Aloha and yummy juice

Aloha from paradise also known as our vacation in beautiful Paia on Maui. We have been here for two days and we love it. We enjoy walks on the beach and relaxing times. We are so in love with all the local goodies and fruit is included in pretty much every meal. The pineapples, papayas and passion fruit grows where we're staying and are incredibly sweet and flavorful.  The house includes a juicer I have not yet tried it but tomorrow I will make a juice from pineapple, papaya and passion fruits. Should be wonderful.

1 papaya, peeled, seeds removed and cubed
1 pineapple, peeled and cubed
5 ripe passion fruits, fruit meat scooped out and strained. 

Juice papaya and pineapple and then mix juice with the strained passion fruit juice.

Last Post Before Maui

To get into the spirit of Hawaii I made a yummy pina colada smoothie for breakfast. I can't wait to have fresh pineapple and to visit local farmers market in Hawaii 

Juice and meat from one young coconut

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 Banana

Blend everything in a blender and enjoy right away.

Kids Smoothies

My friend Chef Centehua has written an article posted today on my web site Green-Mom.com. It's about smoothies for kids and fun ways to add nutrition to a smoothie. Check it out!!! 

Sweet Green Juice

We like to drink a lot of vegetables juices and like to add lots of green leafs and beets. However I know it's might not be for someone starting out with green juices so here is a beginners juice that is mild and sweet.

2 celery stalks

2 red apples

1 lemon, peeled

1 cup broccoli

A little parsley

Cut celery, apples, lemon, broccoli in smaller pieces and juice. Add parsley and server immediately.

Yogurt Green Smoothie

Today I've been eating a lot and not necessary all good. After lunch I craved a green juice or smoothie so I made one which was not easy because there is no blender here so I had to use an old hand held one   instead. I love being here on vacation but next time I'm bringing my vita mixer with me:)

2/3 cup vanilla flavored yogurt

2/3 cup almond milk

1 cup mixed frozen berries

1 handful pea sprouts

Agave nectar which is if you want the smoothie sweeter. 

Combine everything in a blender and process until complete smooth. Served ice cold!!!

Nectarine and Berry Green Smoothie

I’ve been enjoying eating tons of nectarines lately since it’s our seasonal fruit right along with strawberries off course. We have a few strawberry plants in our garden and thanks to my dear friend's dad who gave me some advice on how to care for them, this year they’ve been producing a lot of berries.  Both kids really enjoy walking into the garden, gathering fresh strawberries for a smoothie or a snack.

For snack time I made a nectarine and strawberry smoothie with an extra bonus of greens in it. Smoothies are a perfect food to “hide” vegetables in and especially Noah loves his smoothies.

2 cups ice cold almond milk

1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup

2 small nectarines, peeled and chopped

A handful of strawberries, tops off and cut in half

1 small handful of greens of your choice (today I used broccoli greens)

1 tsp. spirulina powder

Combine and blend everything in a blender for a minute or more until everything is completely smooth. Enjoy right away!

Green tea chai

This morning was a slightly chilly morning so I made a cup of chai to warm me up. It’s no version of a authentic chai with green tea instead of black and honey instead of sugar. Enjoy!

½ cup water

½ cup almond milk

Honey to taste

1 green tea bag

2 green cardamom pods

2-3 whole black peppercorns

¼ tsp. fennel seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 thin slices fresh ginger

Heat water and milk and before it comes to a boil add ginger, cardamom, peppercorns, cinnamon and fennels seeds. When the water/milk boils add tea bag. Turn off heat and let steep for 2 minutes. Strain spices and tea and add honey to your liking. 

Minty Orange Smoothie

As I said in a previous post my mint is growing all over the garden, which makes me happy because I love mint for tea, cooking and smoothies. So when our neighbor brought over some beautiful organic oranges I knew exactly what I was going to use them for; an orange and mint smoothie. It was the perfect afternoon pick-me-up before Bella came home and Noah woke up from his nap.

12 ounces coconut water

3 mint leafs

1 ripe orange, peeled and diced (remove all white parts too)

1 large green leaf, chopped (I used swiss chard)

¼ ripe avocado

1 date, pitted

Place everything in a blender and process for 1-2 minutes until completely lump free and very creamy. Bottoms up!

Healthy Butterscotch Shake

Yesterday was such a crazy day and I was running around a lot, driving everywhere (which I hate), teaching a yoga class, long hours away from kids (which I also hate) and when I finally got home I was starved but I needed to make dinner. My energy was definitely low energy so I made a super power shake which ended up tasting just like butterscotch mmmmm.

1 cup ice-cold almond milk

1 small banana

1 date, pitted

½ tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. mesquite powder

1 tsp. powdered greens

Combine in a blender and process until creamy and fluffy. 

