Super Pretty Smoothie

I do love my Greenies. Greenies are smoothies that I make with either spirulina, E3Live, a green drink powder or a good handful of fresh spinach, kale, romaine or other dark leafy greens. Greenies give me a quick and long lasting energy boost, make me feel refreshed and focused. The only problem with them is they are very green. They actually taste good. They are made with other ingredients, which are banana and/or berries and hemp milk. But sometimes I just want a nice, creamy and pretty smoothie. So today I made exactly that and boy was it pretty and tasty. It was thick, smooth, raspberry filled and pink. Yum!

I still drank my greens, just on the side. I had a heaping spoon full of spirulina, shaken, not stirred (spirulina does not stir well, it gets lumpy) with a bit of water and juice. I also chewed on some lettuce after to protect my teeth from all those good but acidic fruit sugars.

My recipe for the smoothie was simple. I used my own homemade hemp milk, which I will also give the recipe for. I am putting in the effort to make my own hemp milk for a few reasons. Hemp milk is a bit pricey and contains thickeners and is sometimes very sweet. I have been buying almond milk and rice milk, which are okay but again most contain thickeners and/or sweeteners. I do use the unsweetened almond milk but I don't totally love it. I wanted a really nutrient rich and natural milk alternative. Also, one major thing is that I am feeling bad about all those tetra packs going in the garbage because they are not recyclable. Not here at least. Oh, yah one other thing is that almond and rice milk are produced far away and have to be shipped a long way to get to me. Hemp seeds are farmed in Canada and don't have to be shipped so far. Plus I can make a lot of hemp milk with a bucket of hemp seeds and I can store my milk in a glass bottle. I am waiting for my roomie to use up the rest of her organic milk so I can poach the glass bottle from her. Meanwhile I am using a large mason jar to store my mylk.

That's the story of the hemp milk and here is how you make it. Hemp Mylk 1 cup hemp seeds 6 cups water a pinch of Himalayan salt 1-2 tsp honey or sucanat (optional) 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Put hemp seeds and 2 cups of water in a blender and blend on high for 2-3 minutes. Then add water to 2 inches below the top of the blender plus salt and optional sweetener and vanilla. Blend for 1 more minute. Pour into jars and top up with remaining water.

You can also use dates, figs or raisins to sweeten the mylk. Just blend them in. Super Pretty Smoothie 1 cup hemp mylk (or other milk of choice) 1/2 a ripe banana 1 cup frozen raspberries (use fresh in the summer) Blend until smooth and frothy. Hemp makes this smoothie rich in protein and healthy fats. Have it for breakfast or a snack. Add 1 tbsp of ground flax to increase the fibre content and to fill you up for longer. Enjoy!

Red Currant Sauce

I remember picking currants and gooseberries as a kid. They were really tart and tangy but somehow I liked them. Kind of like a sour candy, you eat them till your tongue hurts. I found some fresh bright red ones at a store and after I bought them I thought it was funny that I had just paid for something that I used to pick in my back yard. My back yard picking has now changed to black berries; they're not ripe yet.

I have to admit the tart and astringent berries sat in my fridge for a bit. They seemed a little high maintenance and I wasn't really into having them raw. Finally I decided to cook them up with a bit of honey for a sweet tart taste.

I had about 3 cups of berries after I picked them all off the stems, which you don't have to do very meticulously because I ended up straining it. That was an after thought when I discovered that I didn't want the crunchy and still astringent seeds in my sauce.

I put the currants into a medium sauce pan and added 5 big spoonfuls of local honey. I heated the mixture on low/medium and let it simmer lightly for about 15 minutes. Then I mashed the whole thing with a fork and squished it through a very fine sieve. Try to get all the juice and pulp out of the mixture leaving behind the skins, seeds and stems. Scrape all the pulp off from underneath the sieve and stir up the sauce. Now taste it and add more honey if it is still to tart. Store it in the fridge for several days.

I just had some on yogurt, see above photo. I think it would be really yummy on coconut milk ice cream...

