Vitamix Swiss Rye Bread

I'm getting more questions about bread recipes to make with soups. And to catch some of you up......YES!!! You can make bread dough in your Vitamix. Here is the link to the official Vitamix Swiss Rye recipe. Good luck :)

http://vitamix.ahoy.com/recipe/recipe.cgi/1/23/

The fruit, the whole fruit, and nothing but the fruit

1  mango pealed and cored

1" slice of pineapple pealed but leave core

1 handful of blueberries

1 handful of strawberries

1/2 medium banana

1 cup of ice

Blend on high for 30 seconds to get a nice smoothy texture :)

Lemonade icy

If you like ice and you like lemonade, this is a recipe for you. 

2      Meyer lemons (peal off zest)

1/2   Banana

2       Tablespoons of agave nectar

3       Cups of ice

Start your Vitamix on 1 and slowly walk it up to high pushing ingredients into the blade with your tamper stick.  When the four pillows form in each corner on the top it's ready. Enjoyed best on the back porch in the shade with others :)

The Big AL

Consuming Dark leafy greens and celery are a great way to alkali (hence the smoothie name "big AL") your digestive system.  Give this guy a try. It tastes fresh and its an excellent way to stabilize your system.  If you would prefer to have a more bitter green like kale the swap that for the spinach and add a dime sized slice of ginger root or poker chip size of lime to mask the green bitter taste and add more nutrition. 

2 stalks of celery

2 handfuls of spinach

1   3/4" slice of fresh pineapple with core

1 medium banana 

1 cup of ice. 

Run on smoothie setting or high for 30-45 seconds for a nice smoothie juice texture. 

Peanuts?

Great link to learn and/or refresh on benefits of

 peanuts. 

http://health.wikinut.com/10-Health-Benefits-of-Peanuts/fhnw2.c./

An apple a day........

Yeah, apples are that good

http://www.naturalhealth365.com/tag/apple-seeds

Got protein?

This week I want to share a link with you. The most common question I get (10-15 times daily) is "where is the protein in your drink."  We all know that protein is very important to incorporate in our meals. One great source for getting your protein is in seeds. It is known that in the olden days, (before our American diet tripped us and now has us falling with all kinds of health issues), traditionally many before us knew that it was important to consume food for fuel not just taste, right?  Its great to see our awareness increase and our eagerness to duplicate what we used to do when we where, what I understand, most likely healthier or at least without so many day to day allergies and irritations. Before the microwave and fast food, we as human being used to eat lots of fresh nutrient dense whole foods.  If we go way back, a common kitchen appliance that probably fit nicely in the cave next to the fire pit and bear skin blanket, was a mortar and pestle.  A simple as a stick and a depressed 

bowl shaped rock, a mortar and pestle was used 

for preparing/breaking down many foods including

seeds. I understand that  this tool is still being used 

in 3rd world countries and some of our kitchens

today but now, we have a Vitamix for such tasks :)

With access to supplements, many of us turn to a 

pill or powder to ensure we get our protein. Today

I want to share this link of high protein seeds that 

can also be a great way to boost the protein

portion in our diet. This link will get you to a blog 

put together by a health enthusiast and triathlon 

competitor named Rich Roll. I'm glad he has

kindly shared his experience of getting on the 

healthy train. Not only is his list of seeds 

I am sharing with you awesome, but if you get a

chance to google him you will be motivated by

his health transformation journey. 

  http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4491

/My-Top-7-Sources-of-PlantBased-

Protein.html

Shaved ice

Ingredients you will need:

Ice cubes (to easy) 

With the container empty, turn your Vitamix on and work it up to high

Turn the clear top on your lid a quarter turn and pull it out and turn it upside down and put it back over the whole 

Grab a couple of cups of ice or more if you want and one by one drop them through the top.  Give each cube a second before loading the next. 

Here's the trick. The first couple of cubes are a little bouncy in the container. It's nice to have that clear upside down plug to cover the hole immediately after you drop the cube of ice down.  If its bouncy on you, and I'm sure it will be, that upside down plug does the trick. 

After you've dropped all if your ice cubes through one by one, turn off the machine and scoop your shaved ice out with a wooden spoon into some cups to serve

In a future post Ill give you some flavoring/topping ideas for your snow cones. 

Happy summer :)

Spring cleaning

Get your pitcher looking sparkling clean. If you use your machine a lot and/or have hard water like our house, you may notice your pitcher getting a cloudy look to it. This recipe will do the trick for you.