When life gives you lemons.....

...make lemonade!!! Bella had a play date with her best friend Paloma yesterday. After days of rain and cold weather the kids were so happy be to put on a dress and play in the sun. And nothing taste better than fresh lemonade on a day like this so the girls made their own. Making your own makes it more fun and taste better. I make my lemonade with honey but it can be done with maple syrup or agave nectar as well. 

3 cups water

Juice from two large lemons

Grate from one well washed organic lemon

1/2 cup honey (more if you want it sweeter

1. Place water and barley in a pot and bring to boil
2. Reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Strain and add lemon juice, lemon grate, ginger and honey and blend well.
4. Let the lemonade rest in fridge for one day before serving for best result.

detox juice

Beginning of the year I tend to feel a bit sluggish and tired I know it's the stress and overeating during the holiday. So I like to let my body detox in January and I like to do it with vegetables, fruit, whole grains and vegetable juices. I avoid sugar, wheat and gluten and coffee. I start my day with a chia pudding and fresh fruit and for lunch or/and dinner I like to drink vegetables juices.

My favorite juice is a beet, lemon, celery, ginger and kale. Some people have a hard time drinking vegetables juices and beet juice even more but I found if it's ice cold it does not taste that bad. A juicer is off course required for this juice. I like making up larger quantities and pour into recycled glass jars to keep in fridge. This way I have access to juice to take on the go if and when I need it.

1 large lemon, peeled

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled

2-3 large beets, peeled

3 celery stalks

2 large kale leaves

Juice everything and place in a jar with lid. Shake for a few seconds and then place in fridge to make it cold if so wish. 

Chia blueberry smoothie

Chia seeds are something we eat on a daily bases here in either sprinkled on our oatmeal or in a chia pudding. I love chia seeds because if you soak them in water they become a gel which is perfecta to use for making vegan or raw puddings. They also are nutritional booms filled with omega-3 fatty acids, fibers, proteins, vitamins and antioxidants.

Today I added them to a smoothie I made for me and Bella as a  snack. Bella called it purple milk because it looked like that. I had added Green super foods but the blueberries masked the color so Bella didn't see them. Whenever I make a green smoothie for us I make it with blueberries for that reason.

1 tbs chia seeds soaked in a1/4 cup water for at least one hour or over night. 
1 cup coconut water
1/2 cup almond milk
1 ripe pear, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
1 tbs Green super food ( I like Amazing Grass)
1 tbs bee pollen (optional)

Place everything in a blender and mix for a at least one minutes to break up the chia seeds. Sprinkle bee pollen on top if choose.

Strawberry & mint smoothie

Oh boy have i've been overeating the last couple of day and I can feel it in my body, especially in my digestive system. So I have made a pact with myself to eat better from now on, do a cleans when I get home and take a long walk every day and end my day with a hot cup of fennel tea.  Fennel tea aids digestion and helps calm symptoms of bloating and upset stomach.

To start with I will now begin my mornings with a smoothie with fruits, berries, herbs and yogurt. To me a smoothie really is like a dessert so this one will be super easy to keep doing. It's really hard to find fresh and organic berries here so I have used frozen instead. Mint is well known for it's properties to sooth the digestive track.

1 cup plain vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup almond milk

1 cup strawberries

1/2 banana

1 tbs fresh mint leafs

1 tsp spirulina

Combine in a blender and mix until smooth and creamy. Enjoy right away.

Chocolate energy shake

I just finished watching the movie May I be Frank which is about a man called Frank off course who is overweight, sick with diabetes and Hep C. He's dealing with a lot of anger. He embarks on a 42 day raw food and holistic healing journey. I highly recommend the movie.

I'm a smoothie junky, specially green smoothies and I love trying new ones. What's not to love, super food in a glass:) In the movie Frank drinks a smoothie that just sounded so good I decided to try to make it. It's amazing and now part of my daily routine. It keeps me full for a long time and gives me a little kick instead of drinking coffee.

1 cup almond milk
1 tbs almond butter
2 dates, pitted and chopped
1 tbs cocoa powder
1 tbs cocoa nibs
1 tbs Green superfood ( I used Amazing Grass green superfood)

Flu and healing juice hopes

Well I guess I have the flu and I still feel terrible. I've tried almost everything to get better; acupuncture, herbs, yoga and now wheat grass and veggie juice. So far nothing has worked so I guess I'm just on for lots of rest, HA not easy with two kids. Yesterday I send James out for a veggie burger with the kids for dinner because no way I was going to cook.

My appetite is very low so I focus of drinking lots of fluid and healthy juices. This morning I drink some wheat grass juice and then a mixed veggie juice with ginger. You do need a juicer to make this one.

