Minty Mock Malt

I would like to take the opportunity to post another green shake, in honor of the website name (just so you don't forget what we're about, eh?). This is one that I've been making for about 2 years, and love, not only because it tastes good, but because it's made with vegetables and only low-sugar fruits like avocado, grapefruit and coconut. So, for those of you needing a low-sugar shake, this is for you!

Minty Mock Malt

(based on a recipe by Shelley Young)

1/2 English cucumber

Juice of 1 lime

Juice of 1 grapefruit

1 avocado

1 cup spinach (I use more)

1/2 can coconut milk

1 tsp. green powder (concentrated, dehydrated veggies - omit if don't have)

2-4 sprigs fresh mint leaves or 1/2 tsp. mint flavoring (no alcohol preferred - I use Frontier brand)

14 ice cubes

*In all my green shakes, I rotate a variety of greens such as Red Chard, Kale, Dandelion Greens, Collard Greens, Spinach, Romaine Lettuce, etc. You can use any combination of these in any shake. Try rotating different leafy greens often in order to get a variety of minerals and nutrients. Spinach & romaine lettuce probably have the least detectable flavor of the above greens, and collard & dandelion greens probably have the strongest flavor of these, so use according to your taste.

*You can omit the ice cubes and freeze in popsicle molds for a fun "treat" for kids!

**Add one packet of SweetLeaf Stevia if it is not sweet enough for your tastebuds!

And That's The Recipe For Makin' Love (Caribbean Pumpkin Soup)

If I could eat something for the rest of my life, it might very well be this next little number.  I was NOT expecting develop any kind of chemistry with this soup but now?  I think it might be love.

Caribbean Pumpkin Soup

1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil (little more if necessary)

1 small white onion, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile (1/2 teaspoon for a less heat)

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 ounce can pure pumpkin (I made my own pumpkin puree - tutorial below)

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

4 heaping teaspoons cilantro, chopped (I omitted this)

juice of 1 1/2 - 2 limes

1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

pepper to taste

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute onions and bell pepper for about 6 - 7 minutes, or until tender.  Add garlic, cumin, and ground chipotle.  Saute about 30 seconds.  Add black beans, pinto beans, pumpkin, coconut milk, and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Stir frequently.  Add lime juice, cilantro, and desired seasonings.  

Serve with organic blue chips or Jenny's home made brown rice chips.  I just crumbled them up and tossed them in my bowl.  Heavenly!

And for those of you who feel like pulling a "martha" (except that it's like the most simple thing in the world - so not martha)?  Here's how to roast a pumpkin...

Get a pumpkin pie pumpkin (they're everywhere right now) and wash any excess dirt off the outside.  Then cut it in half.

sorry 'bout the goth hands

Scoop out the seedy, stringy guts.

Place them in a baking pan face side down and add about 1/4 inch of water.  Bake at 350 for about 45 - 55 minutes depending on the oven.

Remove them from the oven and immediately turn them face side up.  Let them cool for about 5 minutes or so and then scoop out the inside and discard the shell.

It can be refrigerated for several days or frozen for up to 3 months.  Since I knew I was going to be using it later this evening, I quickly pureed it while it was still hot and then put it in the fridge.  

You can't even compare the canned stuff to freshly roasted pumpkin puree.  Completely divine!!!

You'll Thank Me Later (blueberry coconut pancakes)

My husband just got home from a week long business trip.  I'm shocked by the fact that I really did survive.  I think I got like 10 hours of sleep last week, total, and my eyelids are propped open with toothpicks this morning, but I'm alive.  So in celebration of my grand accomplishment, I made myself pancakes this morning.  Seriously, GO ME!


*Oh, and um, Jenny's birthday is on Saturday.  She's going to be 28.  She thinks she's old.  And to that I say "bahhhh."

Blueberry Coconut Pancakes

1 cup 100% whole wheat pastry flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons sea salt

2 tablespoons coconut shreds

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg or egg replacer

1 cup almond milk (vanilla or regular)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1/2 - 1 cup blueberries

Mix wet ingredients in a medium bowl.  Mix dry ingredients in a larger bowl.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well until consistency is smooth.

Pour a scoop of batter (1/4 cup at a time) onto preheated pan at medium heat.  Sprinkle fresh blueberries on top.  Flip over when batter begins to bubble.