1 cup of liquid bleach or vinegar. (unfortunately bleach works the best)

2 cups of water

Run on high for 5-6 min.

Pour out liquid

3 cups of water and run in high for a couple min. to rinse. If you use bleach like me, repeat another time or 2 on the rinse.

Chocolate ice cream w/ avocado.

4-5 servings

1 cup non dairy creamer

1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder or squirt-able Hershey's chocolate.

1/2 avocado

1/4 cup sugar (or more to your taste)

3-4 cups of ice

Run on frozen desert setting or up to high pushing ingredients into the blade tell you hear machine growl. Turn off when you see 4 mounds form on top. Serve immediately.

Orange Cream sickle ice cream

1/4 cup of welchs orange, pineapple, apple juice concentrate not frozen

1 navel orange

1/2 banana

1 handful of carrots ( or veggie of your choice)

1 little dribble of non dairy French vanilla creamer

3 cups of ice

***Run on the frozen dessert setting

Hail to kale

1 1" slice of pineapple
1 Medium ripe banana
1 Poker chip slice of lime
1 Dime size slice of ginger root
3 Kale leaves (remove stems)
1 Cup of frozen natures three berries (Costco)
3-4 ice cubes
1 cup of water
(Optional add a little honey to taste)

Run on high for about 1 min. or smoothy setting twice to break down seeds from berries.

Orange juice.....Orange Julius style

about 2 servings:

1 orange (pealed)
1 slice of lime OR lemon (poker chip size)
1 inch slice of banana
1 squirt of agave nectar to taste
1/4 cup of water
1 cup ice

Run on smoothy setting or on high for about 30 seconds. Nice creamy textured orange juice.

Lean and green #2

About 1 serving (32 oz. )

1/2 Fiji apple
3/4" slice of pineapple
1 handful of frozen strawberries
1/4 Banana
1 handful of spinach
1/4 Cup of water
1 Cup of ice

Run on high for 45-50 sec or smoothy setting

Four fruit smoothie with carrots

Makes 2-3 servings
Nice fruit taste

1 navel orange (pealed)
1 3/4" slice of pineapple
1 1/3 of banana
3-4 frozen strawberries
1 handful of baby carrots
1 small squirt of agave nectar
1 cup of ice

Start on smoothy presenting, push ingredients through with stick. Serves as a smoothy texture.

Green apple ice cream

Pour 100% apple juice concentrate up to the blades (thawed)

1 banana

1 fist full of baby spinach

3 cups of ice

Run on high for 45 sec or on frozen dessert setting pushing everything to the blades with the stick until consistent texture.

Piña Colada

1 Squirt of agave nectar

Then pour water tell you reach the top of the nut on the blades

1 1" slice of pineapple

1/2 banana

3 cups of ice

Run on high for 45 sec or frozen desserts setting. Use the stick to push through to ensure even blend.

Dr. Oz’s Cancer-Fighting Breakfast Smoothie

not my own recipe but a good one
about 2 servings
Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup blackberries
1 cup packed chopped kale leaves
1 cup ice

Run on high for about 45 second or smoothy setting

Tropic Thunder

About 2 servings:

2 handfuls of red seedless grapes
1/2 honey crisp apple
3/4" slice of pineapple
1/3 banana
1 handful of baby carrots
1 little squirt of agave nectar
1/2 cup of water
1 cup ice

Blend on high for 45 sec or on smoothy setting

Tortilla vegetable soup

About 2 servings:
1 Handful of baby carrots
1 Roma tomato
1 Stalk of celery
1 clove of garlic
1 veggie bullion cube (or chicken flavor)
1 tablespoon of taco seasoning (mcCormick original flavor)

Fill pitcher with water up to the 3 cup line with all ingredients already in.

Run on high for 5-6 min. Or on soup setting

With machine not running add:
1/2 cup canned black beans
1/2 cup canned corn
1 slice of red cabbage
1 handfull of tortilla chips

Put on the 1 setting and run for 5 seconds

Benefits of blending

Visit these links:

http://healthycosmos.com/?p=443

http://www.blendingfood.com/diet-benefits/

10 reasons to eat pineapple

Great article, here is the link

http://www.lifescript.com/food/articles/0/10_reasons_to_eat_pineapple.aspx

Here's a great article too.

http://perfectformuladiet.com/plant-based-nutrition/six-reasons-to-make-pineapple-a-favorite-fruit/

Mango sorbet

About 5 servings:

1/2 cup of 100% white grape peach juice concentrate (thawed)
1 handful of frozen mango chunks
1 handful of baby carrots
3 cups of ice

Run on high for 45 sec.