Mixed veggies juice (1 glass)
1 large apple
1 handful beet greens
1 large beet
1 small piece of ginger
1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Place everything in the juicer and drink fresh

Good green morning!

Today we're having a big storm hitting us with winds and lots of rain. It's nice to be inside by the fire and cuddle and that's what we've been doing this afternoon. Noah is mesmerized by the rain and loves looking out at it.

Noah meditating while watching the rain fall

I love drinking green smoothies because it's pure nutrition in a delicious drink. There is also no better way to get kids to eat green they might not normally eat such as spinach, kale etc. The mornings smoothie was even more green than usual because I added avocado and zucchini to it. The avocado makes a very creamy smoothie and the coconut water makes it perfectly sweet. I like adding chia flour and spirulina to add more protein to the drink. After drinking this smoothie I swear I lasted many hours, even taking a yoga class before I felt hungry again.

I hope my garden will be as green as this smoothie after all the rain

1 1/2 cup coconut water
1/2 cup zucchini, peeled and diced
1/2 cup kale, stems removed and chopped
1/2 avocado 
1/2 cup cantaloupe
1 tsp spirulina powder
1 tsp chia flour

Puree coconut water, zucchini, kale, avocado, spiraling and cantaloupe in a blender until very smooth. Add some water if it seems too thick. Stir in the chia flour and enjoy right away.

Homemade oat milk

Since both James and Bella are allergic to milk we plant milk. The two favorites are almond milk and oat milk. When I cook or bake I like oat the best and James likes oat milk in his coffee.

I follow a Swedish blog about green living and the blogger made homemade oat milk which did not look very complicated so I gave it a try. Bella really enjoyed helping me make it as well as drinking it. Since Bella likes her milk sweetened I added some maple syrup and vanilla to it so it will resemble the "regular" milk she's used to.

1 1/2 cup oats
8 cups water
1 pinch of salt
2 tbs canola oil
1 tbs maple syrup


Mix oats and water with a hand held mixer, in a blender or food processor for a a minute or so. Strain milk through a cheese cloth (Save the oat mass that is left to make yummy veggie burgers or patties of).
Blend in salt, oil and maple syrup. Keep refrigerated in a pitcher or glass bottle. Shake before serving. 

Stevia sweetened sweet ice tea

Today at the famers market I found fresh stevia. I've seen it before but never thought of buying it. I love making sweet tea but don't like using sugar or honey too much. Now I tired brewing a few of the stevia leafs along with the rooibos tea leafs. It worked great and made a very nice sweet tea so this is how I will do it for now.

Rooibos tea is caffein free so kids can drink it too and they should because it's rich in anti-oxidants and flavonoids which will help boost the immune system which is always important. Rooibos tea is completely pure and natural as it contains no additives, preservatives or colors.  Bella loves drinking tea both warm and cold and her favorites is besides rooibos tea, mint and a mixed kids tea.

Stevia plant in all its glory

10 cups of boiling hot filtered water

2 tbs rooibos tea leafs

2 tbs stevia leafs

Pour water or tea and stevia leafs and brew for 10 minutes. Strain and cool tea in fridge before serving.

Peppermint hot cocoa

Wow we're having our first fall storm and off course it happens when we're dog sitting so poor James and Lola are out in the heavy rain, hopefully taking care of business.

Nothing taste better than after being outside in the cold than a hot drink in this care it was a peppermint hot cocoa. I make it just how my mom just to make if for me when I was little but I added the peppermint since hubby is crazy for chocolate min flavors. 

For one cup:

1 cup milk ( I used almond milk)

1 tbs cocoa powder

1 tsp agave nectar ( more if you like it sweeter)

2 drops peppermint oil

Heat everything in a sauce pot on medium heat and whisk it until it's all combined and there are no lumps. Enjoy with a dollop of cream for extra luxury.

Apple and pear drink from leftovers

As you all know by now, I've had a huge amount of pears and apples since our fruit picking adventure in Julian 10 days ago. Since then I've been cooking apple and pear sauce, dried apples and pears and cooked with apples. Peeling and coring all those fruits made me realized how much I throw away and wondered if there was anyway to use it.

The next time I was making apple and pear sauce, I saved all those cores and peels and made a wonderful drink from it. To preserve the drink since I don't add anything to it,  I froze most of it in glass and plastic bottles so we'll have  some for a later time.

10 cups or apples or pear or both peels and cores
1 lemon, washed and cut in half
10 cups water
1/2 cup sugar (optional)

Place everything in a large pot and bring to boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Let it sit over night. Strain and discard fruit. The drink in general taste great as it but if you want it sweeter add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until dissolved. Pour into clean bottles and place in freezer.