Blueberry Orange Smoothie

1 cup packed spinach
1 ripe mango (peeled and coarsely chopped)
2 cups orange juice (I used freshly juiced clementines)
2-4 cups frozen blueberries

Recipe from Melissa Chappell's book FAVES (Purple Green Smoothie p. 99)

This one is so yummy.
I love the combination of flavors.

Small and Simple Things...

Photo by Brook Andreoli

Brook asked me if I would share some of my experiences with green smoothies since that has been what we have been focusing on in January. I have loved learning about green smoothies and trying new smoothie recipes since I first learned about them a few months ago. I have to admit some of my attempts have been better than others and my husband and family have been patient with me as I have tried new things and experimented. One of the biggest benefits so far has been that we don't eat as much sugar and have included more whole grains and raw vegetables into our meals.

Each morning I have put any left over smoothie in a quart jar thinking that I would drink it later during the day, but instead my husband started grabbing the jar and taking it with him to work and sharing it with his co-workers. Comments from them have ranged from, "I like it!" and "It's good!" to "It tastes like sawdust!" from a teenager. (They work in a wood shop so I don't doubt that it really did.) I was surprised though a couple weeks ago though when Michael pulled the container of green smoothie out of our fridge and served it at our work party to go with the other party food on the table. Everyone said they really liked it and it made me smile. I have been grateful for his enthusiasm and support with the changes that we are making.

I have also found that even the simple changes we make to our lifestyle can sometimes have profound effects. After attending a class about essential oils recently I bought a book to learn more about them. I was talking with my mom about it and she asked what the book recommended for high blood pressure. I found that lemon oil was supposed to help. The next morning mom put 1/4 lemon in some warm water and drank it and her blood pressure finally came down for the first time that week after trying to get it down with different medications with no success. The next day when she checked her blood pressure after drinking lemon water with 1/4 lemon in it the results were even better. Needless to say I am so grateful for the things I have been learning and the positive effects it has had on our lives.

This is a copy of the latest green drink I have tried. I added a carrot and there was quite a bit of pulp so I needed to strain it, but I really liked it.

Dr. Mehmet Oz’s Green Drink

Apparently this green drink recipe was first shared in the Oprah Show by Dr. Oz, in 2007.

• 2 apples cored
• 2 BIG handfuls of spinach
• 1 medium cucumber
• 3 ribs/sticks of chopped celery
• 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root, peeled
• 1 bunch parsley
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Lately I have also been studying about making homemade yogurt and keifer and thought I would include this recipe as well.

Banana Nut Winter Smoothie
1 banana, frozen
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp honey (optional)
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Cut the frozen banana into 3 or 4 chunks and peel. Place in blender with yogurt, walnuts, cinnamon and honey (optional). Blend on high for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour into glass and top with a dusting of ground nutmeg.

Dannon Yogurt Recipe

cucumber apple

After tasting this juice at Cali's class I craved it.
I waited until Christmas when my parents gave me a juicer.
So yummy.
So refreshing.

A few apples and a cucumber.

Simple.

Try it.

"kale lemonade"

Kelly McCaleb made this juice at her class. I was expecting it to taste like leaves and was surprised when I LOVED it.

Recipe and picture from Gweneth Paltrow.

Kale Juice

This is an incredibly healthy, refreshing way to start your day. Kale is full of calcium and antioxidants and just about everything else—it’s one of the best things you can put into your system. When juiced with a bit of lemon and agave, kale turns into a sort-of grassy lemonade. No worries if you don’t have a juicer, a blender and a sieve do the trick.

• 1 bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves washed
• the juice of 2 smallish lemons
• 1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1/2 cup cold water

Combine everything in a blender and blitz until completely pureed. It might take a little bit of time and a shove to get it going. Strain the juice through a fine sieve into a bowl, pushing down on the solids with a kitchen spoon being sure to extract all the juice. Taste the juice and add a bit more lemon or agave if you think it needs it. Pour into a glass and drink up.

21 Days

photo from kelly mccaleb's blog


21 Days until February's Meeting.

The perfect amount of time to create a new habit.

This month: Green Smoothies.

You all know how much I love green smoothies.

Perhaps your goals for this month could look like this:

Read Green Smoothie Girls' website.

Read Chapter One in Robyn Openshaw's 12 Steps to Whole Foods book.

Try a handful of new green smoothie recipes (or try them for the first time).

Drink a green smoothie every single day.

Try a green drink.


Kelly gave an awesome class last week. She demoed green smoothies and gave out several recipes. I asked her if I could share, of course she said, yes. Here are two and I'll make copies of the rest (and some yummy salad recipes) for you to pick up at our February meeting.

Simple Favorites:

2 bananas
2 tablespoons hulled hemp seed
1 bag of frozen blueberries {about 2 cups}
2.5 cups pure water
1 teaspoon of super food of your choice
5 kale leaves or a big handful of spinach


1 bunch dandelion greens
1 lemon (peeled)
2 large apples
1 banana
2 teaspoons flax seeds (optional)
Spring or distilled or RO water

Goal=Learn to craft your own

1 bunch green leafy vegetables of choice (50% of total)
Fruit of choice (50% of total)
1-2 banana or 1 avocado to emulsify (make creamy)
Ginger, lemon, parsley or superfood powders, seeds, stevia, etc.


Here is another one that she shared on her blog (the post that inspired me to check out green smoothies).

2 cups spinach

1 cup kale

1 ripe banana

1 tbsp hemp oil

1 tbsp ground flax

1 tbsp chia seeds (soaked in water first)

1 cup raw milk or almond milk

2 scoops vanilla protein powder

"this shake has about 45 grams of protein and over 20 grams of fiber and crazy amounts of vitamins and minerals, omegas from good fats and antioxidants (chia seeds carry a heavier antioxidant load than even berries). that's really good. grant and cate like more berry/ fruit tasting smoothies, but i like a nutty, earthy taste like this one.

tip: i keep portioned out greens, berries, etc. plus a big bag of super ripe bananas in the freezer. right before produce goes bad, or when i'm offered free produce, or when i go berry picking i just stuff it all into ziplocs, freeze, and they are all set to blend! yummers!"

let's get growing

illustration by raquel aparicio


I can not stop staring at this picture.

I have it next to my computer on my desk.

I ripped it out and framed it as soon as I finished reading the print version of this article.

I think Aparicio nailed a illustration of a beautiful woman.

Growing. Alive. Vibrant. Sharing. Looking Forward.

That is my goal. To imagine my body growing and alive and vibrant. Full of joy.

If we miss the joy in these foods or positive changes I think we are missing the true change and beauty of it all. I think if we miss loving our body we are missing the power in our own creation.

Think of this quote on gratitude in relation to your body: "One of my favorite definitions of happiness is not having what you like but liking what you have. Many hours may be wasted in thinking about what one may not have rather than what one does have. Gratitude enables us to have peace and happiness."--Sharon G. Samuelson

Again, "I love my body. My body serves me well."

I was blessed to have a mother who told me every single day that I was beautiful.

and I believed her.


I like to now imagine by own body looking like that beautiful growing woman on the inside. Full. Content. Peaceful.

Are we ready to get growing?

Berry Hemp Shake

Berry Hemp Shake: Recipe here.

I love the vibrant colors of raw foods. I just had to stop and take a picture of this gorgeous purple.

This has a very nutty flavor (due to the hemp seeds). Click on the recipe for an article about seeds and nuts.