RECIPE: Strawberry Banana Spinach Smoothie

One thing I must say ... When I have a smoothie packed with fresh fruits and spinach I usually do not feel the slightest bit hungry until late in the afternoon. That is one of the most important things I have discovered while doing "Smoothie Month" and I wanted to share. I start thinking about preparing dinner and I feel like I've had a surprising amount of fruits and vegetables already during the day. That's a very good feeling!
I thought I'd end the month (Happy Leap Day, everyone!!) with one of my favorite smoothies. I will continue to explore and post smoothies, so don't anyone get upset. :)
STRAWBERRY BANANA SPINACH SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 banana
6 fresh Strawberries
1/2 cup frozen Blueberries
1 teaspoon organic Agave
6 - 8 Walnut halves
6 Ice Cubes
2 - 4 cups fresh Baby Spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
2.  Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Strawberry Banana Smoothie

I bought a huge package of beautiful strawberries at the market, so I decided to use some in another smoothie this morning. I'm varying my ingredients to get a better idea of what I like and what I don't. I will admit during my "Smoothie Month" I have made a couple of smoothies that aren't going to be posted here ... One was so bad I took one sip and poured it out! Maybe someday I'll blog about that one, but not right now. :) Here's what I made this morning and it was very much like a strawberry banana milkshake.

STRAWBERRY BANANA SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Whole Milk

1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt

1 banana

8 fresh Strawberries

6 - 8 Walnut halves

6 Ice Cubes

 DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

 2. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Strawberry Peach Banana Smoothie

Conrad's 16 year old son was here this weekend. He spent the entire weekend studying for his Physics final. I felt sorry for the kid and asked him if he wanted a smoothie mid-afternoon. I thought it might give him an added boost of brain power. Whether it worked or not, he loved it.
STRAWBERRY PEACH BANANA SMOOTHIE
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 banana
6 Strawberries
1/2 frozen Peach
6 ice cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Pumpkin Coconut and ... Spinach Smoothie?

I have to admit I was skeptical about adding such things as spinach or avocado to smoothies. After all, I think of fruit, yogurt, milk, and ice as the main components of smoothies. Man, was I wrong! There are literally millions of options and combinations of ingredients for making smoothies! Here's one that sure to blow your mind, but trust me ... It's delicious!!
PUMPKIN COCONUT SPINACH SMOOTHIE

It's GREEN!!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Milk
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek Yogurt (I just discovered ZOI brand, and I LOVE it!)
1/2 cup Pumpkin Puree
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened Coconut
6 Ice Cubes
1 teaspoon Agave (not pictured)
2 - 4 cups organic Baby Spinach

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to blender - adding spinach last. The amount of spinach used will vary on how tightly you add it. 
2. Blend until smooth and creamy. (Yes, it will turn BRIGHT GREEN!!)

 3. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

TRAVEL: Gone to Tennessee!

From Wednesday, February 15 - Wednesday, February 22, 2012 we were in Tennessee checking on my parents and visiting with friends. Adding to PaleoMermaid wasn't really easy since my parents don't have wireless internet, so I decided to wait till we got home to add anything new. 
One evening while we were in Tennessee we ate at Cocoa Moon on Market Square in downtown Knoxville. There were 16 of us seated at a very long table. It was difficult talking with everyone, as it was rather loud in there, but we made it work and we all agreed we had a blast. 
Following the Paleo Lifestyle while traveling is sometimes challenging, but we were able to find a couple of items on their menu that fit the bill.
I ordered an Asian Salad with walnuts, blue cheese crumbles and mandarine oranges ... 

 Conrad ordered also ordered an Asian Salad, but obviously quite different from the one I ordered. His was covered with a most excellent grilled chicken that was more than he could eat. Since my salad was strictly vegetables and fruit, I volunteered to not let his extra chicken go to waste. :)

After dinner we celebrated birthdays. Four members of our party had birthdays in February, so it seemed like a great time to celebrate. Our dear friend Diane ordered a luscious Red Velvet Cake from Party Perfect-ions in Maryville, Tennessee. I went to school with Dena Kyle and she does AMAZING work with cakes! She made a BEAUTIFUL cake for me last February, and I am forever grateful! This was also FANTASTIC also! 

Not Paleo, but sometimes ya just have to bend the rules! 
(For the record, Conrad and I shared a piece and didn't even clean our plate ... Not because it wasn't good ...  It was FANTASTIC ... We just ran out of room!!)

