Healthy Mommy, Healthy Baby: beverage

Showing posts with label beverage. Show all posts

Friday, November 9, 2012

Sweet Saturday #27: Apple Pie Smoothie

First we had Hurricane Sandy, and now Athena the Nor'easter snow storm! NY/NJ can't get a break! The funniest thing is, today it feels like 60 degrees out and the snow is almost completely melted! Less than 2 days ago it was pouring down on us and causing closings and delays. Those who believe that global warming is bunk are probably having second thoughts right now...

Anyway, let's talk sweet stuff instead. I keep seeing all these yummy recipes for variations on the apple smoothie, and decided it was time I made one myself. Using ingredients I had handy, here is what I came up with, and it turned out really good!

Apple Pie Smoothie
(serves 2 large or 4 small)

Ingredients:

1 apple, cored and chopped up (I used Red Delicious)
1 banana
1 cup milk of choice (I used almond-coconut)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp flax powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon + extra for topping

Puree all ingredients in blender. Pour into glass(es). Sprinkle extra cinnamon on top and garnish with apple slice if desired.

What you'll need, plus ground flax seed

Everything about to get blended up!

Alternatively, you could just use vanilla yogurt instead of plain, and don't bother to add the extract. You could also easily substitute the apple for pumpkin and make it a pumpkin pie smoothie! Ooo...I know what I'm trying next..!

This is a new favorite for sure. A treat your entire family will love. Apple s are so good for you, they're full of so many nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, healthy sugars, and s o much m ore . We are all familiar with the old saying: "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away"- it's probably true! They're so versatile and easy to cook/bake/create with! Make a batch of this smoothie for visiting guests that you don't have time to bake for!

Now, as I said before, Hurricane Sandy totally knocked me off my A game for a bit (and also knocked out my internet for about a week!), so forgive me if I didn't get to thank you for joining our last Sweet Saturday, or if I responded very tardily. I do my best to visit every link posted, but sometimes work and being a mommy/homemaker catches up with me, and my time runs out. I don't know how people who get over 200 links posted to their blog hop parties manage to get through it all! I wonder if they even do...?

And although I didn't make time this week to arrange for a guest hostess, I did check to see whose links had the most visits, in continuance with our fall theme. Here they are!

Earning My Cape's scrumptious-looking Pumpkin Roll recipe was our most-clicked overall! I think you can see why! Thanks, Susie!

Wow, just wow. Look at that slice of pie! Jazzy Gourmet's Chocolate Pumpkin Mousse Pie looks too good to be true! Thanks, Sherry!

Yet another delicious pumpkin-inspired recipe took third place in most-visited links. Jen's Favorite Cookies' recipe inspired my Pumpkin S'mores Cookies from 2 weeks ago, and now she is sharing these tasty looking no-bake treats. Thanks, Jen!

Most clicked-on honorable mentions:

Mary's Breakfast Sammies from Mary's Kitchen

Texas Chili and Non-GMO Blue Cornchips also from Mary's Kitchen

Rich Chocolate Cake from Something Sweet

I'm doing something a little different and placing my featured button right on the post instead of emailing it, so grab a button if you were featured today!

Thanks to everyone who joined last time! Welcome all new party-goers! I can't wait to finally go through all the links from our last party and get a closer look- everything looks really amazing! Now, on to the party!

Just follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want!

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me and if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I can follow you back!

3. Don't forget to hop around and say hi!

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

Thanks for stopping by, this little get together really makes the weekend even more enjoyable for me, and gives me the encouragement to keep my little blog going :)

Friday, July 13, 2012

Sweet Saturday #13: Strawberry-Kiwi Lemonade!

Once again, we had a great turn out last Sweet Saturday. Yay! Thanks to everyone who linked up! Let's make it BIGGER this time, ok? I'm officially addicted to having a large turn-out at my link parties now :) ...

Today's recipe was inspired by this tasty-looking treat I came across last week that I just had to try: Strawberry Lemonade from Addicted to Recipes. Mine is a little different because I used less sweetener and added kiwi since I had 2 that were a bit overripe and needing to be eaten. The result came out REALLY GOOD, so I hope you like it enough to try it. Let me know if you do!

What a pretty color, right?

Strawberry-Kiwi Lemonade
(makes 1 pitcher full)

Ingredients:

3-4 lemons
1 cup strawberries
2 kiwis
1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 cup stevia
1 1/2 cup water
1 small aloe leaf
4 cups water

Heat the sugar or stevia with the 1/2 cup of water over medium heat until dissolved, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat once sugar or stevia is completely dissolved and allow to cool. Meanwhile, juice the lemons and set aside. Hull and halve then quarter the strawberries then put into blender with 1 cup if water.

