Written by contributor Britney Manuel of BtanJerine and A Simply Raw Life

Every year I like to try to do a juicing cleanse as a way to reset my body, and to be more conscience of what I am putting into it. This go round I wanted to mix up some of the juices that I would be making so that I wouldn’t get bored by the second day. The gals over at Simple Green Smoothies wrote a great article on juicing vs. blending and you can read more of the benefits of juicing here.

Juicing and having something beautiful to drink is just as important as the drink tasting good, and having nutritional value.

Because as they say, “you eat with your eyes first.” The rich merlot color of this juice is both beautiful and vibrant. And the tots will love it, why you ask?… Well for those that have an aversion to green there is no hint of anything green in this drink even though it has a fair share of veggies. The beets camouflage any greens that are put into this drink, so the kiddos will never even know! And it doensn’t taste green. If  you proportion it right the major taste will be apple, with low notes of the ginger and beet.

Purple Power Juice

Ingredients

Generous handful of spinach
1/2 beet plus beet tops
Ginger (about the size of a dime)
1 cup blueberries
2 apples
3 small carrots
6 strawberries

Directions

Juice all ingredients and stir. If you are not going to drink it right away, chill in the refrigerator. NOTE: I don’t bother peeling anything, and I keep the tops on the strawberries.

Makes 4 cups

Happy Juicing!

Did you know that 1 cup of pumpkin has more potassium than a banana? Potassium supports your heart and muscles. Pumpkin puree, whether fresh or canned, is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants– including vitamin A, vitamin K and a little vitamin B. This combo supports vision, cell reproduction, fetal development and immunity health. Pumpkins are a fiber-rich, low-calorie and low-fat fruit.

Green Smoothie Popsicle Recipe: Pumpkin + Spinach + Mango

If you have a picky eater, freezing leftover green smoothies in popsicle molds are the perfect way to get your child to eat their veggies! Makes 4 popsicles.

Ingredients

1 cup fresh pumpkin (or canned)
1 banana (frozen banana will make it colder)
1 cup mango (fresh or frozen)
2 cups spinach
2 cups almond milk
1 tsp pumpkin spice
vanilla extract

Directions

Blend spinach and almond milk together for 30 seconds. Next add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Pour smoothie into popsicle molds and freeze for a few hours. Once frozen, run the popsicle molds under cool water for 30 to 60 seconds– this allows the popsicle to slide easily out of the popsicle mold. Don’t have a popsicle mold? These BPA-free popsicles molds have 331 raving reviews on Amazon, and they are only $10.

More pumpkin recipe inspiration

Looking for more recipe ideas using pumpkins? Try this pumpkin seed recipe using coconut oil. And you have to make this pumpkin pie play dough for your child!

Fact: Most of my green smoothies turn out brownish-purple, army green or nasty brown (yes, that’s a real color name in my book).

I’ve seen so many pictures of green smoothies on Pinterest that are a light green and they look so refreshing, healthy and well, like a green smoothie. So I decided to take a break from my super antioxidant berries (which turn my smoothies these disgusting colors) and make one with pears, bananas, almond milk, greek yogurt and spinach.

The result was a creamy, mild-tasting and very filling green smoothie. Truly, the closest thing to comfort food you can get in a green smoothie. And photo-worthy, I must add.

Funny thing is, my green-smoothie loving kids weren’t fans. They like the pukey-colored smoothies better (probably because it’s sweeter). Yet I think this is a great smoothie to have in the afternoon and will be making one at least once a week for myself to enjoy and pack in some protein.

Green Smoothie : Spinach + Pear + Banana

This smoothie is very creamy and chock full of protein from the yogurt and almond milk. It has a more mild taste compared to my favorite smoothie, and is a nice way to add variety into the smoothie routine. Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

1 pear
1 banana (frozen banana will make it colder)
2 cups spinach
1 cup almond milk
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
honey, optional

Directions

Blend spinach and almond milk together for 30 seconds. Next add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. If it’s not sweet enough for you, add some honey. That’s what I did and it was oh, so good.

RAWESOME Fact: One serving of kiwi fruit gives the body 230% of what the body requires in a day!

This fat-burning fruit packed with vitamin C allows the body to heal wounds, increase iron absorption, and boost the immune system. Five-seven servings of kiwi and other citrus fruits should keep your immune system strong this cold and flu season.

