Apple Mint Chutney

I dug through my fridge this morning-ish looking for something to make for breakfast. Of course my mind jumped to, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Next, I grabbed the spinach, mint, and parsley- aiming for a fresher approach. Noticing that I didn't have many veggies in stock, and not knowing what would go well with the above ingredients, I said "Oh, hey, let's just see how this turns out."

Realizing it wasn't enough to make a juice, (it was already smelling devine after a few seconds on variable 1) I instantly knew what I was creating!

Lo and behold: Apple Mint Chutney!

1 Gala Apple peeled & cored
1 Handful of Parsley
4 mint Leaves
1 Handful of Spinach
2-3 Ice Cubes

Blend on Variable 1-5 until desired consistency.

*Chutneys are a type of condiment used all over the world. They can be made from vegetables, fruits, spices, peppers, oils, yogurt or herbs and sometimes nuts. =) Chutneys can be used on sandwiches, as a dip for fruits and veggies, or as a dressing on chicken, fish, meat or salads.

There is lit'rally no end to the possibilities in chutney land!

Have you tried my Apple Mint Chutney? What is your favorite chutney? Sound-off below. =)

Faux Kiwi Boost

1 Gala Apple

2 Tsp Chia

1 Golden Beet

7 Grapes

7 Strawberries

3 Handfuls Spinach

Ice

Believe it or not, this is the first time I've shared one of my beverages with someone else. My mom got to be my guinea pig! Of course, I went into it having no clue whether it would be good or not, but like always I knew I would drink it because it's all good for me! Since this turned out to be one of my more fruity drinks; if she liked it, I figured it would give her the confidence to try some more of my creations! ;) It turned out to be really yummy!

Some of her comments:
"It tastes like kiwi!"
"I don't taste the spinach at all." (The only reason she knew there was spinach in it was because she saw it on the counter, and she knows I'm a spinach fanatic.)
"Thanks for asking me to share that." "You're quite good at mixing flavors."
"I feel energized by it!" (As she flexes her muscles.)

Hehe, so I guess it worked out quite well! ;) Would your mom drink this?

DelishRefresh

Could you use a refresher?

Handful of Concord Grapes
1 Gala Apple Peeled/Cored
1/4-1/2 Cucumber
4-6 Ice Cubes
Blend Variable 1-10 then High until smooth.

It is 116 degrees outside and I needed something super refreshing. My roommate/mom accidentally bought concord grapes today thinking they were really plump looking blueberries. An honest mistake, because just the other week I pointed them out to her and said, wow look how cheap these blueberries are, and they look delicious!" (I'm new to the whole blueberry thing.) She even corrected me and informed me that they were indeed grapes. Hehe

So here I was with a fridge of miscellaneous ingredients as usual, and no real direction in mind. I grabbed the "wannabe blueberries", a gala apple, and a cucumber and tossed them in my VM with a few ice cubes. Et voila!

Kale Beast!

2 Tsp Chia

1 Beet

6 Cherries

3 Kale Leaves

1 Plum

1/4 Cucumber

Water

4 Ice Cubes

Blend on Variable 1-10, Then High until Desired consistency.

This is not one of my favorites. It's a little bitter. I think I put too much kale for my liking. Of course, I'm drinking it anyway!

Two of my friends actually asked me recently if I'd ever made anything gross. As in, if any of my creations had turned out horribly wrong. Immediately, I said no. And followed up with this explanation:

When I am juicing or making smoothies I typically go to my fridge and dig out the first things that I come across, prepare them, and throw them into my VM. I aim for more vegetables than fruit, and overpowering, taste-masking fruits. If it turns out good, then great! If not, then I won't lie about it, but I will drink it happily- knowing that it is indeed good for me and can learn what to do to improve for next time!

Do you dare to try this Kale Beast and submit any suggestions on what could improve it? =)

Carrot Juice +

4 Carrots Peeled

Handful of Parsley

1/4 -1/2 Cucumber Peeled

5 Chunks Honeydew

1tsp Lemon Juice (Optional)

1 Cup Water 

4 Ice cubes (I like my juice cold!)

Variable 1-10 then High until juice

Serve over ice =)

I didn't even get to sit down to enjoy this one!

2 Tbsp chia

1 Apple Peeled/Cored

1 Beet Peeled

1/4 Cucumber

1 Handful Parsley

3 Cantaloupe chunks

3 Honeydew chunks

Spinach

Ice

3 Oz water

This was sooooo good, I couldn't even snap a pic before gulping the whole thing down! =)

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

There's WHAT hiding in there?!

Caption not worthy of what's inside.

1 Golden Beet, 1 Apple (Gala), 5 Cherries,
1 Handful Parsley, 2 Kale Leaves, 5 Honeydew Balls
4 Ice Cubes 4oz Water

I am at a loss of words to describe how tasty this is!!! I feel like my photos do no justice. You'll just have to take my word and give it a try, make it yourself! 

This was my first time dealing with Golden Beets and boy, they sure are beautiful! Though, I did miss the "bloody-hand" experience I usually have with regular beets. ;) As much as I love the all-consuming deep red, it's nice to sneak some beets into a green drink! =D

PS: A drink doesn't have to be green to be Green. ;)

PPS: How have I lived this long prior to owning/using a melon baller?! If you don't have one, please, please, please, do yourself and your hands a favor and go to the nearest dollar store and buy one! They're so much fun!!! (I love snacking on frozen honeydew and cantaloupe, and balls are so much easier then chunks.)