You don't even need syrup.  Just throw a few extra blueberries on top and serve with a side of sliced bananas or kiwi.

*I've only made these once but next time just for the sake of omegas, I think I'll add some ground up flax seed or chia seed.  

Pine Nut Dill Cream

Calling all "dill"-lovers: I whipped up a batch of "paradise in your mouth".  I made this cream and couldn't get enough of it - The whole thing was polished off in a couple of days (almost entirely by me!).  Since I've only been blogging for about a week, I'm sure you haven't figured it out yet, but healthy sauces/dips/spreads/creams, are like, my THING!  Not only are they versatile (as is this recipe), but they also add flavor AND nutrition to your meals. Dip away!

Pine Nut Dill Cream

3 cups pine nuts
1 cup water
½ cup chives, chopped
1 bunch of dill
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tsp. Real Salt

Blend or Process pine nuts and water, and then additional ingredients. Use to dip veggies, use as a spread in wraps or on crackers, stuff peppers, cukes, or tomatoes, or thin to use as a dressing. Enjoy!

Brown Baggin' It

Okay, we need to have the talk.  Mostly because I am 99.999 percent sure that there are other moms out there whose kids experience the dreaded "cheeto envy" on a regular basis.  I'm not going to lie.  It's a dilemma.  I am a complete fuddy duddy when it comes to allowing my kids to consume the lunches they serve at school.  Actually, I don't think anything with a 3 to 25 ratio of natural ingredients to preservatives qualifies as "lunch" anyway.  Not to mention the hormone and antibiotic fortified milk that literally gives me a coronary to even THINK about.  Seriously, I don't think I'll be even CLOSE to as kookie about drugs or alcohol as I am about school lunch.  Just say no.  That Nancy Regan, she was really on to something.

With toddlers and pre-schoolers, you can just lie (shut-up, yes you do).  They don't know the difference.  But by the time your kid has been around the block a few times and has mooched a few otter pops off "Favorite Neighbor Guy," or when his friend has brought an extra dessert to school EVERY day because his friend's mother was convinced your son was totally deprived, but really it was because you'd rather your son not lose any extremities due to the onset of the completely avoidable type 2 diabetes (this may or may not be in reference to myself)?  Yeah, you've got a problem.  And let me tell you, I've had more than a few tussles with my 6 and 8 year old.  And here in lies the dilemma.  Which battles do I surrender to?  See, for me, this whole parenting thing is all about strategically picking my battles.  Especially when it comes to my kid's nutritional wants and needs.  And while I have willingly waved my white flag more times than I care to admit, I'm convinced that a good solid truce is the most effective outcome.  Common ground.  It exists.  And I'm going to prove it to you.

First, you have to decide which issues are absolutely non-negotiable.  For me, it's; no dairy products (my 6 year old is allergic so that's a no brainer), no red meat, no fried foods/hydrogenated oils, and no white flours.  So basically, we just don't eat that stuff.  Ever*.  The negotiable list includes the stuff that we don't eat at home, but on special occasions (birthday parties, restaurants, special dinners at other people's houses), my older kids can decide for themselves (yeah, I just lie to my 2 year old).  It includes;  no processed sugars, no food dyes, no preservatives, no meat, and no eggs.  Your lists will probably be different than mine but the important thing is that kids understand what constitutes a "special occasion."  Stick like glue to the things that you decide are non-negotiable but keep that list short and remember that kids need to feel like they have space to make some decisions.  So if you feel the urge to break out the grey trench coat and the little brown mustache, you might want to reconsider your goals.  Just sayin'.

Next on my list of suggestions is to talk about it.  A LOT.  Answer every question you can with a visual explanation.  When we talk about sugars, I get out some sugar and show them how many tablespoons there are in a can of pop.  And then we look up diabetes on the internet and discuss how a disease like that might affect someone's life.  And my personal favorite is the belly button game.  After a hearty, nutrient packed meal, I lift up their shirts and look into their belly buttons to see if their dinner is making them strong yet.  If it is, then we move on the the flex check where they show me just how well all those vitamins and nutrients are working.  Occasionally they'll bust out some hand stands and tricep dips just to make their case.  Keep it about being healthy and feeling good instead of looking any certain way.  You don't want to create a bunch of emotional closet eaters.  Helloooooo Biggest Loser!

