Mango Pinacolada

The Ingredients:
handful of Frozen mango
2 handfuls of fresh pineapple
2 or 3 handfuls of baby spinach
coconut milk (until it's the right consistancy)
couple of drops of stevia
splash of vanilla

Monday Morning Mix-up

Good Morning and Happy Monday!!!!

My boys and I are enjoying this smoothie right now as I type! :) It is good!

4 whole strawberries
1 banana
1/2 avocado
1/4 - 1/2 cup Almond Milk
10 ice cubes

Strawberry and Pineapple Smoothie

Good Morning and Happy Monday Mix-up!!!!

We made it home safely and now trying to get organized and back in the swing of things! We had a wonderful vacation and I really enjoyed (cherished) my time with my boys! :) We stayed very active the entire trip. We went hiking twice, swimming everyday, went to a water park twice, played golf, played on the beach (of a lake), walked around, ran on large fields and much much more! I even enjoyed a relaxing hot stone massage!!!! :)

Since our quality of food was not perfect I made smoothies!!!! :)

I did not take any pictures but thought this was a cute drawing!!!! 

Strawberry Pineapple Smoothie

5 strawberries (stem and all!)

2 large pieces of pineapple

1 Amande Strawberry Almond Milk Yogurt

6 piece ice

1/2 cup Almond Milk

BLEND and ENJOY!

I am glad to be home!!!! 

Monday Morning Mix-up

Yes, I am on vacation... 

I decided on Thursday to write a couple of posts to auto-post while I am enjoying some much needed time with my 3 WONDERFUL boy!!!

Thursday I made this AWESOME smoothie... It is a special treat kind of smoothie!!! It is AWESOME!

Pumpkin Banana Bread Smoothie

1 banana
2 TBSP Pumpkin Puree
1 TBSP Shredded Coconut
5 ice cubes
1 tsp cinnamon
splash or two of Almond Milk (Coconut Milk would be good too!)

BLEND until smooth!!!

Depending on diet -- you can add a vanilla yogurt or protein powder!

Hope you have a wonderful week!!!

Spinach and Strawberries

Good Morning and Happy Monday Morning Mix-up!!!!

These past two weeks have been CRAZY! Baby was sick one week and 3 year old was sick last week. When my boys are sick it takes everything out of me. They sleep patterns are different and demand (which I do not mind) my FULL attention. 

I did not realize how tired I was until I laid down for a nap yesterday. I took a 3 hour nap while baby napped. I then woke up for an hour. I took a shower and feed the baby and figured out what was for dinner and then was back in bed at 5 pm. I slept 13.5 hours... 

I NEEDED it!!!! 

Here is a delicious smoothie!!!

Strawberries (WHOLE)
Spinach (Kale would be good too!)
Shredded Coconut
Almond Milk
Ice

ENJOY!

Spinach and Strawberries

I am sorry that I did not post a Monday Morning Mix-up last week.. Things have been crazy. I have been making smoothies but forgetting to take pictures... 

SO BETTER LATE THEN NEVER!!!!

 3 strawberries
1 large handful Spinach
1/2 cup almond milk
5 ice cubes

ENJOY!!!!

Green Smoothie with Grapefruit

I am sorry for not posting a Monday Morning Mix-Up last week. 

I have been making lots of goodies in my Vitamix but kept forgetting to take pictures! Here is one of my favorite smoothies for the time being. 

Kale, Grapefruit, Banana, Almond Milk 

A peach would be good in this too! 

What is your favorite smoothie right now???

Almond Milk

Good Morning and Happy Monday Morning Mix-up!

I am sad to say that I have not made anything in my Vitamix for over a week now. You see, last week, while my husband was making a smoothie a piece broke. Do not worry it was not his fault and the new piece is on its way.

Thank you Vitamix warranty!

I want to take a second and tell you another reason why I love Vitamix so much. I know, I am obsessed!!!! but really this is so neat. Vitamix has this technology that if a spoon, a piece of the blender, a peach pit, ect hits the blade, another piece breaks. It is meant to break so that the motor is protected. Vitamix now is mailing me my new piece! :)

I made this delicious Almond Milk with Banana. 

The Ingredients:

1/2 cup Almonds

1 cup water

1/2 banana, frozen

The Directions:

Soak Almonds in water for 4 - 6 hours. Drain water and add Almonds and water to blender or Vitamix. Blend on High until the Almonds go smooth. Add banana pieces and blend for another couple of minutes. 

