and top that off with the seed of your choice and the protein powder. Blend until smooth, about a minute. Serve immediately and enjoy!

quick snack series:

I have a confession to make: about two years ago I was on a mission to lose 60 pounds. Once I lost 50 pounds though, I decided to start a baking and beauty blog. So, needless to say, the last 10 pounds have stayed quite happily as I've baked, fried, roasted and froze my way to not losing any weight. And then in October I broke my toe, so exercising was a non-option and then the holidays came annnnnd.... now I have 15 pounds to lose!

My toe is completely healed and I'm reenergized and committed to eating healthier and working out regularly. But please, don't worry. Even though I'll feature some healthier food options (which I've done before, I might add) the heart and soul of this blog will forever come from butter, sugar and vanilla. Oh, and some beauty tips thrown in.

These healthy snacks have saved me from eating one too many of Ruby's 'Nilla Wafers (and I don't even really like them...what's that all about?!). I have also eaten these snacks for breakfast, because they're full of nutrients that give me the energy to keep me going.

 Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit:

The addition of drizzled honey brings out the natural sweetness of the Ricotta, making the berries and almonds a perfect compliment. And since cinnamon is a natural appetite suppressor, this dish leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Cinnamon Ricotta with honey, almonds and fresh fruit

1 Cup skim Ricotta cheese

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. almonds

½ Cup berries

2 Tbs. honey

-Place ricotta in a bowl, and top with cinnamon, almonds and berries. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Open-faced p.b. and fresh "j":

This is a fresh, lighter version of the typical pb & j. There is so much sugar in jelly, and you don't really need the extra bread. Getting your whole-grains, protein and a serving of fruit will stave off any hunger pains for hours. Since this recipe is basic, it doesn't really require a recipe.

Here's what I do: toast 1 whole-wheat piece of bread then spread about 2 Tbs. of peanut butter (I prefer the chunky kind). Top the peanut butter with your favorite fruit- I love sliced strawberries or raspberries.

Ground Chia Seed Vanilla Pudding: 

I know there are so many varieties of Chia puddings and while this is my favorite version yet, I'm still not obsessed with it. There's a silky, slippery texture that can only be masked with lots of crunchy things, like walnuts and roasted coconut chips. That's also the reason I ground my chia seeds; leaving them whole in the pudding is like eating roe on top of sushi... all that popping in my mouth just kinda freaks me out. It's worth a try though: Chia seeds are so good for you and it'll keep you going and going.

spread it out

I've been wanting to make this jam for a long time now, and I knew I'd wait until I could pick my own berries so that it would be the freshest, tastiest jam possible. Most freezer jam recipes (or any jam recipe for that matter) is loaded with a ton of sugar. Now I know that I do a lot of baking with sugar here, but I do try to start my day off right when I can....

The wonderful thing about this jam? It's actually really healthy. It just happens to be sugar-free, but it's not replaced with some sweetener, just good ol' honey. It's also vegan friendly (no pectin) and full of nutrient-packed chia seeds. Remember when I used Chia seeds as an egg replacer? Well they're the thickener in this jam too! 

Healthy Blueberry muffins

If you're trying to healthify (yes I think I made up that word) your food repertoire then this is a great recipe to try. There's a mixture of whole-wheat and all-purpose flour so it's a nice blend of healthy lightness. I also incorporated the chia egg substitute and was happy with the result.

And since they were healthy I didn't feel an ounce of guilt for eating 3 fresh from the oven. I've been keeping the leftovers in the fridge and zapping one if the microwave for 8 seconds (cooking times are an exact science for microwaves and once you know how hot things get in yours, you'll understand why 8 seconds is perfect for mine).

Cranberries would make a fantastic substitution for blueberries, if that was your preference. These are a moist, delicate muffin with berries bursting in every bite and they're sweet without being mistaken for a dessert.

(recipe to follow)

Egg Substitution

~We talked about the benefits of Chia seeds already, so you can see why they'd be a great alternative for not only vegans, but if you're trying to be healthier (or if you have an allergy). I've only seen them used in baked goods like pancakes, breads and cakes but would love to try other uses for this. If you are going to use Chia seeds as a replacer, here's how:

1. & 2. Grind the seeds either into a fine meal, in either a blender or spice grinder (if you want to do a larger batch in the blender, just freeze any leftovers in an air-tight container since they're perishable).

3. & 4. Add the 1 Tbs. ground chia seeds and 3 Tbs. of water to a small bowl, mix with a whisk and let sit for 5-10 minutes- the mixture should resemble a runny, raw egg (if you use warm water it will speed up the process). This mixture should replace one raw egg in a recipe.

*Want to see this in action? Tomorrow I have a recipe that includes the egg substitution... see you then! 

Healthy Pantry Staples

Did you know I can eat healthy sometimes? Since it's January, and everyone's trying to work off the Holiday sweets (sorry if I had something to do with that), I've decided to offer up some low-cal, low-sugar, low-fat, Paleo, Raw, Gluten Free, Organic, heart healthy, preservative free, clean eating (put whatever label you want on the) recipes.

Here are some ingredients that have made me feel like I'm doing something good for my body and what I'll be using for future recipes (p.s. you should be able to get all these at your regular grocery store instead of needing to go to a specialty food store):

Flaxseed (ground)- filled with Omega-3, fiber and lignan's that are great for your heart and help with energy. I add this to muffins, smoothies, granola bars... I probably don't add it to enough stuff but that's a decent start.

Chia Seeds- are packed with protein, blood sugar stabilizers, calcium, fiber and Omega-3... and it's tasteless! It can be put in smoothies, baked goods and can even be used as an egg substitute (more on that later).

Honey- sugar substitute (I put this in my morning tea and drizzle it over a whole-grain bagel spread with all-natural peanut butter).

Agave Nectar- another great sugar substitute and can be interchanged with honey. It's very sweet so if you're using this as a sugar substitute, use a smaller amount. As a side note- it does have a different flavor. The darker colored Agave's have more flavor so if you're a newbie to Agave, try getting a lighter one.

Old-fashioned Oats- they're less processed than ground so more nutrients are preserved. Contains fiber, a lower glycemic index, and makes you feel full longer.

*Now don't get nervous- I'm still crazy about butter and sugar and flour and chocolate.... I'll still include those decadent, delicious recipes, but just for this month I'm making an effort to see what I can do with some healthier substitutions. I guess it's all about moderation, right? Tomorrow I'll kick the month off with a candy-inspired granola bar- see you then!