Green Smoothie: ENERGY-BOOSTER Kiwi + Kale + Avocado

This green smoothie recipe is delightfully sweet and tangy. The banana and avocado provide a rich, thick texture that keeps the smoothie creamy; while the kiwi adds the perfect boost for energy and wakes up your metabolism. Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients

1 kiwi
1 avocado
1 banana
1 cup mango (frozen)
1 cup pineapple (frozen)
2 cups kale
2 cups water

Directions

Blend kale and filtered water together for 30 seconds. Next add remaining ingredients and blend until creamy. Cheers!

P.S. I keep the kiwi skin on for extra fiber, but many don’t like the taste, so feel free to strip your kiwi down to its bright green goodness!

Spinach and grapes are packed with antioxidants and phytonutrients– so this green smoothie is super healthy and yummy. No added sugar or water needed– this is a sweet take on a child’s classic sandwich filled with fresh fruit and leafy greens. Grapes are a low glycemic index fruit, so it has a better blood sugar balance. Almond butter is a healthy protein source and the better alternative for a paleo diet because almonds are true nuts that grow on trees (peanuts are actually legumes and grow underground, so not paleo-friendly). Spinach is a powerhouse leafy green packed with vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, manganese for bone health; and plenty of vitamin B2 and B6 for a perfect energy booster!

Almond Butter and “Jelly” Green Smoothie

Join us in our green smoothie revolutions where we inspire more kids to drink their green smoothies filled with plant-based ingredients with no added sugar, grains, dairy, or gluten. Today I let my daughter play with her food– and this is what we came up with together.

ingredients

2 ripe bananas
2 c. red and/or black grapes
2 c. baby spinach
4 tbs almond butter

directions

1. Blend your spinach and grapes together until you get a juice-like consistency
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend
3. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or use frozen grapes instead of fresh.
4. Top with raw sliced almonds

want more smoothies?

For more plant-based green smoothie recipes, click here. Share in the comments below what you put int your smoothie today!

I’ve made this green smoothie almost every day for the past year. I guess I am kinda like my dad— when you find something that works, why change it up? It only has five ingredients (and one being water), doesn’t take much food prep, and tastes very yummy (seriously). My kids even ask for it! It’s such a proud moment as a parent when kids are craving fruits and veggies over processed foods. It doesn’t happen every day, but it does happen a LOT! Hope you enjoy my tried and true green smoothie recipe!

Jen’s Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe

This five ingredient smoothie is a full of iron, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants.

Ingredients

1 banana
2 cups strawberries (either fresh or defrosted)
1 cup blueberries (either fresh or defrosted))
2 cups fresh spinach
1 cup water (We started with half water and half orange juice and slowly tapered out the OJ)

Directions

Throw it all in the blender at once. Serve immediately for best consistency. 

** FYI: This green smoothie is more like a purple smoothie… thanks to the blueberries. 

For more green smoothie recipes click here.

Written by contributor Marieke Beeler of M for Mommy.

We’re pretty much a soda-free house.  For parties we might have a few cans of soda in the fridge to serve to guests, but between my husband and myself, the number of sodas consumed over a year, can be counted on one hand.  So, this lemonade is one of our favorites in the summer.  It is easy to make and the fact that it uses only fresh ingredients makes this drink the ultimate refreshment for a warm summer day.

The lemon and lime are the refreshing factors in this summer drink, while the mint adds just a bit of spice to it.  And the colors…well, they scream “SUMMER” as much as they possibly can.

This lemonade can be an easy afternoon refreshment, yet it is also perfect to serve at parties.  The recipe is easy to convert into a larger-quantity drink to suit the needs of a a larger crowd at parties and summer get-togethers.  And because it holds well overnight, it can be prepared the evening before, leaving you with one less thing to prep for your summer bash.  (If you prep it the evening before, refresh the mint leaves before serving.  Fresh leafs just look prettier.)

Here’s to summer!

