Purple (and Green) Smoothie

The holidays are not quite over yet, but maybe you wish they were so that you could get back to eating normally.  Thankfully, there’s a week between Christmas and New Year’s where we can slow down with the food, and if you’re on vacation, where you can slow down with the body.  Often, if I want to take a break from food, I’ll turn to one of the smoothies below.  Maybe I shouldn’t refer to it as something other than food though.  There’s plenty in there to keep your blood sugar from plummeting after a couple of hours and heading to the leftovers. 

You can play around with the amounts and try different spices.  I love the warmth of cardamom this time of year and sometimes I’ll add ginger too.  Even a pumpkin pie spice would work well.  It tastes more like a treat that way! 

Happy holidays!

Purple (and Green) Smoothie

1 c water or almond milk

½ c frozen blueberries

½ frozen banana, cut into chunks

1 T chia or hemp seeds, or

1 scoop protein powder, or

½ cup plain Greek yogurt

¼ avocado

handful of greens (baby lettuces, spinach, or kale)

sprinkle of spices (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc.)

1 t real maple syrup or honey (optional)

Combine the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  For a thinner drink, add more water or milk.

Quick, Whole-grain Cereal

If you're trying to get away from the boxed cereals that are often loaded with sugar and artificial or genetically modified ingredients here is a great alternative that is easy to make and store.  It's a source of whole grains, proteins and healthy fats and is sweetened with natural ingredients.  You can also play with seasonings to change the flavor.  I made a quick bowl this morning and it was perfectly satisfying.  

Easy Homemade Muesli

3-4 c rolled oats, uncooked
1 c mixed unsalted nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
1 c raw, unsalted seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, sesame, chia)
1/2 - 1 c dried fruit (raisins, currants, dried cherries, chopped apricots, etc.)
cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves (to taste, optional)


Combine all the ingredients in an airtight container.  Serve with plain yogurt or almond milk.  For more sweetness,  add a bit of honey or real maple syrup.




Image courtesy of Michelle Meiklejohn