I've got a lovely bunch of... Key Limes and Coconuts?

I cracked my first coconut!!! Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Perhaps I just got lucky.

Wanna know my secret? When I went to grab my lovely coconut, it slipped out of my clumsy hands and dropped onto the tile-over-concrete-floor. Et voila! One cracked coconut! ;) Granted, it did take a bit of prying and some more pounding on the floor to get just the right crack to where I could drain the delicious water/milk? into a cup. MMmmm.

I found this nifty bag of key limes at the store and snatched them up. I had to do something with them. So, I put the lime in the coconut. Right? =D

Here's what I threw in my Vitamix::

•Juice of about 6-8 key limes (can use regular, probably 2 regular limes.)
•Fresh coconut water
•Fresh coconut meat - as much as I could safely scrape/cut out without cracking my beautiful coconut any further* (yet.) ;)
•Sugar in the raw or your choice of sweetener
•3-5 sliced frozen strawberries
•Ice

Variable 1-10 then High until you hear the motor change and you should see 4 lumps form in the bottom of the VM container.

If you accidently over-blend, it will make a delicious smoothie. Or just add more ice to blend/freeze it up.

Here comes the fun part, serve in your expertly cracked coconut! =) Enjoy!


*When I finished, I rinsed out my coconut and wraped it in a dish towel and set it on my concrete-tile-floor and smashed it with a hammer several times to break it into small pieces then proceded to filet my meat! Beware, this is a long, tedious process and you *will* cut your finger off if you rush it. Also, please be careful not to smash your floor. I cannot be held responsible for any damage done. =S I'm just sharing my experiences.

I'd love to hear any of your coconut cracking experiences and/or other possibly safer techniques! =)

Finally a delicious beet!

To be honest, I'm starting to think it's the Greek Yogurt that really gives the extra richness! (Who am I kidding? Well duh, I know it is.) Anyway, if you're not aiming for a dairy free diet, then Greek yogurt is an amazing way to get your calcium and probiotics. It's so thick, and creamy, and just delicious. You can even use it for cooking, in casseroles where you would normally use creams, cheeses, sour cream, or mayo =X etc. 

For now, enjoy this sanguine and oh-so-decadent drink!

1/4 c. Greek Yo, 1/4 cucumber, 1 beet
1 Gala Apple, 1 Large Carrot, 5 Red Grapes
Ice
Variable 1-10 then High until smoothie

Nuttylicious

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt, 1/3 cup almonds,
1 Gala Apple, Spinach, Ice

Variable 1-10 then High until smoothie

I thought to myself, "What the heck, why not?" So, I tossed some almonds in my VM and some yogurt an apple and of course some spinach. Here we have this delicious nutty treat.

Afternoon Delight.

1/4 cup Greek Yogurt
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
3 Handfuls Spinach
1/2 Cucumber
5 Pineapple Chunks (Fresh-frozen)*
5 Cherries (Fresh-frozen)*
Ice

Blend Variable 1-10 then High until desired consistency

Serve in your favorite mug or glass. Enjoy this beautiful day in this precious moment, as it is all we are guaranteed.


*I say Fresh-frozen because I use all fresh fruit, then freeze it. You may use whatever is available to you!

Ciabattahhmazing!!

I don't know what's in a ciabatta but at this moment, I don't care. I'm in control of my life and every now and then a delicious hunk of bread isn't going to kill me. So, tonight I decided (after slicing in half and heating both sides) to top it with some of my favorites: roasted red pepper hummus, cucumbers, one whole avocado diced, sea salt and lime! If I'd had spinach I would have snuck some in there. I was fairly hungry after a long afternoon at the pool!

Ooh yeah, Happy Independence Day! =) I hope you all got to enjoy the day with family and friends! Ours was pretty relaxing yet, kind of lonely, no fireworks were seen. Having just moved 3,000 miles away from everyone we know, we are just getting settled in our cozy nook. I spent the evening (after devouring this masterpiece) lying in my room finishing the eleventh book of the Pretty Little Liars series by Sara Shepard. I am well-past (kind of) my teenage years, but still enjoy the occasional teen-drama books. This series is much more than that. I highly recommend them to anyone. Obviously, since I've read twelve of them now! (There's a Christmas special add-in called Pretty Little Secrets, too!) I've also read her series The Lying Game. They are just as good, maybe better? I love her writing style. She makes me think, without hurting my head. Ha. ;) I have this issue with books, though; when I get into a good book, I tend to stay up until the wee hours of the morning reading. =\ I'm a bit of an insomniac.

Thoughts, comments, questions, concerns? =P Any favorite books you would recommend?

Super fresh!!

1/4 Cup Greek Yogurt, 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds, 1 Handful Parsley,
1 Peach, 3 Pineapple Chunks, 1 Mustard Green, 3 Handfuls Spinach,
Ice
Variable 1-10 High til Juice
Serve over Ice

Enjoy on this hot beautiful day!