Lemonade with Lime & Mint

Ingredients
4 lemons, plus slices for garnish
3 limes, plus slices for garnish
1/3 cup fresh mint leafs
3/4 cup superfine sugar, plus additional if desired, divided
8 cups cold water

Directions:
Squeeze the juice from the lemons and limes over a strainer into a glass measuring cup (about 1 cup of juice).  In the bottom of a tall pitcher, use a wooden spoon to gently mash the mint leafs with 1/4 cup of the sugar.  Add the strained juice and stir well to dissolve the sugar.  Add the cold water and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar to the pitcher.  Stir well to dissolve the sugar.
Taste for sweetness and add more sugar, if desired.  Chill before serving.
Serve the Lemonade with Lime & Mint poured over ice in tall glasses, garnished with lemon and lime slices.

If you want to make sure to stay hydrated this summer, check out Marieke’s post on infusing water (the natural way) with fruits and herbs at M for Mommy.

Recipe originally from The Deen Brothers.

Join the discussion!

What is YOUR favorite summer drink?

Written by contributor Marieke Beeler of M for Mommy.

If you’re a mom, you may want to consider sharing this post with your spouse.  If you’re a dad, surprise mom with this drink for breakfast (or brunch if she gets to sleep in) on Sunday.  This Fresh Strawberry Bellini is a great alternative to the classic Mimosa.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Mimosa’s, but it’s good to have some variation on the theme and be surprised once-in-a-while.

Fresh strawberries + bubbles = Deliciously Fresh Strawberry Bellini.  Yep, it’s that simple!

The Bellini is a long drink cocktail containing prosecco (Italian sparkling wine) & peach puree.  This recipe uses strawberry puree instead, thus turning this into a Strawberry Bellini.  With strawberries in season, I prefer to use the fresh fruit, giving the Strawberry Bellini a freshness that cannot be achieved by using frozen berries. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Bellini

Ingredients
1 bottle prosecco
2 cups pureed and strained fresh strawberries
Special equipment: blender, strainer, iced Champagne flutes, pitcher and a tall “swizzle stirrer” (for the pitcher)

Directions:
Place 8 Champagne flutes in the freezer for 20 minutes.  Open the prosecco and let it stand in an ice bucket for 5 minutes.  Into a pitcher, pour the 2 cups pureed strawberries.  Gently pour in the bottle of prosecco and stir gently to combine.  Divide among the Champagne flutes and serve.

This recipe uses the whole bottle of prosecco, making enough for 8 glasses.  It is easy to make fewer servings, however, do realize that leaves you with left over bubbles…

For more delicious recipes or brunch ideas, visit Marieke at M for Mommy.

Recipe originally from Mario Batali

Join the discussion!

What is your favorite Mother’s Day treat (food-wise or otherwise)?

A chai tea latte is my drink of choice when I visit a coffee shop. I judge a coffee shop by the way they make their chai tea latte. I always look for the perfect blend of spices, a hint of vanilla, and not too sweet.

Last year my mom introduced me to the aerolatte milk frother and a fancy little home chai tea recipe. Now it’s like I have a Starbucks in the comfort of my own home (and honestly, unless you order the “no water chai,” you would enjoy my chai tea way better).

I got the nifty mugs from Target. And the canapé plates (a small plate for small bites), I won at a white elephant gift exchange 8 years ago. These tiny plates come from Santa Barbara Ceramic Design, and I use them all of the time.

I served my friend a chai tea latte today when we were having a playdate with our girls. She went ahead and uploaded a few pics from our day to Instagram.

So now I will share my mom’s comfort in a mug recipe…

Tazo Chai Tea Latte Recipe

1/2 cup organic 1% milk (can substitute your individual type of milk or soy milk)
1 Tazo Organic Chai Tea Bag
1 cup boiling water
Tahitian Vanilla Powder (can substitute any vanilla powder, chocolate powder, or ground cinnamon)
Optional: sweeten with sugar or sugar substitute

Pour milk into your favorite microwavable nifty mug. Heat in microwave, on high for 45 seconds. Use aerolatte to froth hot milk, until light and fluffy. Place chai tea bag into mug, add hot water and steep for 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze tea bag and discard.
Sprinkle top of frothed milk with vanilla powder. (I also sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg and drizzle honey – I don’t add sugar, but we did add a little whip cream today…)

Tip from my mommy: It’s not a good idea to save and re-use tea bags. They lose flavor and strength and more importantly, can harbor mold and bacteria, when left out.

Looking for another warm beverage recipe? Check out my mulled wine recipe here. I think you’ll like it.

Cheers!