Power Punched Chocolate Green Smoothie

This has got to be the best Smoothie recipe I have ever made. Hands down. Not only is it a “Green” Smoothie but it’s also a CHOCOLATE Smoothie!!!

It is nutritionally packed, loaded with antioxidants, keeps my blood sugar on an even keel & sustains ME for hours!!! (for those of you who know me, know that I usually eat my weight in food, and I playfully refer to being hungry as “time to feed the worm”). Yes, I am usually insatiable & THIS Smoothie actually sustains me =)

So here it is, my own recipe & favorite meal:

Toss in your blender:
A BIG handful of Mint (3/4Cup? I like chocolate mint the best)
1 Banana
1/2 C Frozen Blueberries (or strawberries)
1-2 Tbls Chia Seeds
2 tsp Maca (optional but so nutritious)
1 Tbls Ground Flax seed
3 heaping Tbls raw Chocolate powder (aka: cacao powder)
2 heaping Tbls organic, (sugar-free) Sunflower seed butter (Sunbutter
is the BEST deal I found)… or substitute any kind of nut butter of your choice.
5-7 drops of vanilla creme stevia
7-10 ice cubes

Then I fill it to the 2 or 3 cup line (depends on if I’m sharing or not) with sugar-free Almond (or hazelnut) Milk and blend away till it’s smooth.

Another option is adding an Avocado for even more creaminess & nutrition, (fabulous for your skin!!!)

Newbie Tip: if your new to this Smoothie thang, and your still trying to free your body, mind & taste buds from the grips of mass amounts of refined sugar; then I definitely recommend trying this recipe, BUT try it first and if it tastes too “healthy” for you and it’s not sweet enough then try adding a ripe, peeled, pitted mango to the mix. That will sweeten it up and make it more palatable for you until your taste buds adjust and come off of their sugar high.

My homespun…

Are you sitting down?!…

I spun my first skein of yarn!

It looks more red & white in the picture but it’s not… It’s the best shade of strawberry pink

So, I went to Fryeburg fair this year and found a kit to learn how to spin. It was only $12; how could I pass that up?! It came with a drop spindle, wool & instructions (which stunk, so thank goodness for YouTube). I also bought an ounce of angora. And, when I went to the sandwich fair I bought an ounce of wool that apparently was dyed with red bugs that live in pine trees… Which was of course the selling point for me =)

So that’s what my home-spun is: 2 ounces of a Marled, Chunky weight, 20% angora, 40% plain old white wool, & 50% super cool bug dyed wool.

Oh yessum… I have the fever & sooooooo want my own spinning wheel… (& my own sheep, alpacas, & bunnies)

Harvest Heaven

I’ve decided that October is my favorite month in New England! I love the leaves & pumpkins & hot cider & all the fresh food from the gardens!!! Heaven! I’m in harvest heaven!

Not to mention that it’s fair season!!!… I just love a good country fair!!!

I Love Alpacas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those were pictures I took at the Fryeburg Fair in Maine. We also spent the weekend in New Hampshire with friends. Our drive over “the kank” (kancamagus highway) was sensational!!! The foliage was at it’s peak:

Of course we had to go to the Sandwich Fair too with family! It was a lot of fun! Lots of shows, lots of rides, lots of exhibits, lots of laughs, and lots of fair food! (the latter is why I’m doing lots of exercise today!)

All in all, that’s been my harvest time heaven… Next stop: home made Pumpkin Pie!!!!!!!!!!

Leeky Potato Soup

For tonight’s dinner I decided to make a leeky- potato soup! Yum!!! You see it’s highland game season in NH (sadly it doesn’t appear that I’m going), and I miss Claire & Jamie (hero & heroine of the Outlander series: http://www.dianagabaldon.com, I’m eagerly anticipating their new book). So needless to say I was getting a bit sappy & sentimental and decided I needed a good Celtic pick-me-up! So I made potato & leek soup. Very easy and very tasty.

I started with 1 cup Sherry, 3 tbls butter, 1 1/2 -2 cups Broth (use chicken if you want it to be “cock a leeky” soup), 1 cup water, 1 potato finely chopped, 2 leeks, 1/2 tsp Thyme, 1/2 tsp pepper and two garlic cloves.

No recipe, just my Irish-scots self letting loose my genetic memory and letting the creativity flow… And that is what I came up with =)

So I boiled it all on med-high till the potatoes softened and the leeks looked done. Now what I realized is that I also cooked out the alcohol and that delightful sherry-ness, so next time I will save out one third of the sherry and add it last just before serving. But for tonight I just added more *smiles* another 2-3 ounces did the job nicely.

I gotta say, it was delightful! I think I might need to repeat it again soon!

A taste of Nature

Today’s post is my toast to nature in all its glory!

Here’s a taste of Nature for your viewing pleasure. All of these photos are courtesy of the wild-life in my parents yard!

Black Forest Pudding

Oh my word: Yum!!!!! I made a new version of my favorite chocolate pudding today for lunch that is totally my new favorite.!!!!! Black Forest Pudding!

I had to share, it’s just too good to keep to myself! Enjoy:

1 avocado
3 Tbls Raw Cacao Powder
1-2 tsp Maca (optional, but sooo healthy)
A pinch of cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp raw local honey (or a sweetner of your choice)
A sprinkle of Himalayan sea salt
1/4-1/3 cup of Fresh local Raspberries

Mash in a bowl with a fork until mixed… I’m not fussy so yeah there is some chunkidge in mine, I say just do your best, make sure it’s mixed and enjoy!

It was a Party on my Plate!

Hello All. How have you been!?. I am so sorry that it’s been awhile, I have no good excuse, they all seem lame when I try. So I won’t.

But I will make it up to you!!! The lunch I made myself today was fan-tastic! Seriously!!!… sorry no picture, it was consumed too quickly!

I took:

One Flax, Oat Bran, Whole wheat pita and sliced it down the middle to make two pockets.

Added half of an avocado chopped, gave that a hefty sprinkle of Nutritional Yeast.

Packed that puppy with organic baby greens and Alfalfa sprouts

A spoonful of homemade Zucchini Relish gave it a sweet zip!!!

Each pocket got 3 pitted Calamata Olives, sliced.

1/2 a Roma tomato chopped

and a fine misting of Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids……

It was a Flavor Orgy for my Taste Buds!!!!!!!!!!! It really could quite possibly be the best sandwich I have ever made. I think the secret was the Zucchini relish… Thanks Mom! But it was amazing and gooey and I can’t wait to make it again tomorrow!!!

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!