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. Apples are so good for you, they're full of so many nutrients like vitamin C, fiber, antioxidants, healthy sugars, and so much more. 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!
 

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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!)

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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 :) 
 

Sweet Saturday #20: Quinoa Smoothie

I got this idea for a protein-packed, super thick smoothie from the aptly-named, Green Thickies blog. I had heard about it being possible to make a smoothie using cooked quinoa, but after Katherine Natalia linked up her version onto Meatless Monday earlier this week, I decided it was high time I tried it!

I happened to have some recently purchased quinoa in my cupboard, along with other things that could easily be used to make a good-tasting and super healthy smoothie. No green stuff left (I had just made a big batch of kale pesto!), so this was all fruit, protein and omegas! The quinoa gave it a slightly nutty taste, but other than that, it tasted just fine!

Banana-Mango Quinoa Smoothie

1 cup cooked quinoa
1 banana
1 mango
1 cup coconut-almond milk, or milk or your choice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp shelled hemp seeds
Ice cubes (optional)

Cook the quinoa ahead of time according to package instructions; it is just like cooking rice. Toss all ingredients into blender and hit "Blend" or "Puree", depending on how smooth you want it. Pureeing will make it less "chunky", as the quinoa will create some minor lumps in the smoothie. I kind of liked that! Serve with ice is desired.

The smoothie came out so thick that the ice cubes rested right on top of it! I thought this helped to make it easier to drink, but if you like it extra thick, then this is the recipe for you! You can even blend the ice cubes right into it.

Other ingredients you can add:

• vanilla extract
• ground flax seed (this will give it an extra nutty taste)
• soaked raw almonds and/or cashews
• peanut butter (or other nut butter)
• pineapple
• peach
• melon
• spinach
• just about anything that goes well in a smoothie!

Quinoa is considered a super food, and contains such a high amount of protein, it is called a "complete protein" since it contains all the amino acids needed to meet our nutritional needs. It is also high in other important nutrients, such as iron, calcium, copper, and manganese, to name a few. It is gluten-free and incredibly versatile to cook with, making it a great addition to soups, salads, breads, and even cookies!

This is a great smoothie for the whole family, perfect for enjoying with breakfast. It can easily replace your coffee with the amount of healthy carbs it contains to jump-start your day. Simply add whatever fruit you and your family enjoy most to make it work for you.

OK- now it's time for the hop! No guest-hostess today- sorry! I just didn't have time to organize that aspect this week. 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 if you are not already. Leave me a comment if you are a new follower so I 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!)

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

Sweet Saturday #5: Puckered Papaya Smoothie

First of all, I just wanted to share this picture of my perfect breakfast that I took this morning:

I thought it just looked too pretty not to share :) 

Now, enjoy this:

 
Puckered Papaya Smoothie
serves 2-4

1 cup chopped papaya
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup orange-pineapple juice
1/2 cup almond coconut milk
1 tsp honey
Juice of half a lime
Lime wedges for garnish

Put all ingredients except for the lime wedges into blender. Blend or puree until smooth. Serve in glasses with lime wedges. Tip: rub the lime wedge along the rim of the glass to get that puckered lime taste each sip!

Boosts you can add:

• aloe vera juice
• hemp seed powder
• coconut oil
• protein powder
• super greens powder
• ginger

Add about 1 tsp each per serving for maximum benefit!

The whole fam will love it! Make a big batch and share it at a party or gathering. This would be a hit at your Memorial Day weekend BBQ!  


I just love papaya, and I certainly don't eat it enough. They are technically in season June-September, but Paul came across this yummy smoothie recipe and I just couldn't wait! Besides being positively delicious, papayas are full of so much healthy goodness. They have high amounts of vitamin c, vitamin a, folate and potassium. They protect against heart disease and aid in immune support and digestion. 
They have also been found to prevent macular degeneration (primary cause of vision loss in older adults) and when combined with green tea, papaya can protect against prostate cancer! Papaya is considered by many to be a super food.

Now it's your turn to share something sweet with the return of Sweet Saturday Link Party! Link up a sweet treat, a sweet post, a sweet photo, a sweet Etsy shop or Facebook page- whatever you want! Just remember to follow your hostess and, if you'd like to, share the link on your page or blog with the button below. Whoever's link gets the most visits will be offered to co-host next week!
 

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Have fun and share as much as you'd like! Have a great weekend!


Oooohhh, I almost forgot- I FINALLY joined Pinterest, so be sure to follow me and/or pin this sweet little recipe. I'm new to it, so feel free to "show me the ropes" ;)

 

Sweet Saturday Blog Hop #3 THIS CHICK IS BANANAS!

