Acai bowl

I promised Bella an acai bowl and I mostly (I try) keep my promises so for afternoon snack she got her acai. Acai is a berry and can be bought in many shapes and forms; juice, frozen and dried. It's known for it high antioxidant capacity, even more than blueberries.

She wanted me to make just like I had it for breakfast yesterday; soft served in a bowl topped with granola and bananas. I used RAW granola from Go Raw and it's Bella's and mine favorite. It contains buckwheat, dates, sprouted flax seeds and raisins.

2/3 cup frozen acai ( I used Sambazon's original rio style )

1/2 cup almond milk

1 small banana

1/4 cup granola

Mix acai, milk and 1/2 of the banana in a blender just so it becomes blended and soft. pour into a bowl. Slice remaining 1/2 banana over and top with granola.

Homamade vegetable milk

We only drink almond, hemp and oat milk in this house and between me and Bella we consume a lot of milk. I have in the past, made my own chocolate nut milk which was very easy but I wanted to try to make sesame milk.

Sesame seeds are loaded with nutrition and actually contains more calcium than cows milk. The seeds are perfect for anyone with a nut allergy and also contains high amounts of copper, magnesium, iron and fibers. Now this nutrition is based on unhulled sesame seeds and if you use hulled ones then the nutrition goes down a little.

Up until now I've been eating sesame seeds by sprinkling them on my oat meal and eating tahini but I've heard about sesame milk so I gave it a try. Oh my good it was so yummy so now it's what I eat with my oat meal and make smoothies from.

Sesame milk can be a little bitter so I choose to sweetened mine with maple syrup. I used a soy milk maker to make my milk but it can also be done in a blender and then just strain the milk in a cheese cloth.

1/2 cup unhulled sesame seeds, soaked over night in

3 cups water

1 pinch of sea salt

2 tbs maple syrup

Place the soaked seeds in the seeds container and add the soaking water. Add maple syrup and salt before processing until desired consistency. The milk will stay fresh for a few days in the fridge.

Orange-ginger smoothie

I like drinking a smoothie as a snack. It gives me everything I need to support my pregnant body and the little creation growing in side me. This smoothie contains ginger which can help ease nausea which I still struggle with at 18 weeks??!!!! I got beautiful valencia oranges delivered from Seabreeze so I used them to adding folic acid and vitamin C.

Orange-ginger smoothie

1 1/2 cup So delicious cultured milk, vanilla flavored

1 large orange, peeled and sectioned

1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Place everything in a blender and process until completely smooth.

Mother's milk

So we finally arrived home after a long flight and fell right to sleep. I loved waking up in my own home and sitting in my garden with fresh watermelon for breakfast. We did a home exchange this year and the family who lived in our home were less then pleased with the crummy weather San Diego been having which is so unusual for here. However, we must have brought the sun because yesterday was sunny and warm.

In the afternoon I sat outside again doing some work and had a snack which satisfied me and mygrowing belly. It's so simple blueberry milk with extra nutrition added from spirulina. Spirulina is a green alga which is known for for it's ability with stimulate and strengthen the body's immune system which can be a little lower when you are pregnant. It also contains very high amounts of protein as well as vitamin B which can help with morning sickness. The blueberries and small berries made with so much nutrition. It contains vitamin C and it dark color is a powerful antioxidants which again will aid in strengthening the immune system and help maintain a healthy pregnancy.

Blueberry milk

1 1/2 cup almond milk (cold)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tsp honey, agave nectar or maple syrup

2 tsp spirulina powder

Place everything in a blender and process until smooth. Drink right away!

Power smoothie

My husband usually goes to yoga early in the morning which leaves me and Bella all to our self. It's been pretty hot in the mornings here so a simple smoothie is the answer. Cool, smooth and packed with nutrients, what more can you ask of a breakfast. I make then green by adding spinach and spirulina. I know, it does not sound very appetising but the fruit masks the taste as well as color of the greens. I think it's great way t get my toddler to eat more green vegetables and she thinks it's a treat. I also use coconut water and hemp seeds for protein.

1 1/2 glass green power smoothie

1 1/2 cup coconut water (or use water or non-dairy milk of your liking)

1 large banana

1 cup frozen blueberries

1 tbs spirulina

1 tbs hemp seeds

1 cup spinach, chopped

Place everything in a blender and process until smooth and no lumps. Enjoy right away.

Green smoothie turning toddler green

I love my green smoothies, especially when I have been to yoga and I'm not that hungry. I made one last night and Bella off course seeing this want some too. I really had my doubts she would like it but oh my she loved it. I don't know why I'm surprised, she likes most things we eat and wants to taste everything. I'm soooo lucky. Green smoothies is a great way to get greens into your diet with out that taste of them. Now I happen to love kale, Swiss chard and collard greens but one thing I don't care so much for is seaweed so I add spirulina into the smoothie. Seaweed can help with iodine deficiency caused by hypothyroid which I have so I try to add it as much as possible. I also add maca powder which also can help balance my hormones which are unbalanced due to the thyroid problem.

A green mouth ready for green smoothes

Green smoothie for one

1 cup milk of your choice, I like almond

1 medium banana

1 cup blueberries

1 cup chopped green (spinach, kale, Swiss chard etc)

1 scoop maca powder

1 tsp spirulina powder

Place everything in either a blender or food processor and mix on high for 2-3 minutes or until there are no choppy pieces left.

The goodness of coconut

When we were in Cambodia couple of years ago our guide treated us to a young coconut with a straw and we had our first taste of coconut juice and we were hooked. Here in San Diego you can find young coconut every where. Actually this is Isabella's treat when we go to the farmers market and she loves them because of their sweetness. I love the taste of the juice and meat in my smoothies because it reminds me a Pina Colada and since I don't drink this is the closes I get to one. Coconuts has great health benefits. Coconut fruits are rich in protein. The meat is very good in destroying intestinal parasites, that we might contract from eating infected food. The water/juice is good for kidney and urinary bladder problems. 

Pina Colada smoothie, virgin off course. Serves one

Juice and meat from one young coconut

1 cup pineapple chunks

1 Banana

Blend everything in a blender and enjoy right away.

Making detox easy and good

James is on a detox diet and does not eat dairy, soy, flour, sugar etc. As you can tell there is a limited versatility to his menu and it requires an imaginary mind to make breakfast interesting and felt I was the woman for the job.. I came up with these very simple but fun smoothie. I added some spirulina to add protein and minerals. Spirulina had an impressive 60% protein content and has great muscle building potential. It contains a powerful combination of minerals including iron, calcium and magnesium. I made them up and Isabella wanted to taste and even she loved them.

1 smoothie

1/4 cup cashew nuts soak over night in 1 cup water

1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen if you want a more frozen smoothie)

1 tbs spirulina powder

Mix the cashews with the soaking water with a hand held mixer or in a blender until smooth. Add the berries and spirulina

Almond butter & Banana smoothie

I love all kinds of Smoothies and here in San Diego it's smoothie mecca. You can almost find a original smoothie bar in every corner. I however like to make my own and this one is my very favourite.

1 smoothie

I,5 cup soy milk (rice, hemp or cows milk)

2 tbs almond butter (or peanut butter etc)

1 tbs chocolate flavored protein powder (I like Spirutein or you can just add chocolate milk)

I ripe banana

Put it all in a blender and mix. Yummy for your tummy!!!