DAY 6

WOW! Flavor explosion in this one. Super creamy and very kid friendly (if they can get past the color). I will be coming back to this one again and again. Romaine lettuce is such a good addition because it is nice and mild and yet still so very dark green when you use the top of the head.

I felt so full of energy today. And craved a second green smoothie in the afternoon so I made a quick green apple, romaine, lemon juice pick me up. Perfect.

If you think Green smoothies are strange and icky, you need to give them a chance. They're life changing I tell ya.

The Recipe

1 banana

1 small green apple (or half large), peeled and cored

2 cups packed dark green romaine leaves

1/3 cup parsley

1/2 cup frozen pineapple

1/2 cup frozen mango

1 1/2 - 2 cups water

DAY 5

We just can't stay away from the incredible raspberry. It's turning all our Green Smoothies such a beautiful pinky purple! This morning we used an assortment of fruit with a little help from our tried and trusty berry and then took a leap into the unknown.

The boys were very brave as they cautiously sipped on their first parsley infused concoction. They wavered, tasted a little too much earthiness, stood back, hesitated, came back for more, wanted to love it, on the fence, almost walked away, came back again, took a final gulp, said: don't put that stuff in next time.

Ha! I loved it, although that parsley does come through like a lawn mower through your berry patch. I am finding that I can handle any amount of green and still want more. Parsley is no joke though. I think cutting it with another green is the trick. Maybe one cup, loosely packed, max.

This recipe would be dead on with just a handful.

The Recipe

1 banana

1 kent mango (firm and green when ripe)

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 bunch parsley, well rinsed

1 1/2 cups water

DAY 4

This morning, Calvin took the smoothie from DAY 2 and perfected it with his own little passionate flare (crazy about apples and raspberries!) and we made it the official smoothie for DAY 4...

He completed the presentation with two raspberries: one to eat immediately and one for garnish.

I think zeroing in on a GREEN apple as opposed to just any old apple really did the trick. Nice and tart. We also added some Omegas and Protein for some early morning school brain power.

The Recipe

2 small green apples (or 1 large), peeled & cored

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

2 cups fresh spinach

2 T hemp seeds

1 T ground flax

1 cup water

DAY 3

Took the kids in-line skating today and had a blast... with no caffeine headache!

Did I mention how much I love the simplicity of this adventure? I feel like I have been picking fresh flowers and rolling in fresh spring grass when I drink this stuff! The first couple of sips and I am like, interesting... then get past the foam and I am like, I need more!

This one is so green the picture just does not do it justice. A serious emerald color, and so alive. Smells of kale and grass and earth. Very pulpy, very fibrous, but bright and clean. I like the addition of the lemon, it keeps you coming back like fresh lemonade.

There is no joke about the nutrient density here with the fresh kale. I kept the peel on my cored apple but I think taking it off would yield a slightly less fibrous result.

The recipe:

1 giant dinosaur kale leaf (or 2 medium)

1 large apple, cored

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup water

DAY 2

Alas, no picture of this beautiful smoothie. Polished off before I remembered. I think I was really needing this one to lift myself up from the caffeine withdrawal. First day without a hot cup of stimulants gave me a dull headache and an itch for something to fill the void. Just when I thought I would make it through I made a quick run to Trader Joe's for some frozen berries and wouldn't you know it, I found myself happily sipping on a tiny cup of a coffee sample! Self sabotage is oh so fascinating, isn't it?

In any case, this smoothie killed my headache and lifted my spirits right into berry heaven. Low on the glycemic scale, it is mellow and mimics most of the smoothies I am used to. I added a tablespoon of flax and switched out the apple with a banana for the boys and they made it disappear.

The recipe:

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup frozen raspberries

1 apple, cored and peeled

2 cups spinach

1 cup water

DAY 1

Absolutely and simply delicious. I emphasize 'simply' because it was so simple! It is so refreshing to put together an energy boosting and system cleansing drink that is light and hydrating at the same time. Usually, I load up my smoothies with every variety of seed, nut, fruit and green imaginable... what a nice way to simplify and actually taste the few distinct flavors coming through so cleanly.

Also nice is how it is digested easily and at a faster rate due to the simplicity. The focus is on the Green, and nothing else. Today was simply bananas, romaine and water. Love it.