Today I'll keep this short and sweet (see what I did there??). Right now I'm watching Lily build with her foamy blocks in a tub full of bubbles, and once she's done and dressed for bed, I'll be getting ready for GIRLS NIGHT OUT! Whoo-hoo! So, I figured I'd better post this early since I made need time to re-cooperate tomorrow and not worry about blogging. Let's consider this hop "Sweet Weekend Blog Hop" :)


Today I'm sharing some cute pics of Lily eating a banana, and our favorite smoothie recipe :D

It was her first time eating a banana with the rind on it

Strawberry-Banana-Peanut Butter Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 banana

1/2 cup strawberries

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup milk, almond milk, soy milk, or coconut milk

1 big spoonful of peanut butter

Throw it all in your blender and blend away! This makes 2 large servings or 4 small servings, so add ingredients accordingly. Enjoy!

Now it's your turn to share! Link whatever you like as long as it's something sweet. It can be a blog post, an Etsy shop, your lovely website, your FB page, whatever! Link as many as you like, just don't link the same thing more than once, thanks! And please just follow me, your hostess, preferably by Linky Followers since GFC is ending very soon. Or better yet, subscribe! Have a great weekend!

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A Green Smoothy for Picky Eaters of Any Age

One morning I looked in my kitchen and was pleased to see my husband had done a good job grocery shopping job the night before. I’d gone to bed early due to…just being tired!...and missed him when he got home. I gave him a call to let him know I appreciated it, and then he mentioned the organic spinach he’d gotten and suggested I make green smoothies for Lily and myself. And I figured, why not? I had almond milk, bananas, peaches and honey, and really, that plus the spinach is all you need to make a green smoothy that doesn’t taste like grass!

Delicious Green Smoothie

1 cup almond milk

1 cup spinach (or other green such as kale)

1 banana, broken into chunks

1 peach, chopped (or other sweet fruit, such as an apple or ½ a cantaloupe)

1 tbsp honey (stevia can also be used)

Put all ingredients into blender; a good technique is the layering technique, which would go: banana, spinach, peach, honey, almond milk. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses (or sippy cups). Enjoy. It’s that easy!

How good does that look?

I was even surprised at how great this tasted, and we’ve been drinking them ever since. Tastes much better than those powdered shake mixes, that’s for sure. You can use just about any greens and sweet fruit, but always keep the banana to give it that thickened quality. If you want it even thicker, add a few spoonfuls of yogurt. If you use sweetened almond milk, then you can leave out the extra sweetener if you want (depends on how sweet you and your child like it!).I like also like to keep it vegan so it's healthier, but you can definitely use cow's milk or soy milk instead of almond, but if you haven't tried almond milk, you may want to- it's a really good alternative to conventional milk.

It’s really that simple. And most kids like green things that look weird thanks to Nickelodeon, and are unlikely to be turned off by the color. So, don’t let on if you think it’s weird then they might follow suit and not taste it. There was definitely a time I couldn't imagine drinking any "green" drinks, even the thought of wheatgrass turned me off. But, one day I gave one a try (I think it was by Naked) and liked it, then gave wheatgrass a go and that wasn't so bad either, and now I don't have any issues going green with my beverages!

Health food stores and gyms offer energizing smoothies as an alternative to coffee and sugary carbonated drinks, but they are very simple to make at home, and less likely to hurt your budget! Don’t be fooled by places like Jamba Juice though- their drinks are full of hidden sugars and fillers- mainly in the free “Boosts”. Just have a look at their menu. On this menu, sugars are not listed in the Boost ingredients, but if you see the menus they have available at the registers, you will be shocked at how much sugar goes into them (at least they were listed when I used to buy Jamba on the regular years ago, so things may have changed). They have also been criticized for using artificial flavors, although I could not locate any reliable source for this on the internet, but I wouldn’t be surprised since the colors are so bright.

But, anyway, enough with dissing Jamba Juice. Truth is, the drinks are delicious and still better for you than soda, but quite pricey too! So, if you have a few minutes, make your own fruity energy drink at home. They are chock full of vitamins and minerals without having to add anything synthetic; you don’t even need to add any vitamin powder unless you want to take your vitamins that way, but in my experience, those types of drinks always just end up tasting gritty because the powder never dissolves properly (and I’ve tried quite a few of those types of powder supplements).

Greens are super good for you and mixing them with fruit isn’t as icky as it sounds. In fact, have you ever had a strawberry and spinach salad? You’d be amazed how great that combo is! Here’s a little bonus recipe from one of my favorite magazines.

When experimenting with smoothie recipes, if you find a combo you really love, please share in the comments! Thanks for reading!