Tasty Granola

Photo Credit Nadia Schiesser, Nelson, BC

It took me awhile to perfect my granola recipe, lots of experimenting. I wanted it to be easy to make, healthy and of course tasty. My goal was to mimic those super sweet, sugar filled boxed cereals with the crunchy oats and puffs. Without all the sugar and the soy protein. Those cereals are organic but I feel they are too full of sugar and the soy is hard to digest and therefore your body is not utilizing the soy protein very well. More on the topic of soy soon.

I did sell my granola last year at fairs and a local cafe. Then I realized that to keep doing that I needed to make it on a big scale. That was not what I wanted to do. Instead I am sharing the recipe with everyone so you can make your own.

When you make your own you can control the sweetness and use a healthier sweetener like honey. You can also be ensured that it is fresh and you can add whatever favourite extras you like. Plus you can impress your family and friends when you invite them to brunch or make bags as holiday or any day gifts.

Buy your ingredients in bulk to save money and packaging. Ask your local health food or grocery store if you can special order larger bags of organic rolled oats. That way you know it is fresh and you save money. Order bulk nuts too. A great place to get fresh and bulk ingredients is from Real Raw Food. When you have ingredients on hand you will tend to use them and make your own granola instead of opting for store bought.

Here is my recipe for you and to share.

Tasty Granola 4 cups whole oats 2 cups kamut puffs 1 cup millet puffs ¼ cup hemp seeds ¼ cup pumpkin seeds ½ tsp cinnamon 1/3 cup extra virgin organic coconut oil 1/4 cup honey pinch of Himalayan salt 1 cup dried cranberries (apple juice sweetened) · Turn oven on to 300° · Melt the coconut oil, and then add honey and salt. Stir well. · Mix all remaining ingredients together in a large bowl. · Drizzle in oil and agave slowly while stirring. · Put mixture into 2 large glass baking dishes and spread out evenly. · Bake for 50 minutes stirring every 15 minutes. · Remove granola from oven and stir in dried cranberries. · Allow granola to cool completely before storing in jars. · Serve with rice/nut milk or yogurt, chia seeds and berries. Yummy!

Make small batches so the granola stays fresh. You can double or triple this recipe if you are feeding a family.

Add extras such as:

• sunflower seeds
• sesame seeds
• flax seeds
• almonds
• any nut or seed
• raisins
• dried apricots
• dried blueberries
• dried cherries
• other dried berries or fruit

ENJOY!

Tip #9 of 13 Tips to A Healthier Me

Have A Really Good Breakfast

I know you have been told time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and maybe you are getting sick of it. Well every meal is important; what you put into the meal that is. A really good breakfasts sets up your entire day. It gives you energy, keeps your blood sugar levels stable, feeds your brain and puts you in a good mood. How did you like that last one? A good mood, yes!

When you start your day with a super grande cup of coffee with sugar and a chocolate muffin or even a sugar filled blueberry bran muffin you are setting yourself up for a big old sugar crash. And you know what happens after a sugar crash...irritability, impatience, stress and grumpy smurf syndrome.

A really good breakfast will get you into a good mood and keep you there. It will also encourage and motivate you to have a healthy lunch and dinner. When you are feeling good and balanced you won't have the desire to eat junk food.

Start tomorrow off with a really good breakfast and see where it takes you. It may be tricky at first and you may miss the sugar fix. But stick with it and you will feel better and better. Here are some examples:

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  Poached eggs on a bed of raw spinach with a piece of rye toast.


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  A super smoothie, get the recipe here


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  An sliced apple with almond butter


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  Plain organic yogurt with chopped seasonal fruit and 1 tbsp hemp seeds. Add a touch of agave to sweeten.


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  Soaked muesli with fresh berries or sliced banana.

I am sure you are wondering where the coffee fits in. Here are a few thoughts on that one.

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  Drink it black or with almond/soy/rice milk and a bit of honey or agave.


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  Cut back to a smaller cup.


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  Switch to organic.


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  Switch to organic decaf.


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  Drink green tea, matcha is yummy.


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  Enjoy each cup and make it a treat instead of a need.