So what's wrong with eating a salad or cooking some kale? Why am I drinking lettuce when I could eat it? Well, I do like my salads and I am not cutting them out but here are a few highlights on the benefits of Green Smoothies from the book which has inspired me to drink to my health:

~From Victoria Boutenko's Green For Life ~

• Chlorophyll rich smoothies are liquified sun energy
• Green is the most missing food group in the Standard American Diet
• Green supports and cleanses the blood and in turn, every system in the body
• Most alkalizing food that exists on the planet
• Offers a fiber rich friend to happily bulk up waste for elimination
• Quick and easy on digestion, conserving energy, optimizing nutrition
• Basically, we could all use A LOT MORE of this stuff!!!

Seriously, I am just looking to feel more energized and less dependent on caffeine.

I am not even going to get into all the fascinating Chimp studies that are the basis for this book. Rather, I highly recommend you go out and read it!

Recipe:

1 1/2 bananas

1/4 head romaine lettuce

1 cup water

Green Smoothie Adventure

Dear Friends and Followers,

Today I am embarking on a personal wellness journey. Simply put, I am putting myself up to the challenge of drinking a giant green smoothie a day for 21 days. Ultimately, I would like to be drinking a liter a day but as this seems a bit daunting right now, I am beginning by cutting it in half to one quart. I am writing this post in order to set a deliberate and mindful intention for myself. I will spend a little time each day discussing how I feel after sipping on this vibrant green liquid.

Other daily goals include:

• Replace coffee and caffeinated tea with green smoothie
• Go to bed by 10:30 pm
• Spend time nurturing myself creatively and physically
• Spend time in nature
• Read more at night, watch less mindless computer entertainment
• Play one lengthy game (board or imaginary) with the kids

So that's it for now. After the gym today I am making my first delicious green smoothie. And then taking a lovely walk in the woods. See you back here tomorrow.

It's summer!

Kids In The Kitchen

Cal getting down in the kitchen on ' his night'.

How do you spell motivated? A-B-C-s-o-u-p

I have no doubt the kids in our kitchen are motivated to cook because they have probably picked the meal! Tired of thinking of meal after meal, week after week (groundhogs day?), I implemented 'kids night'. Before I shop, I ask for their menus with the agreement that they help me cook it. Cal on Tuesday, Miles on Thursday.

Most weeks we remember, some weeks we don't. This week Miles said, "Soup! Chicken soup!" And Calvin followed with "Alphabet Soup!"

It was no wonder those two had soup on the brain. After a blissful week of sunshine, we were waylayed by a stretch of super chilly, rainy, windy days. We all needed a dose of comfort. I was psyched that the boys had their own home cookin' comfort food instincts, their emotional memories calling up steamy bowls of homemade soup.

I chose to highlight the ABC Soup here because it is a little less well known than a chicken soup and extremely simple to whip up last minute. It is basically a Tomato Soup from scratch, and around here, one pot is not enough. The recipe will feed 4 1/2 hungry souls. Double the batch after you get the hang of it and you'll be hugging yourself the next day at lunch, if there's any left!

We cut the carrots in half lengthwise for the kids to cut to prevent any roll away action.

The inspiration for ABC soup (loosely based on the recipe on the back of the box) and our favorite Tomatoes for any recipe. Side note, the acid in tomatoes eats away at the plastic lining inside the tin cans. nasty business. This bottle is such a great shape, we clean and save them for all kinds of uses. Now when will they put coconut milk in glass?

ABC SOUP

1/2 cup Alphabet noodles

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 -3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cups veggie broth

1 24 oz bottle strained tomatoes OR 28oz can crushed tomatoes

1 heaping teaspoon dried basil

1 heaping 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

S+P to taste

Cook pasta, rinse and set aside. Saute onions and garlic in oil 3 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, spices and salt & pepper. Mix, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Puree the whole things in a blender (in batches, if too much). Put back in pot. serve with Alphabets on top!

*****

Embrace the Fungi-side

I never liked culinary mushrooms. Weird slimy rubbery things.

I was not even mildly curiously as to their appeal...

that is, until I became pregnant with Calvin.

Somehow, I lived 24 years without having tasted the fungaliscious side of life!!!

Well, thanks to him, I can't seem to get enough.

My cravings come and go, but lately the desire has been so strong, I had to go BIG and so I got my hands on some enormously delicious Portabellos and we had ourselves a feast. Add some Shitake and... shizam!

***

oooooo eeee, these babies are just beggin' to be stuffed!

With no breadcrumbs, just the goodness of the ever gracious walnut.

