Apple Banana Mango Smoothie

Apple Banana Mango Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients - all organic

• 1/2 Apple, 
• 1/2 cup Sliced Mango
• 1 Banana
• a squirt of lemon juice
• 5 Ice cubes
• A splash of water or fruit juice of your choice

Directions

Blend 30 - 45 seconds or until smoothie is to your desired consistency. Garnish with fresh or frozen fruit. Frozen fruit with partially thaw while you drink the smoothie and then you have a frozen fruity healthy snack at the end!

I know when I first considered drinking smoothies as a meal replacement in the morning I thought it was going to be so much work.... soon I found out that making eggs, sausage, toast,  and hash browns was actually a lot of work, and that often my breakfast of choice. Smoothies can be easily prepared ahead of time and you can measure out your fruit servings into a zip lock sandwich bag and throw it in the freezer so that your fruit is already prepared for your smoothie ahead of time. This is especially convenient with a product like the Nutribullet, because you can just dump your fruit into the blender cup and place the blade right on top and your done within 30 seconds. Of course you can do this with a normal blender too but then you are obligated to use the big pitcher for a small smoothie serving, that's why I love the Nutribullet and I am glad I received one for Christmas last year. 

Either way its a great start just having a smoothie for breakfast instead of high fat convenient breakfast item. With smoothies you can control what you eat. The best, most healthy smoothies are often a mixture of both fruits and vegetables. The combinations are endless and I suggest you explore your own tastes and preferences to find which combinations you like most!

Kiwi Apple Banana Green Smoothie Recipe

Kiwi Apple Banana Green Smoothie Recipe

Photo Credit: Joy on Flickr

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds 
• 1 cup bananas
• 1 kiwi 
• 1 apple
• 1/2 cup leafy greens
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar
• 1/2 cup almond milk or soy milk or coconut milk or water or ice

Directions

Start blender on a low setting and make sure it is all being sucked to the center and blending correctly. Quickly increase the speed to a higher setting, if mixture stops blending correctly just stop the blender and tap the sides to make it all fall toward the middle. Continue blending until the smoothie is to your desired consistency.  Serve and enjoy!

If you are like many other people in America you might have trouble avoiding all unhealthy foods, especially on weekends. If that's the case then here is a nice cleansing green smoothie recipe to try as a breakfast or as a healthy snack option. I feel much better when I healthy smoothies on a regular basis. They are a great addition to any healthy diet and can be made using both fruits and vegetables.

As far as veggies go, I would start off with spinach or kale and always add smaller amounts at first. Remember, you can always add more but you can never take it out in the event that you added to much. Other leafy green options are lettuce, chard, or a mix of any or all of these. Remember that green veggies are high in nutrients so don't be shy with them!

When considering fruits for your smoothie you have so many options. I usually add as many different options of fruits as I can, the more the merrier! And when my wallet allows it, I choose all natural non gmo organic ingredients.

Rice Recipe With Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 can of tomatoes, 32 oz drained
• 2 cups broccoli
• 4 cups Jasmine rice

Directions:

Cook rice as you normally would, according to the directions on your packaging. When the rice is 75% done with the cooking time, add your can of tomatoes and your broccoli. If you add the vegetables too early it can cause them to overcook and become mushy. Add whatever seasonings you like, I prefer to use salt free seasonings. When rice is done cooking, uncover, stir, and let it sit a few minutes. Enjoy!

Servings: 8

Blueberry Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

Blueberry Banana Almond Milk Smoothie

Photo Courtesy: LearningLark

I was used to eating the traditional breakfast items like bacon and eggs until I got hooked on smoothies and boy did I get hooked. I almost always have either a smoothie or multiple raw fruits for my breakfasts now. I really just think they are a great way to start your day. They are very filling, energizing and they even taste terrific!  Not to mention the fact that anyone with a blender can make these in a jiffy! Think about it, you can package the fruit in smoothie sized portions in sandwich bags and just take them out in the morning and throw it in the blender and you have a wonderful, healthy, on the go breakfast!

For some reason people think that items like toast and cereal are the way to go, when in fact many people purchase low cost bread and has had nutrients stripped and many people also buy sugar loaded cereals which totally depletes the purpose of trying to eat anything healthy. Yes, smoothies doe have sugar as well, but it's all natural baby and in my opinion 9 times out of 10 all natural is the way to go.

