green

Hold onto your butts folks, I’m about to drop a blog post. Hey-oh!

If you did a double-take when you saw that this gal had published a new post, I don’t blame you. I’ve been rather absent as of late. As usual, I have no good excuses to give you, other than I was feeling a severe lack of inspiration and just needed to take a little break. Blogging had begun to feel like another task on my to-do list and I was no longer enjoying the process. Fellow food bloggers know that publishing a new post is more than just whipping something up, snapping a few photos, and typing out a recipe. There is preparation, and styling, and editing, and putting together something that you feel proud of. I’m still figuring it all out, but as I sit here typing out these words, while drinking the smoothie I’m here to share with you, I feel a renewed sense of energy and excitement. I’m remembering why I love this little space so much and I look forward to finding my blogging groove again. Thanks for sticking around.

About a month ago, I bit the bullet and bought a Vitamix. Holy heck, are those machines fantastic! It truly is one of the most amazing kitchen gadgets, and if you’re a smoothie lover like me, it’s worth the investment. It can do so much more than make a good smoothie, but that’s definitely what I’ve used it for the most so far. Behold my current favourite green concoction. Drink it for breakfast, a post work-out snack, or just ’cause you need a dose of greens. I promise the spinach taste is undetectable!

My Favourite Green Smoothie

This recipe makes one generous serving or two small servings. Feel free to substitute a different milk for the almond milk if you have another preference. The banana is completely optional – this smoothie is still delicious without it. The peanut butter is optional too, but let’s be real – what isn’t made better by the addition of peanut butter? (Answer: nothing.)

1 1/4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 cups fresh baby spinach, packed

1 cup frozen mango chunks

1 TBSP. hemp hearts

1/2 frozen banana (optional)

1 TBSP. natural peanut butter (optional)

Add ingredients to a high-speed blender in the order listed (adding liquids first will help get things moving). Blend until super smooth. Enjoy immediately.

Nutritional Info: 340 calories – 33g carbs – 16g fat – 12g protein – 265mg sodium – 21g sugar

Starting Fresh | My Favorite Green Juice

Happy New Year, friends! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with good food and good people. I’ll also high-five you if you had one too many cocktails last night while ringing in the new year.

As per ushe, the new year brings new goals and new resolutions. Without fail, I make a resolution to take better care of myself/eat healthier/exercise more/yada yada yada every. single. year. And this year is no different!

I’ve been juicing semi-regularly since the Summer, when I bought my juicer. But my goal for January is to make fresh juice more of a regular habit. I have tried a few different green juice recipes, but this one is my current favorite/go-to juice.

Look at all of that good stuff up there! The spinach gives you a dose of greens, the apples lend a little sweetness, and the lemon and ginger give it a little punch. If you’re new to green juice, this is a great recipe to start with since it’s not overpowering in the green department. You can also sub in different fruits and veggies, depending on what you have on hand. For example, kale makes a great substitute for the spinach, and pears are a great replacement for the apples.

A glass of this green juice will most definitely start your day (and year) off on the right foot. Let’s all jump into health this year. Green juice balances out wine, chocolate, and cookies, which basically means you can consume more of all of the above. Winning!

My Favorite Green Juice

This recipe will make about 30 ounces of juice, depending on your juicer. Perfect to enjoy a glass the day that you make it, and sip on the second glass the next day. Sharing is also an option. Serves 2.

2 big handfuls of baby spinach

1 large cucumber

2 stalks of celery

2 Granny Smith apples

Half a lemon, peel removed

A chunk of ginger

Be sure to wash all of the fruit and vegetables well and cut into pieces that will fit into your juicer. Get your juice on! Enjoy immediately over ice. Store any remaining juice in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 24 hours.