Stuff it, bake it, top it, DEVOUR it! If the fungi hankerin hits you hard, throw some of this together:

***

4 large Portobellas

3 shallots, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup shitakes (fresh or re hydrated), finely chopped

cleaned, minced portobella stems

1 cup whizzed up walnuts (or more, to taste)

1 t dried basil

1 t dried oregano

salt & pepper

olive oil

cheese for melting on top (I used cheddar)

***

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

***

Clean portobellas and remove stems. Rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Chop clean parts of stem and put in a bowl with shitakes, walnuts and spices.

Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add the mushroom mixture. Cook another 5-10 minutes. Stuff underbellies of the big caps with stuffing and cook for approx. 15 min., uncovered. Then add cheese and cook for 15 minutes longer.

***

Note: for decadence, add a splash of white wine to stuffing while sauteing.

***

Wild in the Kitchen

This post pays homage to the beautiful wild Alaskan salmon and gives thanks to the many nourishing, health-sustaining meals it has provided us.

We've been eating less fish these days as we learn more about shady practices and severe overfishing happening around the world. Surprisingly, fish farming contributes to the problem as it takes 3 fish to feed 1 farmed fish! The more we learn about the impact of overfishing on the health of marine ecosystems, the harder it becomes to find fish that can be eaten with a clear conscience. Unfortunately, farmed fish are not the answer. When buying fish, be sure and check the status of sustainability and contamination first on this helpful site. For example, "there are high environmental costs in farming Atlantic Salmon such as water pollution, disease, and high wild fish content in feeds. Antibiotics and vaccines are commonly used to treat infected farmed Atlantic Salmon. Global regulations are highly variable and in some cases non-existent."

Among the few fish that remain sustainable and relatively safe to eat (minimal toxic build up) are the wild Alaskan salmon, in particular Sockeye or Coho. "With good management and fairly healthy habitat, Alaska Salmon remain abundant... in contrast, depletion and degraded habitat from dams and logging pose serious problems for most Pacific Northwest salmon."

Looking for something different to do with salmon? Next time try out these delicious salmon burgers along side some brown rice and a heaping green salad. You really can't beat it with its fresh dill and crab cake-like reminiscence, topped with a mango avocado salsa. One of my standby recipes, a quick version with canned salmon can be whipped up in 10 minutes and on the table soon after. Given the luxury of a little more leisure time though, it is a real treat to start slow and enjoy this dish made with whole salmon.

Salmon Burgers

2 lbs skinless, wild caught Alaskan salmon fillets

3 eggs, beaten

2 medium zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove excess water

2 T Dijon mustard

1 1/2 cups almond meal or bread crumbs

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill

* * * * *

Rub fillets with salt and pepper then cook completely through on medium heat in olive oil

Chunk up cooked salmon with a fork


Combine remaining ingredients and mix up until fully combined

Form into patties and cook in olive oil over medium heat, flipping once, until golden brown and firm to the touch

Mix up ripe avocado, mango and fresh chili pepper (optional) as a topping

Smother with avocado/mango mix up

Serve with lemon wedges and nice white wine

The ingredient amounts may vary according to your taste

(mine switch up a little bit every time)

These make quite a few patties so you can freeze or enjoy the next day

* * * * *

Pick Your Own Lunch

Family meals are fresh. Fresh like cool and fresh like picked today!

Our summers usually consist of meals bursting with local flavors, from the tomatoes to the onions, eggs, and meat. Every week we go on a much anticipated excursion to our CSA, Riverland Farm in Sunderland Mass. to pick up our share of the weeks bounty. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and buying a share means you become a member of the farm, basically supporting the planting, growing, tending and harvesting of a whole lot of seasonal fruits and veggies. You then show up weekly from about June - October to pick up your share (ranging in size). Some farms offer pick your-own crops which are a real treat. I consider the hour we spend picking our own beans, tomatoes, herbs and flowers my therapy for the week. It is incredibly meditative and relaxing. Eat a little, pick a little, watch the kids navigate the long rows of crops... pure bliss.