RECIPE: Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

For a thick, rich, nutritious smoothie that will remind you of the Holidays, try this recipe. Smoothies are notoriously nutritious, and with a hand full of ingredients, they can be made quickly and consumed while you're on-the-go.
PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 banana
1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
2 tablespoons walnuts
(I never measure nuts for smoothies - I just grab them with my fingers and put two sprinkles of them in.)
6 - 8 Ice Cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Cinnamon Nut Bun Smoothie

Yes, this is just an alteration of the last smoothie, but what a difference a sprinkling of pecans makes! The hint of rich, nutty taste really made this recipe. I LOVE pecans, walnuts, and macadamia nuts, so I will be experimenting with them more often. As for the two Cinnamon Bun Smoothie recipes? I'll definitely be making both of these again!
CINNAMON NUT BUN SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
1 Banana
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons raw Pecans
6 Ice Cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Cinnamon Bun Smoothie

Sometimes nothing but something sweet will satisfy a craving. I can find very few times when a Paleo Smoothie won't satisfy that urge to indulge ...  Even when you crave a big, sugary cinnamon roll!

CINNAMON BUN SMOOTHIE

 INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 Banana

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon pure Maple Syrup

6 Ice Cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
2. Pour. Serve. Enjoy!

RECIPE: Power Smoothie

I have to admit - This is not one of the prettiest smoothies I have ever seen, but it tastes fantastic! When you were a kid you probably colored easter eggs with the little fizzy tablets in vinegar. (I know I did!) After all the pretty eggs were ready it seemed to be tradition to experiment with the dyes by putting one egg into every color or by mixing them all together to see what the final outcome would be. Inevitably, you'd have one brownish egg from that process. Well, this smoothie is somewhat of a 'brown easter egg' experiment!

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 banana
4 large strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1 teaspoon agave
6 ice cubes
2 - 4 cups raw spinach

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all ingredients in blender. Place spinach in last. Fill blender to the top with spinach.
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Taste. Add more agave (to taste) if you prefer a sweeter smoothie.

 Enjoy!

***Interestingly, the longer this smoothie rests the greener it becomes! Here's a view just before the last sip!

RECIPE: Blueberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie

With Valentines Day being just round the corner, our local grocery stores have lots of beautiful strawberries for sale. Since all of my smoothies start out with almond or coconut milk and a banana, I've been experimenting this week with different fruits and flavors. I suppose I should make February "Smoothie" month! Sounds like a new challenge to me!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 banana

4 large strawberries

1/2 cup blueberries (I used frozen)

1 teaspoon agave

6 ice cubes

 DIRECTIONS:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

 2. Enjoy!

FOODS: FRESH PRODUCE - What We Eat

I decided to keep a running log of fresh organic produce that I pick up at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods Market, Raley's/Belair, and California Certified Farmers' Markets. My plan is to post links to the recipes I use for each item. Sometimes there will be a use listed that's not a link ... such as used in a salad or eaten raw for a meal or a snack. 

Revised: January 27, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 white sweet potatoes: 
3 red sweet potatoes: Sweet Potatoes with Pecans
1 acorn squash: 
baby spinach: Salads
2 broccoli crowns: 
4 tomatoes:   Guacamole
2 avocados:  Guacamole
2 peppers: roasted
cherry tomatoes: Salads
1 cauliflower: Mexican Cauliflower Rice
sliced white mushrooms: Pot Roast with Carrots and Mushrooms
carrots: Pot Roast with Carrots and Mushrooms

Fruit added January 20, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
4 bananas: Pina Colada Smoothie, Fruity Power Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie
1 pineapple: Pina Colada Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie
2 home grown grapefruits: Breakfasts
6 home grown oranges: Breakfasts
2 large fuji apples: Breakfasts
4 small fuji apples: Fruity Power Smoothie, Breakfasts
2 peaches: breakfast, Fruity Power Smoothie

Revised January 21, 2012

 HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 white sweet potatoes: 
2 acorn squash: Acorn Squash with Pecans and Ginger
2 artichokes: Steamed Artichokes
2 red bell peppers: Roasted
4 avocados:  Fruity Power Smoothie, Tropical Energy Smoothie, Guacamole
1 crown broccoli: Roasted Broccoli,
5 tomatoes:  Mexican Cauliflower Rice, Guacamole
2 heirloom tomatoes: Salads
okra: Roasted Okra

January 20, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
2 artichokes: Steamed Artichokes
5 tomatoes: Salads,  Guacamole
white mushrooms: Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant

January 14, 2012

HOW THEY ARE USED:
3 avocados: Paleo Chocolate Pudding, Bacon Egg Avocado Tomato Sandwich
1 eggplant: Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
2 acorn squash: Acorn Squash with Pecans and Ginger
1 butternut squash: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna
1 bag of organic spinach: Frittata, Salads
3 roma tomatoes: Bacon, Egg, Avocado and Tomato Sandwich
1 onion: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna, Frittata
1 red bell pepper: Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Lasagna, Frittata
5 heirloom tomatoes: Frittata, Salads
1 container of golden grape tomatoes: Salads
2 crowns broccoli: Roasted Broccoli, 
1 pound of okra: Roasted Okra