A new go-to smoothie

Last summer I wrote a post about my "go-to" smoothie at the time. Well things have changed and I've mixed things up a bit and I have a new "go-to" smoothie that packs an even BIGGER superfoods punch. Try it and let me know how it goes. I made this a few times and the colour changed from purple to brown... don't worry about the colour – it depends on the quantities of the food you put in. I never measure, which drives my scientist-brained bf a little mad. It should taste chocolate-y with a hint of sweetness no matter the colour.

"Check me out, I'm a lovely shade of poo.
But I taste A-maz-ing!"

Raeanne's go-to smoothie (2nd edition)

• 1 cup almond milk (or 1/2 almond milk, 1/2 water)
• 1 heaping tbsp of my seed mix
• 1 scoop of protein powder, I use Genuine Health Vegan Protein+ Vanilla
• 1 tsp maca powder (a superfood, great for stamina, fatigue and helps you adapt to different environmental factors)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder (the best antioxidant there is)
• 1 heaping tbsp of goji berries (another superfood/amazing antioxidant)
• 1 tbsp raw honey (full of good for you enzymes)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil (some good fat!)
• 1 tbsp of prepared Irish moss (information on how to prepare Irish moss)
• 1-2 handfuls of greens (usually spinach, but whatever you've got)
• 1/4 cup of frozen berries
• 1/2 or whole banana (frozen is good, but not necessary)

Put everything into a blender and let it go! If you'd like it nice and cold, pulse in some ice cubes after the initial blend. This recipe can result in a pretty thick smoothie, so get out a glass straw or spoon and slurp it up. 

Note: all the superfoods are optional as you may not have them all lurking in your cupboard as some of them can be expensive. Try to buy a new one every month to add to your pantry. That's what I'm doing as I know I still have a few more to add. Spirulina, you're next on my list! 

"I've overdosed on berries. Help!
Thank goodness I have a matching straw!"

Starting the new year off right

Now that the holidays are over, I'm trying to put little things back into my routine and nourish my body with lots of nutrients that I know were missing over the holidays -- but damn those M&M peanuts are good! Upward and onward to 2012!

Here's how I've started off the last two days:

First thing when I got up I downed a big glass of lemon water. This is super alkalizing for the body and detoxes the liver when drunk first thing in the morning.

Super simple to do. Squeeze half a lemon add it to a glass, fill the glass 2/3 to 3/4 with cold water and then top it off with with some boiling water to make the water warm. Drink it back with a glass straw -- really there isn't anything better and more fun than eco-friendly straws.

Once that's down, I got out my new blender (How I love! Thank you Mom & Dad), and whipped up a green monster, courtesy of Oh She Glows' Classic Green Monster recipe. I followed it more or less to a tee. I used my seed mix instead of only chia seeds, in one case I only used half a banana (and it wasn't frozen), and I did add my vegan vanilla protein powder from Genuine Health.

Simple, add stuff to a blender and blend.

And then pour and drink (again with glass straw).

Now I'm ready to be somewhat productive on my last day of vacation. It's still vacation after all... can't be too busy.

My go-to morning smoothie

I've been asked a lot by friends and family what I eat for breakfast. I've never been a morning person, so breakfast, especially on weekdays was always difficult, as it was hard to make time. But I know the importance of eating in the morning now and have become addicted to smoothies for two reasons -- fast and delicious!
 
Raeanne's go-to smoothie

• 1 cup almond milk
• 2-3 tsp flax oil
• 1 tbsp (heaping) seed mix (see 'recipe' below)
• 1 scoop of protein powder, I use Genuine Health Vegan Protein+ Vanilla
• 3 1-inch chunks of banana -- fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup of berries -- fresh or frozen, I use a combination of blackberries, blueberries and raspberries or whatever I have on hand
• 1 handful (or 2!) of spinach leaves

Put all ingredients into a large magic bullet cup or a blender and pulverize it! Drink it! And say YUM!

Notes:

• I would make sure you put in something frozen (berries or banana) as it will chill the smoothie and I find it tastes a lot better. Otherwise I would likely throw in some ice.
• All amounts are approximate. I never measure -- no time for that!

Seed mix

• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup raw sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup hemp hearts

Pour all the seeds into a large glass jar (3-cup), put the cover on and SHAKE! Store in the refrigerator.

This is packed with well over 20g of protein, good carbohydrates, fiber, and lots of good fats (Omega3s a plenty!). It easily keeps me full for 3 to 4 hours. Obviously there are tonnes of variations, and I change it up with what I've got on hand, but when I'm half asleep in the kitchen, this is most often what gets made!

If you try it let me know! Enjoy!