ENJOY!!!!

Next time I will pour the Milk through cheese cloth. 

Kale and Spinach smoothie

Happy Monday!!! Another delicious recipe for green smoothies! 

The Ingredients:

A handful of Kale

A handful of Spinach

2 strawberries

1/2 avocado

1/2 banana

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

Good Morning! First off, I would like to thank Jayme again for guest posting on the blog Friday. If you missed it, go check it out!!!! It was a great post on food combining. 

Second, I would love to hear your feedback about the post. What did you think??? Do you have any further questions??? 

Today's Monday Morning Mix-up

Blueberry Coconut Smoothie

Thank you PrimalToad for an amazing smoothie recipe. I did not follow the recipe exactly but the idea for coconut was all PrimalToad. Might be my new favorite thing to add into smoothies. It added a great texture.

frozen blueberries
unsweetened coconut
stevia
Almonds (like 5)
Almond Milk

Primal Toad added Whey Protein. We didn't have any in the house so I left it out!

I think next time I will try to hide some greens in it! All together delicious! Go check out one of my favorite new bloggers!!! PRIMAL TOAD.

Here is a bonus - smoothie or baby food!!!!

Baby was out of food, so I decided to just start throwing things into the vitamix, in hopes of a good creation!

1/2 avocado

1/2 eaten apple (thank you 3 year old!)

1 cup spinach

water

It had pulp from the 1/2 apple but didn't seem to bother the baby. 

I even had some!!! It was good!

The Very Hungry Caterpillar --- GIVEAWAY

I am so excited about this post!!! I can't even begin to tell you!!!! This is not going to be a normal MONDAY MORNING MIX-UP!!!! 

About a month ago, I was contacted by Chelsy with Big Honch Media. She asked me if I would be interested in reviewing the book and hosting a GIVEAWAY for my readers.

Um - yes!!! I love The Very Hunger Caterpillar. (check out their site!)

 This book is one of our favorite books. 

Can you tell??? 

Our book has seen better days! We read it often!

I love this book for many reasons!!!! It is colorful. It teaches the days of the week. But most importantly -- it teaches our beliefs on nutrition.

Did you know it has a nutritional message???

Here is how we see it! The Very Hungry Caterpillar ate an apple, 2 pears, 3 plums, 4 strawberries and 5 oranges. But then he goes for not so good choices! A piece of chocolate cake, ice cream cone, pickle, swiss cheese, salami, lollipop, piece of cherry pie, sausage, cupcake and watermelon.  (Ok - some those those things can be good. Let's hope the meat is grass fed and nitrate free and the cheese is raw! :))
Thankfully, those last foods the caterpillar ate gave him a tummy ache. Most importantly, the last day The Very Hungry Caterpillar chose a BIG LEAF (leafy greens! :) ) and his tummy was all better!!! 

Encouraging fruits and green leafy foods is a must in this day and age where kids are often promoted fast foods and processed JUNK. Our 3 year old is well aware that JUNK makes your belly hurt and is learning the better choices. (more to come on that!) He has told me, "Mommy, my belly is hurting, I think I need some greens because they will help!" (tear!) 

I am so thankful that Eric Carle wrote this book and that my 3 year old loves it so much!!!! 

Here is a little video on Eric Carle. 

I love the story of how this book was created!!! Thank you hole puncher!!! :) 

In honor of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day, Sunday March 20, I will be hosting a giveaway.  

THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR

Book Giveaway

One winner will WIN a copy of the Very Hungry Caterpillar Finger Puppet Book

I'm JEALOUS!!! 

Two additional winners receive copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar


HOW DO YOU WIN????? 

The Details:
1. Comment! Comment today and comment all week to up your chances!
2. Follow us! Become an Enjoying Healthy Foods Lover (on the sidebar) or "Like" us on Facebook.  
(now accepting emails for updates! See sidebar) 
** Let me know if you do so for SOME BONUS POINTS & entry!
3. Spread the love! Tell a friend or two and let me know that you sent them our way! Write about this giveaway on facebook or your blog. Get the word out about Healthy Eating and this great book!!!! :) 
4.  Winner will be announced in Friday's Fun Fact post - make sure to check back, on Friday, to see if you are the WINNERS!!!!