If you haven't investigated a local CSA near you, take a look here http://www.localharvest.org/csa/ and start planning on signing up for next summer (winter shares are also popping up all over the place), you will be so happy you did! Most farms have refrigerators and coolers filled with local meat, eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk, butter, pestos, sauces and lots more. It is entirely possible these days to eat locally for all seasons. City dwellers, there are many CSA's which have designated urban pick up locations, so don't let that stop you!

~~~

Picking some of the sweetest snap peas we have ever tasted...

Medicinal bouquets of Calendula

Home again, home again...


It doesn't take much time to create a local feast...

Local egg salad with pastured eggs, fresh dill and spring onions, a sprinkling of cumin, salt and pepper. A salad of just picked greens and a farm fresh slaw of kholrabi, cabbage and carrots with green apple and cumin lime vinaigrette. Enjoyed with or without a slice of locally baked bread.

Farm Slaw

A carrot or two, thinly sliced

1/4 head of cabbage, thinly sliced

1 Kholrabi, thinly sliced (or celeriac)

1 green apple, thinly sliced

small bunch of cilantro, rinsed and chopped

~

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

4 T fresh squeezed lime juice

1 T agave or raw honey

1 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper

Mix up dressing and toss with the slaw. Salt and pepper to taste.

Noriliscious

Still glowing, still smiling, still thinking about the best birthday present ever...

Two little birthday elves waking me with kisses and wishes have started the day in a most magical way! Off they scamper into the kitchen where I can hear whispering and cupboards opening, plates clattering and water running. Hmmmm, what could be up those sleevies?

More quiet giggles and then... what's this? Breakfast in bed?!?

Take a look at the creative sparks that fly!

In Calvin's words, "The healthiest one we could make you"

Can you tell me how to get this smile off my face?

May Is For Delicious

IN A FEW WORDS:

hadley asparagus

farmers markets

warm planting days

wet after planting days

puffs

spinach (washed!)

hiking

gold finches

visitors

early morning blue sky when you open your eyes

~ ~ ~

I haven't posted in a good month and what a good month it's been!

The amazing D'Andrea Clan paid a visit and inspired the assembly line above...

What a great way to enjoy some yummy seaweed (soooooo good for you and the highest calcium source around town), some nutty quinoa (also high in calcium), some greens and fish. This has always been a favorite lunch of mine, the baked fish (not shown) turned it into yummy dinner.

The dressing is great to have on hand if you are ever in the mood for a homemade Asian dish. Mix into a green salad with brown rice, some soaked arame (seaweed), lightly steamed veggies and/or raw veggies, avocado, and tofu or fish for a light, refreshing meal.

The Gingery Dressing

6 T raw apple cider vinegar

5 T tamari

3 T toasted sesame oil

1 T flax or olive oil

2 T raw honey

2 T grated or minced ginger

1-2 T tahini or 2 T sesame seeds

Whiz it up in the blender or shake it in a jar and keep leftovers for other inspirational moments!

This sideways Coconut Pad Thai is tossed with a similar dressing only with the addition of almond butter and fresh serrano chilis, mmmm...

Thanks to some sweetie pies who came a knockin' this weekend, I had some help cracking four young coconuts and using the meat for noodles instead of pasta. It is a crazy process, but well worth it in deliciousness.

Only wish we had been as slick as this guy here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4hUAjyel9M

We reserved the coconut water for some crazy tropical cocktails and scooped the meat out for the 'noodles'. Yes indeedy.

Here is the amazing gourmet food chef Naomi pressing fresh watermelon juice for the drinks...

Note the 4 fine young coconuts on the counter.

And a BIG ol' props to Ruth, the incredible mango pie whipper upper.

Coming from a strange and wonderful world in which she doesn't have to do anything except eat what her raw food husband makes her, we have to say she did a heck of a job stepping up her game.


How nice to take a break from sugar. And butter, wheat and dairy for that matter.
This pie is a no bake, raw, date and fruit sweetened treat.
Date nut crusts are my favorite, no doubt.

Mango Pie

Crust
2 cups almonds
1 1/2 cups pitted and soaked dates

Filling
4 bananas
4 mangoes

Whiz up almonds and dates in food processor until they form a big sticky ball.
Spread and press this into a pie plate.
Peel and slice meat off mango. Put into a food processor with bananas and mix until smooth. Pour into crust and freeze. This can be eaten slightly frozen or all the way.


Looking back at these tropically themed recipes, I get the sense that maybe I am anticipating summer just a wee bit. I guess there is only so much asparagus you can eat before you start eyeballing the mangoes.

Recipe For Peace

Outside, our newly planted flowers are getting the first splashes of morning sun.

Inside, we are stirring. Morning kisses, dream sharing, a whistling kettle...

As breakfast begins, I sip my tea in peace.

OK, this is where you hear the sound of a record scratching to a halt.

Quiet?! Peace?! Calm?! On a school morning?!

YES.

There is no whining over raisins in the granola or the favorite shirt still dirty in the wash. No lost water bottles or library books to scrounge up.