Strawberries in water

Slice the aloe leaf lengthwise so one side of the leaf exposes the gel. Scoop the gel out and add it to the strawberries and water. Next, add the sugar syrup and hit puree. Lastly, add the lemon juice and water. You can just mix them together with the strawberry concoction if your blender has a "Mix" or "Stir" setting, or just pour everything into a pitcher and stir it up that way.

It will look like this once you blend it all up

And you may have a mess to clean up that looks something like this

You can serve this sweet and refreshing drink with fresh fruit or mint as garnish. Additionally, you could also add some ginger and/or cucumber to the mix, similar to the last lemonade recipe I posted. I recommend allowing to sit your fridge overnight, or at least for a few hours, before serving, to allow the flavors to blend properly. I know my first sip was almost too sour-tasting, but the next morning when I had a glass it was perfect!

This lemonade is particularly healthy and detoxifying with the added benefit of aloe. Aloe is already largely well known for it's cleansing benefits, as well as its soothing benefits when used topically on burns. But, did you know aloe also helps to halt tumor growth, lower blood sugar and cholesterol, prevent kidney stones, and boost cardiovascular performance, among many other things? Read this link to learn more!

This is terrific punch to serve to your family, friends, or at a party. It will be a hit with everyone, especially the kids. Adding the kiwi to this makes me reminisce about the Strawberry-Kiwi flavor Snapple used to make, but this is so much better! Better tasting and better for you ;)

Notice I added aloe gel to this; I use aloe all the time. It's the best burn treatment and can easily be added to any fresh juice of smoothy. But, alone it tastes rather bitter. You can even use it as a moisturizer and to speed up the healing process on cuts and scrapes by apply a little bit right onto the wound. Aloe truly is a wonder plant!

This is how one of my plants looks when the leaves aren't all chopped off. This image is courtesy guide-to-houseplants.com

I will warn you of one thing when consuming aloe, though: it's diuretic, so don't give too much to little ones unless you want them to poop a lot! Just a tip ;)

OK, now it's your turn! Follow these simple rules:

1. Link up something sweet to really WOW us all- your blog, Etsy store, Pinterest, Facebook, whatever you want!

2. Link-up as much as you want and please follow me if you aren't already, and our guest-hostess, Mary, at A Day in the Life. Leave us a comment if you are a new follower so we can follow you back!

3. Hop around and say hi.

4. Share my button to get more people to join us (not required, but it would be nice!)

Please show Mary and her lovely blog lots of love, she's new to the blogging scene- plus she has really cute twins for you to ogle!

Thanks so much for linking up, I really do love the weekend even more because of this :)

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Saturday, June 23, 2012

Sweet Saturday #10: Loaded Lemonade

Forgive me for not posting yesterday, but after the week I had, I needed a break! Not only that, but my internet was acting whacky Thursday evening (when I usually draft Friday's post) due to a couple of brown outs from the intense heat we had here in NJ. Then poor Lily contracted what may be Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (although it appears to be a very mild case), so I just had to take care of her first and foremost, as all you mommies know!

Yet, I did find some time to try out this sweet and sour and refreshing drink, that combines sour lemons, refreshing cucumber, tangy ginger and cool mint. Do I have your attention yet..?

Loaded Lemonade
(makes one full pitcher)

Ingredients:

6-8 large lemons (or 1 1/2 cups lemon juice)
1 large cucumber
2 cups water
1/2 cup honey or agave syrup (to taste)
1 hunk of ginger
Fresh mint leaves

Slice and dice cucumber, then place into blender with water and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over a strainer into a pitcher, then return liquid to blender. (This is optional, you may like your lemonade chunky!).

Next, add the lemon juice, ginger, and honey or agave. You can use sugar instead, but it's better to use a natural sweetener, so I'd recommend raw sugar if you have it. You can also make a sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar with water over low heat in a small saucepan.

I used a hunk of ginger this size

Blend the added ingredients with the cucumber juice mixture. Add more sweetener or ginger to taste if desired. Serve over ice with fresh mint leaves and sliced cucumber and/or lemon. Pucker up! This is a drink everyone will love, but may not be good for kids under 1. Give children under 3 a watered-down version (I give Lily half juice, half water). This is the perfect summer cooler!

For the adults: Vodka or gin go nicely with this too ;)

I was inspired to add the ginger after I read this blog post from The Tasty Alternative. They have a lot of awesome recipes and info, so check them out!

Lemons are an amazing fruit! Not only are they good for your insides- high vitamin C content, aids in digestion, lowers blood pressure, prevents diabetes -but, they are also helpful in a number of other ways. They can be used as an antiseptic, household cleaner, acne treatment, hair treatment, and so much more. Click here to learn more. Lemons are also a high alkaline food, so they can help keep your body balanced and capable of healing itself.

Now it's your turn to share? Follow me if you aren't already, then link-up something sweet to share- a blog, an Etsy store, an FB page, Twitter page, Pinterest, whatever! Hop around and say hi. Grab a button to spread the word! Have a great weekend!

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