HAPPY COMMENTING and Best of Luck!!! 


Giveaway is sponsored by Penguin and is open to addresses in the U.S.

About the Healthy Eating Partnerships:

The Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the American Academy of Pediatrics have joined with the best-selling children’s book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and with We Give Books to help families learn about healthy eating habits at home. The Eating Healthy. Growing Strong campaign is an important part of the Alliance ’s mission to combat childhood obesity.

This spring, more than 17,500 pediatrician offices across the United States will receive free copies of specially created The Very Hungry Caterpillar books, together with growth charts and parent handouts that encourage doctors and parents to have meaningful conversations about the importance of healthy eating. You can read more about the initiative and download the growth chart and parent handout on the Healthy Children and Alliance for a Healthier Generation campaign websites.  

Monday Morning Mix-up Vol. 3

Even though fruit is in the ingredient list-sugar is, too. The smoothies are made by adding ice and low fat yogurt to a fruit blend. McDonald’s sells two different kinds of smoothies: Wild Berry and Strawberry Banana. Here’s the ingredient list for each fruit blend:

Strawberry Banana Fruit Blend
Strawberry puree, banana puree, water, sugar, concentrated apple juice, contains less than 1% of the following: Cellulose powder, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, xanthan gum, citric acid, colored with fruit and vegetable juice, pectin.

Wild Berry Fruit Blend
Strawberry puree, water, sugar, blackberry puree, blueberry puree, concentrated pineapple juice, concentrated apple juice, contains less than 1% of the following: Cellulose powder, xanthan gum, colored with fruit and vegetable juice, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, pectin, citric acid.

Low Fat Yogurt (Added to both smoothies)
Cultured Grade A reduced fat milk, sugar, whey protein concentrate, fructose, corn starch, kosher gelatin. Contains active yogurt cultures.

The FDA requires the ingredient list to be written from greatest to least. This means that Strawberry Puree is the most added of the ingredients, and citric acid is the least (for the wild berry smoothie). With this rule in mind, Sugar is the 3rd ingredient on the Wild Berry Smoothie’s list. That means that a large portion of the smoothie is made of plain ol’ sugar.

Also, McDonald’s adds concentrated apple and pineapple juice to the smoothies. Juice concentrate is made by taking away the water from the juice, leaving the flavor and a lot of sugar left. On top of this, the low fat yogurt uses 2 more sugar ingredients: sugar and fructose. The sugar, concentrated juice, and fructose makes the smoothie one sugar-high drink. Look at the stats for proof:

Strawberry Banana-Small (12 oz.)

Calories: 210, Fat: .5 g, Sodium: 35 mg, Carbohydrates: 49 g, Sugar: 44 g, Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 2 g

Wild Berry-Small (12 0z.)

Calories: 210, Fat: .5 g, Sodium: 30 mg, Carbohydrates: 48 g, Sugar: 44 g, Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 2 g

But, if you should choose to order the large smoothie, the sugar content jumps up to 70 grams!

WOW---ZERS!!!! How about you save yourself the $2+ it costs to buy a sugary McDonalds smoothie and make your smoothie at home! That way you can monitor how much sugar you are taking in and you can add some vegetables!!!!

The Ingredients:
1 cup spinach
1 clementine
2 strawberries
1/2 banana
ice
almond milk


Please comment on this post with your favorite smoothies!

Monday Morning Mix-up

My family and I love Nano Greens10. My husband first brought home Nano Greens over a year ago, when I was pregnant with baby. I was having some issues (infections, false labors, etc.) Nano greens has so many amazing ingredients (check below). We love it! My boys drink it and enjoy it! 

Last week, I started to drink this when I couldn't keep anything down. I wanted to make sure that I was putting high quality foods/drinks in my body. I started taking Nano Greens on Thursday, we were out before that, just in hopes to keep it in long enough to absorb the vitamins (and other goodness!) before loosing it. 

May I tell you Thursday was my worse day. May I also tell you Friday I was 95% better.

Bio Pharma - does carry a few other products that I hope to sometime try. Nano Red, Nano Omega, Nano Pro, etc. 