Okay, here's a biggie.  Stop caring what other people think about the way you feed your kids.  GET.  OVER IT.  It's between you and them.  Period.  Make your expectations clear to your kids and to the people who spend time with them and then work on toughening up your skin.  You're gonna have to just trust me on this one.  If you are in the process of making big dietary changes or even plan to, you will be met with extremely tactless skeptics.  And I'm not referring to your kids.  Oddly enough, the biggest hurdles on the path to a truly healthy lifestyle usually come in the form of other parents.  Parents who are hell bent on shoving a cupcake down your kids throat so that they don't feel so guilty for allowing their kid to shove 5 cupcakes down his own throat.  If all else fails, give'm the bird smile politely, and walk away. 

And lastly?  Create a new kind of special.  This has been by FAR the most difficult step.  Mostly because in our society, food is tied to so many social and emotional events.  Pizza during the big game (during which BYU gets SLAMMED - boo yah), cookies, and other fine artery-clogging pastries after a baby blessing, popcorn and liquid candy....I mean Coke during a movie, and the list goes on.  The challenge is to find some healthy recipes that for whatever reason give you and your family the warm fuzzies, and use those to replace the stuff that used to lend it's self to the family bonding experience.  Because in reality, it IS your family that you're bonded to.  Not the ingredients you used to make dinner.

One such recipe for my family would be Brown Bag Granola Bars.  Remember that Cheeto envy I mentioned?  This recipe is my saving grace.  They're sweet and crunchy and......special (granted, Cheeto's are more processed-cheesy than they are sweet, but you get the idea).  

One last thought, then I'm done.  Did you know that McDonald's chicken nuggets have 38 ingredients?  38!!!!!!  18 of which are derived from corn!  Seriously, I think my head just exploded.

*In full disclosure, we're still working on the transition from cows milk to rice, hemp, and almond milk so occasionally I do let my two kids without the milk allergy put organic cows milk on their cereal.  See?  Picking my battles.

Brown Bag Granola Bars

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2/3 cup wheat and barley nugget cereal (Grapenuts)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 beaten egg or 3 tablespoons egg substitute

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup honey or agave nectar

3 tablespoons brown sugar (I just use a few packets of stevia)

2 tablespoons grapeseed or coconut oil

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 bag chopped dried mixed fruit

you can mix and match any ingredients you want after the oil.  Some things I have used are hemp seeds, flax seeds, pecans, mango pieces (chopped), carob chips, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), coconut flakes, dried cranberries, and peanuts.  My favorite combination is pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, coconut flakes, and carob chips.

Preheat oven to 325.  Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with aluminum foil.  Spray the foil with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, cereal, and cinnamon.  Add the egg or egg substitute and applesauce, honey brown sugar, and oil.  Mix well.  Stir in the sunflower seeds, walnuts and dried fruit and any other dry ingredients you want to add.  Mix well.  Spread mixture evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake 30 minutes, or until firm and lightly browned around the edges.  Let cool.  Use the foil to lift from the pan.  Cut into bars or squares, and store in the refrigerator.  I usually freeze mine because they are less crumbly.

We're Talking Milk, and NOT dairy!

I am probably the most excited girl you will technologically encounter today! I can't believe I haven't done this sooner, but I made Almond Milk & Hemp Milk for the first time today!! Both milks tasted fabulous, it was SO easy to do, and it is literally going to save me thousands of dollars in the course of my life, I'm sure! Do you understand why I'm so excited now? I seriously feel like I've accomplished something so huge, and it feels good!!

"If it's so easy to do, and it is so much cheaper than buying these milks in the grocery store", you ask, "then WHY on earth didn't you do it about 3 years ago when you changed your diet?" To that, I reply, I thought it would be too hard. Initially, I didn't have a powerful blender, but I soon bought one and STILL didn't try it. Cheesecloth, nylon, nut milk bag...it all seemed sort of daunting...UNTIL I watched a tutorial online on how to do it. As I watched, I thought, "I can do that!" I simply ordered some glass milk jars and a nut milk bag (all inexpensive) online, and a couple of days later when they came in the mail, I was in business. (I LOVE the glass jars and nut milk bag, by the way).