There is just so many options when it comes to smoothies it's almost endless. For added nutrition you can always add things like oats, flax seeds, chia seeds, or even almond better. These ingredients help to give you a good dose of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids and good amounts of protein and vitamins as well! Many of these seeds are high in fiber content and expand after you chew them up and swallow them. This helps to have you feeling full longer and snacking less! Some people just eat the chia seeds plain when they feel hunger coming but personally I prefer them in my smoothies. 

Ingredients:

• 1 banana - ripe
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 1 tablespoon oats
• 1 tablespoon almond butter

Servings: 1

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in the blender together and blend until smooth which will be approximately 30-50 seconds of blending. Some people like to blend less and have more chunks and if you prefer chunkier fruit I suggest you use the ice water vs ice so your not chewing ice with you blueberries, unless that is your kind of thing. Enjoy! 

Easy Old Fashioned Potato Salad With Eggs

Easy Old Fashioned Potato Salad With Eggs

Photo Source : Andrea Nguyen

After being invited to a few different potlucks and picnics this past summer and having no idea what to bring, I went in search of a unique, easy potato salad recipe because let's be real, everyone loves potato salad, at least where I am from. 
I have tried quite a few different potato salad recipes and this one is the biggest hit of all of them. Every time I bring a batch of this to a potluck I leave with little to no leftovers! It's quite an upgrade from regular old potato while not straying too far from the standard ingredients. Some people say no eggs, I say yes eggs! Whats wrong with a little extra protein in your potato salad?

This recipe is quick and easy and makes a great addition to any home cooked meal or potluck. Try it out and leave a comment letting us know what you and your family thinks! Take care!

Recipe Ingredients

• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 1/4 rice vinegar or cider vinegar - Unseasoned
• 1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise 
• 1/2 teaspoon of canola oil or Olive oil
• Handful of chopped fresh herbs 
• 2-3 Tablespoons Sugar, Salt, and Pepper 
• 2 carrots 
• 8 to 12 oz green beans (I prefer french cut)
• 3 white or red boiling potatoes (about 1 pound total) 

Directions For Cooking

1. Carefully place the eggs in a large pot. Liberally salt the water and turn the heat to high. ( Be sure not to boil your eggs longer than 20 minutes MAX to avoid rubbery eggs)
2. While waiting for the water to boil, in a bowl combine the mayo, herbs, onion and vinegar. Add about 1/2 tsp of both salt and pepper and just a pinch of sugar (or a little more if  you like your tater salad sweet!)
3. Now, it's time to cut and peel the carrots. Dice them into roughly 1/2 carrot cubes. Set these aside and cut the green beans into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces. Set these aside and now peel all the potatoes and dice them into 1/2 inch cubes like you did the carrots. Place the potatoes in a strainer and run underwater for a minute or two to remove some of the starchiness, set in sink and allow extra water to drain. Set potatoes aside.
4. Now, using the water that should be boiling for the eggs we are going to cook the carrots. Use a metal vertical strainer to cook the carrots in the boiling water on top of the eggs for 5-7 minutes or until they begin to soften slightly(if you don't have this strainer, just put the carrots in the water and remove them with a slotted cooking spoon.) Lift the carrots out and allow the extra water to drain. Once drained, dump the carrots right in the seasoned mayonnaise mixture.  By now the eggs should be cooked, use the slotted spoon again to remove your eggs from the water. Rinse the eggs under cold water to stop the cooking process and set the eggs aside to cook. Now get the green beans in the boiling water while you peel your eggs. Boil the beans about 3-4 minutes. Once your eggs are peeled, chopped up the hard boiled eggs to the size you want and add them to the mayo mixture.
5. Remove the green beans in the same way you did the carrots. Place them in a strainer and allow the excess water to drain. Add the beans to the potatoes and boil for an additional 4-6 minutes. This will help soften both vegetables to the right point. Test your veggies to make sure they are to you likeness! Dump all the vegetables into the mayonnaise mixture and toss well to ensure everything is evenly coated. Transfer to a shallow baking dish and allow your delicious potato salad to cool. Serve and enjoy!