Nano Greens website

Check out the SUPER Ingredients:

Barley Grass Juice Powder*, Spirulina*, Chlorella (Japanese soft shell) 

Phyto-Nutrient Blend (Proprietary) 325 mg 

Blueberry, Green Tea Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Cranberry, Raspberry, Tart Cherry, Pine 

Bark Extract, Broccoli, Tomato, Carrot, Spinach, Kale, Brussels Sprout, Bilberry, Elderberry, 

Pomegranate, Blackberry 

Isoquercitin/Rutin 50/50 160 mg 

Raspberry Extract (20% Ellagic Acid) 50 mg 

Fruit & Vegetable Blend 900 mg 

(Proprietary; freeze-dried, low temperature dried) 

Apple*, Carrot*, Mango*, Sweet Potato*, Lemon*, Parsley*, Peach*, Kale*, Broccoli*, Spinach*, Leek*, Beet* , Cranberry* (Quinic Acid 6%) 

Acerola Cherry Powder* (17.5% Ascorbic Acid) 175 mg 

Rice Bran Soluble* 2500 mg 

Aloe Vera Powder Extract* (100:1 freeze dried) 30 mg 

Green Tea, White Tea (decaffeinated, 50% Polyphenol) 100 mg 

Polygonum Cuspidatum (15% Resveratrol) 50 mg 

Oat Beta Glucan* 2200 mg 

Cinnamon Blend (Proprietary) 50 mg 

Cinnamon Extract 8%, Cinnamon Bark Powder* 

Milk Thistle (20% Silymarin) 50 mg 

Marigold Extract (5% Lutein with Zeaxanthin) 50 mg 

Dunaliella Salina (Natural Carotenoids) 100 mg 

Enzymes (plant-based) 40 mg 

Alpha Amylase, Bromelain, Cellulase, Galactosidase, Glucoamylase, Hemicellulase, Lipase, Papain, Protease 

Lecithin (non GMO) 1925 mg 

Cabbage (Japanese, fermented) 30 mg 

Lycopene Extract-10% (from tomato) 25 mg 

Lemon Peel Powder* 25 mg 

Quinoa Sprout* 90 mg 

Artichoke Extract (5% Cynarin) 20 mg 

Atlantic Kelp Powder* (Laminara Digitata) 20 mg 

*Certified Organic Ingredient 

Other Ingredients: 

Natural flavors (plant-based), stevia, NanoSorb (phospholipids, lipid esters), citric acid. 

This Mornings Monday Morning Mix-up is Chocolate Avocado Smoothie. 

This raw, healthy milkshake is not only incredibly delicious, but contains an abundant amount of nutrients. You'll never have to feel guilty drinking a milkshake again!!!!

My 2 1/2 year old thought this was a ice cream milkshake! :) It is that good!!!

The Ingredients:

1 Avocado

2 TBSP Cocoa Powder

1 cup Coconut Milk

1/2 banana

2 TBSP RAW Honey (we prefer RAW but local or whatever honey you can get is fine too!)

1 tsp Vanilla

Handful of ice

The Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a blender for a minute or until smooth. You can add more or less milk, depending on how you like the thickness of the shake to be.

Feel free to get creative on the shake! Post your changes under the comment section!

Green Smoothie

Welcome to the first MONDAY MORNING MIX-UP!!!! I am really excited to start posting recipes dedicated to my Vitamix.

I have said it before but I love my Vitamix! I have only had it a few short weeks and I am obsessed! I am enjoying my smoothies, as I have not had a blender since this summer. 

My boys are huge fans of the Vitamix, too, but because of the yumminess I am creating for them!

Please join in the fun and post your favorite smoothie recipes on my blog! I will be happy to try them and post them on my next Monday Morning Mix-up!!! :) I will not only be posting smoothie recipes, I will have baby food recipes, soups and much more! I am looking forward to this new section of my blog!!!! :) 

Edition #1 Green (Kale) Smoothie

(poor quality, sorry!)

 This smoothie had a little more fruit in it then I wanted and I will be changing it! This was a great tasting smoothie!!!!

Seriously, when you create a great smoothie you will not flinch with taste. My 3 year old enjoyed this delicious smoothie with me! :) Baby would have but he was napping!

Kale Green Smoothie
The Ingredients:
2 cups of Kale
5 Strawberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup of coconut milk
1 date
3 year old added a few blueberries
ice

The directions:
MIX all the ingredients and then ENJOY!!!!