Just sipping on my tea and eating yesterday's banana bread with the boys while they quietly color away. Miles has been asking every night at bed time if he can color and I keep telling him to wait until morning and then we both completely forget as the morning routine gets the better of us. So last night in exasperation he says "Mom, can you remind me in the morning so I don't forget?" And I say, "you know what buddy, I am going to set that all up tonight at the table so you can eat and draw when you get up."

Miles, can you remind me every night about the joys of a creative breakfast ?

And let's not forget the banana bread that the boys helped me make last night.

A few chocolate chips thrown in go a long way to making a morning deliciously zen.



Chocolate Chip Buckwheat Banana Bread

1/3 cup coconut oil
1/3 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup almond meal
3 T ground golden flax
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
3 very ripe bananas
1/3 cup sour cream or yogurt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan or large round casserole dish.
Beat soft coconut oil with agave and eggs on medium for a few minutes.
Mix together buckwheat, almond meal, flax and salt in a separate bowl then add to wet mixture. Smash bananas and add in with sour cream/yogurt. Mix well then fold in chocolate chips and coconut. Check after 1 hr. 15 minutes.

~ ~ ~

Sprouting Up, Digging In...

"During each of the three seasonal harvests that make up the annual cycle, nature produces the seeds with which to heal the ills of that season and help prepare the body for the season that follows. In the West we look on nature as a cruel force that must be subdued...but the Native American and Eastern traditions see in nature the potential solutions to every imbalance."

- From The Three Season Diet, by John Douillard

Spring is beautiful on many levels. That rush of hopefulness, a day of warm sun, crocus pushing through a thick bed of pine needles, a child on a swing... with no jacket! One of the most beautiful things about Spring for me are the gifts of the edible green world, seen and unseen.

In those crazy olden days, nothing green would have graced a plate for the many long, dark days of winter. Roots, meat and fat filled the stew bowls and then eventually just a couple of roots, if you were lucky. By the time ramps (wild spring onions), dandelion greens, watercress, and tender spring kale were finally enjoyed, there was a seasons worth of mucus build up in the body to be broken down. The winter foods supplied bulk and warmth and now the astringent Spring foods would do some necessary cleaning out.

Sprouts like wheat grass, alfalfa, and mung are great bitter, astringent foods to add to your diet around this time. So are the delicious spicy greens like mustard and watercress. Dandelion greens are very detoxifying so you might notice an increased urge to pee. The original French word for this plant was 'Pisenlit' which means 'pee in the bed' because that is exactly what would happen if the roots, leaves or tea were taken before bed!

What better way to spice up your salads than by saving a ton of money and growing these sprouts yourself! Here is a good general sprout guide with a sprouting chart:

http://www.living-foods.com/articles/easysprout.html

After a couple of days you will have enough sprouts to get quite creative with!

Mung, Wild Rice and French Green lentil


Alfalfa sprouts will blow your mind after starting with just a couple tablespoons of seeds...


Here's one breakfast we can't get enough of:

2 Poached Eggs
Watercress Greens
drizzle of lemon vinaigrette
walnuts
Fresh Alfalfa Sprouts
***
Let me know if you can solve this one:
For the last bite, walnut or poached egg?

Spring Things...

OK, I have to give Martha props for this one.
Easy, fun, cheap, fast and no exotic ingredients.

The Spring itch came hard this year. As a result, I recently completed a very pleasant 7 day vegetable, fruit, juice detox/cleanse, rid the living room of old winter fireplace ash dust, did the kind of extra laundering you never even think of getting to (think: curtains, coats and couch cushion covers), and can now see through my windows again.

Calvin gets it when he looks up at the seasonal clothesline craft display hanging above the kitchen sink and says "Mom! That's Valentine's Day! We need to do Spring!" The years of seasonal crafting have finally got him more on the ball than me. So, what to do... hmmmm, why not peruse the freakishly perfect crafts on MarthaStewart.com (There is something about that woman that would makes me want to see her mess up so bad one day, fallen soufle perhaps?). I will settle for the Spring plant sprouting in egg cups and have one hell of a fun time doing this sweet project with the boys:

Started here...

By cracking around the top of the egg, you can create a line to pull gently apart.
Seperate 5 whites and 5 yolks during this process and reward yourself with this delicious almond honey cake (resources page) after, saving the rest for omlettes the next day.



We rinsed the shells carefully in hot water and put them back in the carton.


Oh the best part... DIRT!



Cat grass is a great seed for kids to plant because it will sprout in a couple of days. We also used some quick sprouting herbs and flowers like basil, morning glory and straw flower.

Voila. 12 finished eggs and 2 goofballs.