Happy Thoughts and Good Eats,

Marissa

Smoothie for a Hot Summer Day

I love smoothies right now. With all the fresh berries arriving with the hot days, a smoothie makes a nice breakfast or snack. Smoothies are good if you eat breakfast on the run because they are portable, quick, packed full of nutrition (if you make them right) and are easy to digest. If you eat in a hurry or when you are in motion you will not digest your food as well as when you eat while seated at a table relaxed. Any stress in the body, like being in a hurry, causes your digestion to slow down. While you work on giving yourself more time and a relaxed environment to eat, do eat meals that are simple and easy to digest. Smoothies are already blended for you, making things easier.

In order to have a complete meal in a smoothie you need to add some key ingredients. The carbs are easy to put in, those are your fruits. Fruit is a healthy carb in that it is filled with nutrients, fibre and natural sugar. Choose fruits that are lower in sugar such as berries, apples and pears. Bananas and other tropical fruits are fine too, just use them to compliment a less sweet fruit like blueberries. One tip about blueberries; use only 1/2 a cup per smoothie or your smoothie will get all thick and jelly like. Not in a good way either.

Next you need some sort of protein. I like plant base proteins myself because they have more than just protein; they also contain fibre, minerals and enzymes. Hemp is a great protein, brown rice protein is also a good choice. The most popular type of protein is whey, which comes from dairy. If you choose whey protein look for New Zealand based in order to avoid growth hormones. Whey does mix well but I recommend trying out a plant based protein for it's added value.

The next ingredient is fat, good fat that is. Flax, hemp or borage oil are all good choices. Add about 1 tbsp of oil to get your omega 3 brain food for the day.

Finally I like to add something green. Greens are important to balance out the sweetness of a smoothie. Too much sweet will leave you hungry for more. The slight bitterness of greens will balance out the sweet. Don't worry it won't make your smoothie taste weird or bitter, not at all. I promise. It will change the colour a bit though. Good greens are spirulina, chlorella, wheat grass juice or plain and simple a handful of spinach, kale or romaine lettuce. Yes, that's right, I am suggesting you put spinach in your smoothie. It's good, trust me.

Here is a recipe to get you started. Look for more smoothie ideas in the future and let me know your favourite blends.

Standard Smoothie Recipe

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pear or apple juice
1/2 banana
1 cup berries/peach/pear/nectarine
1 scoop hemp protein
1 tsp Spirulina or 1 handful of spinach
1 tbsp EFA oil (I like Barlean's Flax the best)

Blend it all up and enjoy.

To make your smoothie even easier use Vega's Smoothie Infusion. It includes complete protein and greens all in one and it is vegan.

Strawberry Brunch

This recipe is in the upcoming July issue of Recipes to Be A Healthier Me but it is so yummy and in season that I want to share it with everyone. The strawberries are sweet, juicy and perfect right now. I am indulging in them as much as possible. BC fresh strawberries are red all the way through; so much better than out of season, white in the centre, strawberries.

I choose 2 breads for this recipe, a kamut soda bread from Caper's and a fresh loaf of rye from the Squamish Farmers' Market. Any nice and dense bread will work well. Let me know how you enjoy this recipe and what your version is. The pecans are a nice addition. I also thought of making it with coconut oil and topping it with coconut cream. Mmmmmm good.

Strawberries and Cinnamon Bread Brunch

Easy Rating: Easy
DF, EF, GF, SF
3-4 servings
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

¼ cup butter or coconut oil
¼ cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp fresh mint, minced
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 loaf of dense day-old bread, cut into ½-inch cubes
3 cups of ripe strawberries, trimmed and sliced
2 cups thick whole milk organic yogurt
½ cup pecans, chopped
2 tbsp hemp seeds

· Preheat oven to 350°
· Melt butter, honey and cinnamon in a large pot and remove from heat.
· Add bread cubes and toss until coated.
· Dump bread cubes onto a baking sheet and arrange them into a single layer.
· Bake for 20-25 minutes tossing every 5 minutes. They are done when they start to get golden and crispy.
· While the bread is baking mash strawberries, mint and agave nectar in a small bowl until the strawberries are juicy.
· Allow the bread to cool for five minutes and then toss in a nice serving bowl with strawberries and pecans.
· Serve topped with yogurt and hemp seeds.

Enjoy on the deck with friends and a good cup of tea.