So this morning I set out to accomplish the task, and this was my result:

luscious, creamy almond milk

almond milk with leftover almond meal in nut milk bag

leftover almond meal in nut bag

hempseed milk

You want some, I can tell ;) Here's how to make 1 qt. of almond milk:

1. Put one cup of raw almonds in a glass bowl, cover nuts with water (usually 1 cup nuts to 2 cups water), and put on counter to soak overnight. This

*neutralizes enzyme inhibitors

*increases your body's ability to absorb the nutrients of the nuts

*reduces phytic acid, which can inhibit absorption of some minerals, and

*aids your body in digestion

2. Rinse nuts thoroughly in the morning (or after 8-12 hrs. of soaking).

3. Put nuts in blender with 4 cups of water and blend.

4. Insert nut milk bag into glass jar and pour milk from blender into it, squeezing the milk out of the almond meal as you go. The almond meal will collect at the bottom and you can use it in other recipes. (recipes to come later!)

5. To sweeten, add 1 tsp. honey, agave nectar, or 1/4 dropper of liquid Vanilla Creme Stevia per quart.

For hempmilk, do exactly the same thing...soak...blend 1 c of hempseed per 4 cups of water..sweeten if desired...etc.

hempseed

And if you're wondering what the heck is hempseed?, here is some nutritional info from Wikipedia.

About 30–35% of the weight of hempseed is hemp oil, an edible oil that contains about 80% essential fatty acids (EFAs); i.e., linoleic acid, omega-6 (LA, 55%), alpha-linolenic acid, omega-3 (ALA, 22%), in addition to gamma-linolenic acid, omega-6 (GLA, 1–4%) and stearidonic acid, omega-3 (SDA, 0–2%). Hempseed also contains about 20% of a highly-digestible protein, where 1/3 is edestin and 2/3 are albumins. Its amino acid profile is close to "complete" when compared to more common sources of proteins such as meat, milk, eggs and soy.[18] The proportions of linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid in one tablespoon (15 ml) per day of hempseed oil easily provides human daily requirements for EFAs.

Hempseed is an adequate source of calcium and iron. Whole hempseeds are also a good source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper and manganese.

Hempseed contains no gluten and therefore would not trigger symptoms of celiac disease.

So, are you still here after all that? Is your brain spinning circles? I hope not!! I just want to make sure you know what your eating and why!! In hempseed there are Essential Fatty Acids, protein (amino acids), calcium, iron, other minerals, yada, yada, yada....Could you ask for anything better to put in your body? I LOVE hempseed....Can you tell?

So the jist is...Make the milk, drink it up, and your body will thank you! GOODNIGHT!

The One, The Only.....Guac

THE guacamole

4 ripe avocados

3 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)

6-8 dashes Tabasco sauce

1/2 cup small diced red onion (1 small onion)

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-2 medium tomatoes, seeded, and small-diced

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh out of their shells into a large bowl.  Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well.  Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced.  Add the tomatoes.  Mix well and taste for salt and pepper.

No kidding.  This is the only guacamole recipe you'll EVER need.

Spicy Brown Rice Chips w/ Bite-Sized Salsa

As Annie told you, the other night she invited me over to watch BYU get their butt kicked by Florida State. As painful as the game was, the food became the center of attention, with good reason! Check out this dish I brought over....My roommate in college gave me the basic recipe for the salsa, and after a few tweaks, voilá. I present to you Spicy Brown Rice Chips with Bite-Sized Salsa. It is to die for! And best of all, the salsa is raw (minus the beans, of course!) The trick to this dish is to chop everything as tiny as possible. It allows for one bite of salsa to include almost every ingredient! In this pic I doubled the recipe.



Bite-Sized Salsa

Combine:

4 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
1 green pepper, finely diced (essential for the flavor)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 2 limes
Real Salt to taste*
Garlic powder to taste*

*Don't be afraid to give it a good shaking of flavor! I use quite a bit!


Spicy Brown Rice Chips (yields 24 chips)

3 Brown Rice Tortillas (found in health store)
Grapeseed oil for brushing
Real Salt
Zip (http://www.spicehunter.com/)

Using a pizza cutter, cut tortillas into 8 triangles each and assemble them onto a cookie sheet. Brush each triangle lightly with grapseed oil using a pastry brush, and sprinkle with Real Salt and Zip to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until chips have hardened a bit, but are not burned. YUM!!! (As a bonus, the tortillas were on sale: $2 for 6 tortillas. I used 3, so I spent a whopping $1 on the chips! Can't beat that!)

