Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Spinach-Fruit Smoothies

Here’s another invented recipe that we’ve been enjoying.  I wanted to make a smoothie that had spinach.  I had heard it was surprisingly good!  But I didn’t want to have to add any sugars… not even honey, or other less traditional sugar substitutes.  I think you’re going to like this one!

Preheat: --
Category:
Smoothie, Spinach, Fruit

2 cups Frozen, chopped fruit (you can buy some yummy fruit mixes, or you can pre-chop and freeze in batches—customizing is half the fun!)
2-4 cups Milk (we used skim milk)
1-2 Apples, chopped (we used a Gala apple, and NO, you don’t have to peel.  Heck, I didn’t even CORE the apple!!)
1 cup Yogurt (we used strawberry yogurt)
1 Orange, chopped, optional
2-3 cups Spinach leaves

1. In a blender, pour in 2 cups of milk to start, then add the chopped apple(s) and orange.  Blend until smooth.

2.  Add the frozen, chopped fruit.  Blend until smooth.  Add milk as needed for texture and blending purposes.  Obviously, your concoction is going to be thicker or thinner for your taste, based on how much milk you end up using.  We like the texture of a thicker shake, so I will push the frozen, difficult-to-blend fruit, guiding it to the blade.  Caution: The blade can rip through many things, including a wooden spoon!  Just ask my husband!!  :)

3. Add the cup of yogurt, and through the open lid, start adding the spinach.  Blend until smooth and green.  Mmmm, nom, nom, nom, this sounds so good.  The green color is off-putting, I’ll admit, but my kids LOVED it, and so did my very skeptical husband.  And for the record, there were no wooden spoon bits in my smoothie!!

4.  Serve cold.  And if you’re like us, all smoothies taste better when consumed through a straw.  And a chilled mug.  :)

Friday, June 17, 2011

Meal Idea: Spinach salad, Sautéed chicken strips, Biscuits, Whipped honey, Mixed fruit

I have been giving it some thought and it is time to step up a little.  When I come to look at my blog, which I created for me, but am happy to share with everyone else, I made it to make menu planning easier.  What are we going to eat?  I have chicken... so I click on chicken and VOILÀ!  I have several chicken recipes.  I have potatoes... so I click on potatoes and... well, yeah.  But then, I have a recipe and no clue what to put with it.  On the days that the meal seems balanced, I am going to start sharing... then when I am fretting over a menu, I can click on meal ideas and fill in my chart!



Today's menu?
Spinach salad - baby spinach leaves raw, cherry tomatoes from our garden, a skiff of grated sharp cheese, a drizzle of ranch dressing.  I sautéed the chicken strips with a tablespoon of olive oil.  When chicken is cooked in strips, it goes so. quickly.  The olive oil is good for you, and the simple salt and pepper make the chicken so yummy.

Biscuits - I used my mom's recipe for Baking Powder Biscuits.  They. are. so. good.  Especially when topped with a spoonful of whipped honey

Mixed fruit - We bought a watermelon, I cut and chilled it.  I served a spoonful of watermelon pieces and a half spoonful of canned fruit salad.  That was the preferred item of the meal for the kids, with the biscuits coming in a very close second.