Strawberry sorbet the healthy way

About 5 servings:

1/4 cup 100% apple juice concentrate (thawed liquid form) or agave.
5 frozen strawberries
1 handful of carrots
1/2 Roma tomato
2-3 cups of ice
Run on high pushing with stick for 45 seconds or frozen desert setting

Beet smoothy

Nothing "Beets" a beet smoothie:
 About 2 servings:

1 Large beet (cut into 4 pieces makes it easier to push into blender blade)
1/2 cup of frozen cherries
1 cup frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder (optional)
1 cup of water 
5-8 ice cubes

Blend on high for 60 seconds

Green orange juice

About 3 servings

1/2 cup water
1 1/2 med sized navel oranges pealed
1 med sized honey crisp apple halved
Slice of lime
Thumb of ginger root
BIG fist of baby spinach
5-6 ice cubes

Blend on high for about 45 seconds

Carrot juice "n" some fruit

About 3 servings:

1 cup of grapes
1 med sized apple
1 navel orange pealed
1/2" slice of pineapple pealed
1 handful of baby carrots
1/2 cup water
5 ice cubes
1 small squirt of agave nectar

Run on high, push fruit through with stick and let run for another 45 seconds

PROTEIN SHAKE

PROTEIN SHAKE
great if you like peanut butter and bananas

1 serving:

1 cup of milk or milk substitute like almond milk
1/2 raw oats (oat meal)
1 medium sized banana
1 scoop protein powder (vanilla)
1 small handful of peanuts or a spoon full of peanut butter
3-5 ice cubes to liking

Run on high for 45 seconds

Hot apple cider

HAPPY HOLIDAY HOT APPLE CIDER
   2 servings
      1 and 1/2 cups of hot water
      1 honey crisp apple (cut in four)
      1 teaspoon of cinnamon
   Blend on high for 1 min.  push apples into blade with stick as needed

Cashew ice cream

CASHEW ICE CREAM
      1/4 cup agave necter
      1 Small hand full of raw non-salted cashews
      2 cups of ice
   Blend on High for about 30 seconds, using stick to move material into blade as needed
add a cube or two of dark chocolate to satisfy you chocolate craving :)

THE GREEN MONSTER (lime sorbet)

THE GREEN MONSTER

 Nice fresh lemon or lime taste in a sorbet

   About 6 servings:

     1 generous squirt of agave or honey to liking
     water, apple juice or milk up to the nut that holds the pitcher blade on (up to about 1/4 cup mark on   pitcher)  
     3/4 of a lemon or 1/2 of a lime

     1/4 avocado (optional, more tart w/out)

     1/2 banana

     1 handful of spinach

     3 cups of ice

   Start speed at 4 and increase to 10 for 45 seconds tell you can see four mounds forming at the top of the ingredients

SPINACH FOR DESSERT

SPINACH FOR DESSERT

If you like lime, you will love this guy

   about 6 servings

     1/4 cup 100% apple juice concentrate

     1/2 lime (with peal)

     1 banana

     1 handful of spinach

     3 cups of ice

   run on high for about 30 seconds using stick until you see four bounds form at the top of of blended  material.

LEAN AND GREEN

LEAN AND GREEN

A delicious way to ensure you are getting your greens.
   about 2 servings:
     2 cups of (green) seedless grapes
     1 navel orange (peeled)
     3/4" thick wedge of pineapple
     1/3 banana
     poker chip size slice of lime
     dime size of ginger root
     1 handful of spinach, kale, or broccoli
     1 handful of ice
   start on a 4 setting and push through with stick.  turn up to high for 45 seconds

IF YOU PEAR

IF YOU PEAR

Since pears are readily available right now give this guy a try.
   about 2 servings:
     2 cups of (green) seedless grapes
     1/2 navel orange pealed (leave white pith for more vitamins)
     1/2 pineapple wedge about 3/4" thick
     1/2 bartlett pair with core
     1 handful of ice if you desire it chilled
  Start on about a 4 and push the fruit into blade with stick.  Turn up to high for 45 seconds.