And For My Next Trick...

The Tomato Shake-n-bake

3-4 ripe tomatoes

1 onion

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can garbanzo beans rinsed

1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon dill weed (fresh or dried)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)

1 box brown rice pasta (or pasta of choice)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cut up tomatoes into bite size pieces.  Slice onions.  Combine in large mixing bowl.  Add rinsed black beans and rinsed garbanzo beans.  Add grapeseed oil, dill weed, salt, and pepper.  Shake or mix until veggies are covered in oil and seasonings.  Spray large cookie sheet or roasting pan with cooking oil.  Dump veggie mix onto pan and spread them out as  much as possible.  Add any additional salt, pepper, or dill weed and cover with foil being sure to leave space between foil and veggies.  Cook for 25 minutes.  With about 15 minutes left, cook and drain pasta.  Serve the cooked veggies and beans over pasta.  Garnish with fresh parsley.  

It's also amazing over rice or along side couscous or quinoa.

It's That Time Again...

Earlier today I noticed a strange sensation.  Something I haven't experienced for quite some time.  And by 3:30 pm, I was literally pining away for some pumpkin cookies.  I adore pumpkin flavor.  Pumpkin flavor ANYTHING.  So I found my old recipe for pumpkin cookies, gave it a quick make-over, and whipped up a mighty fine batch of autumn delicious-ness.  My kids have eaten so many today I fear they'll be tinted orange by tomorrow.  I think I'll go give some to Jenny's kids, wha-ha-ha-ha (that's my evil laugh)!  What counteracts orange?  Green? 

Pumpkin Cookie-Cakes

1 can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup coconut oil liquified

3/4 cup honey or grade B maple syrup

egg replacer for 2 eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

dash of nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Combine dry ingredients except walnuts in large mixing bowl.  Combine wet ingredients in smaller bowl.  Pour wet ingredients into larger bowl and mix throughly.  Add walnuts.  Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.  Prepare cookie sheets and drop batter by the tablespoons onto sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes.

*to liquify your coconut oil, just set the jar in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.

I forgot to add the walnuts today but they were still superior.  

Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

I made this recipe for the first time the other night and our whole family loved it! The baby slurped down a bowlful of her special pureed version; my 3 yr. old son was relunctant to try it, but soon after dinner started, I saw him dipping his spoon, and quickly heard, "I like it, mom!"; And after my husband came home late from work and raved about it, I knew it was a success! You wanna know some great things about this meal? The whole thing cost about $5.00 to make, it can easily be made from food storage items, and it tastes even better the next day for your lunch!




Curried Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

(from "Vegetarian Times")

2 cups red lentils, sorted and rinsed

1 qt. low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large onion, finely chopped (2 cups)
4 celery stalks, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 large carrots, finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 Tbs. curry powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. lemon juice



1. Bring lentils, vegetable broth, and 4 cups water to a simmer in a large pot. Skim away foam that rises to top (Hint: I rinse my lentils really well before cooking them and usually don't get a foam). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.



2. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Add cilantro, curry powder, and cumin, and cook 20 minutes more, or until lentils are soft. Season with Real salt and pepper, if desired, and stir in lemon juice.

Per 1 1/2-cup serving: 283 CAL; 19 g PROT; 2 g total FAT; 50 g CARB; 13 g FIBER; 7 g SUGARS

Wowie Zowie Almond Butter Dressing

So, why the heck am I kissing an avocado in the pic below? Don't even ask, 'cause I don't know! I also don't know why I am pretending to attempt to climb that twig-of-a-tree in Annie's backyard, but hey! It happened, so I'll go with the flow...And in the meantime, I guess I'll go ahead and throw in yet another delicious kitchen creation (cue applause). Yaaayy!!! It is a dip of sorts that can be thinned with water to be used as a dressing. It's called Wowie Zowie (sweet name, huh?), and it's taken from "The pH Miracle" (which is a book I reference a lot, by the way). I get tons of requests for the recipe so, for all those who are waiting for the ingredients, wait no longer. One word of advice, though...Invest in a powerful blender - it will save you so much time and frustration in the long run. Plus, you will be able to make a wide variety of fresh, unique foods you never knew you could concoct in your own kitchen!

Wowie Zowie Almond Butter Dressing

1 cup raw almond butter*

1/2-1 cup water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tbs. Bragg Liquid Aminos or 1 tsp. Real Salt

2 tsp. chicory root powder (sweetener) **

1 heaping Tbs. dried onion

2 cloves garlic

1 Tbs. grated fresh ginger root

1 Tbs. sesame oil

1/2 tsp. Zip (http://www.spicehunter.com/)

*You may purchase raw almond butter from a health store, but it is very expensive. Therefore, I always make my own...and you can too!

How to make raw almond butter: In a blender, grind two cups of raw almonds to a fine powder (Hint: The finer the powder, the less gritty the almond butter. Also, you'll probably need to use a spatula to periodically scrape down the sides) and add grapeseed oil until it is a smooth consistency. I use grapeseed oil because it has a very light taste, and doesn't alter the flavor of the almonds. Plus, it's high in antioxidants - woo hoo!

**I have a hard time finding chicory root powder, so I substitute a packet a SweetLeaf Stevia instead. Be careful of the stevia you buy - many times there are added ingredients (maltodextrin, etc...) I get SweetLeaf because it is purely stevia extract and inulin (a fiber).

Instructions:

Make almond butter first. Then, toss the rest of the ingredients into your blender and let it rip! Add water to thin if necessary. Use this as a dip for raw veggies of your choice, pour it over rice or other grains, spread it on a sprouted grain tortilla or lettuce leaf for your wraps, or thin it to use as a salad dressing. The possibilities are endless!

Hello? Anyone?

Um.  Hi.  You don't know me or my partner in crime Jenny yet but you'll get to know us.  We are two moms on a mission.  The specifics of our mission are yet to be determined but we know it has something to do with connecting with other people who are passionate about living healthy lives.  For me (Annie), it has lot's to do with figuring out how to feed my family healthily without making them feel like wingnut weirdoes.  To be perfectly honest, it's a work in progress.  But I guess that's part of why Jenny and I wanted to start this blog.  As a way to swap ideas with other moms like us.  But consider yourself warned.  We are considerably swamped with children.  Like, ALL the time.  So you'll hear a lot about them too.  But let's start with us.  Here we are. 

Helloooooo.

Yes, we play with avocados just for fun sometimes.

But Jenny gets all miffed if you bruise them because then they make

crappy green shakes.  She's picky like that.

Where to start?  We've been making and testing some recipes as of lately but the question is, do I post the best one first and wow you with my culinary skills?  Or do I first post the ones that even my mother's dog wouldn't eat, so you'll be impressed with the notion that I'm rapidly improving?  Oh, and as a side note?  My mom's dog eats her own puke on occasion.  

Decisions.  Decisions.

Okay, I know.  Jenny and her family came over tonight to watch the BYU game (they lost, but I'm a Ute fan so, whatever).  I made my Naked Black Bean Soup which kind of knocked her socks off.  And since she's pretty much the black bean connoisseur, I'll assume it's a safe one to share.  Even if I do say so myself, it's good.  Like, party in your mouth good.

Naked Black Bean Soup (not sure how the word "naked" got in there, but it rolls off the tongue well)

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can vegetable broth (chicken broth for non-vegetarians)

1 cup medium salsa (I use the rare, difficult to find, Pace Picante brand)

Combine all ingredients in medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Let boil for 15 minutes.  Remove 1/2 the contents of the pan and puree in blender or food processor.  Add back into sauce pan and stir until well combined.  Throw on a little cilantro, rice cheese, tortilla strips, and guacamole (just you wait until I divulge THAT recipe - two words: fan, mail).  Par-tay!

And for you're aesthetic enjoyment (and because it happens to be like, the theme of our blog), I give you my most recent and most beloved green shake recipe.  I like to call it....Green Shake.

Green Shake - Numero Uno

1 cup spinach (loosely packed)

1 cup kale (or a little less than 1 cup)

1 fuji apple cored

1 avocado

1/2 banana

1/4 cup rice milk

1/4 cup coconut milk (I use lite)

juice of 1/2 lime

few shreds of fresh ginger

1/3 - 1/2 cup water

1-2 cups ice

Throw all ingredients in blender.  Turn it on (I'm assuming you know this but just to be safe).  Give it to your kids and tell them it'll give them green poo.  Seriously, they'll dig it. 

Take it away Jen......