Quick & Easy « feedyourroots

Quick & Easy

Crispy Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

I lived in Asheville, NC, for 2.5 years, but can honestly say that it never felt like home. I always knew I’d be leaving and never really let myself get too attached. My fiancé and I expected to be in Asheville for 12 to 18 months, but when the economy collapsed our “short” stay turned into a long 29 months. Asheville is beautiful and a great place to visit, but this New Yorker at heart needs a bigger city for real peace of mind. I learned a lot from living in Asheville, but am grateful to have closed that chapter last March. I never expected to live in the Midwest again after college, but here I am. And very happy, I have to admit.

My fiancé and I bought our first house together. It’s a cozy old brick house in a perfectly central location to everything we need and like to be close to – grocery stores, restaurants, our offices and our social life.

When we both moved to Asheville and consolidated all of our stuff, there wasn’t too much to get rid of. It was a little hodgepodge and shall we say, an eclectic combination of tastes, but we knew we would be moving again in the near future and didn’t want to invest in anything new until we were living somewhere more permanent.

Well folks, that time has officially arrived!

Furnishing a home is so much fun – and this is coming from a girl that doesn’t like to shop. I want my home to be comfortable, but also functional. It’s where I need to be able to relax after a long day, break bread with my friends and family and build memories.

It’s been 6 months and we are nowhere close to being finished, but the “essential” stuff, like painting over the neon green kitchen walls (true story) and purchasing a dining room table and chairs have been taken care of. We even have pictures and art on the walls – sounds simple, but something we really didn’t do much of in Asheville. The rest will come together eventually.

I am patient and always looking for good deals and exploring ideas I see on my favorite home-related blogs and magazines. I’ve never really been able to relate to the concept of instant gratification, which you probably already know if you read this blog. I think it is much more rewarding to put in the time and effort, whether it’s regularly getting on the elliptical machine, or putting away a little bit of each paycheck and then jumping with delight when you fit back into your pre-pregnancy jeans or the new couch is delivered. Oh how I will jump in delight when we finally replace our current couch in the family room. One day…

So the whole point of this post – our backyard patio has been completely empty since Moving Day. Over Labor Day weekend we went shopping for a good sale and purchased a grill. Still no patio furniture, but now we can grill, which after being without one for the entire summer, I am loving and taking full advantage of as often as possible. As far as I’m concerned, there’s nothing wrong with eating outside on folding chairs or inviting friends over to grill and eating at our brand-spanking-new dining room table indoors. And because we waited so long to purchase the grill we really appreciate it. We don’t take it for granted.

Grilling is generally pretty easy and simple to do. We’ve been grilling lots of vegetables and meat that we get at the Farmer’s Market. I saw a recipe for grilling salt & vinegar potatoes on 101cookbooks.com that I had to try. They were pretty awesome and more natural than any salt & vinegar potato chips you can buy prepackaged at the grocery store. I will definitely be making these again.

Apologies, but there really aren’t any real measurements or quantities for this recipe. It’s more about the technique and you can make however much or little you want!

Ingredients:

Potatoes – preferably a white variation (versus sweet potatoes)

White wine vinegar

A little extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Any other spices you like to add to vinegar

Directions:

Slice potatoes into 1/4’’ slices

Place in large skillet, try to overlap as little as possible and pour in white wine vinegar – just enough to cover the potato slices

Bring vinegar to a boil

Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes – the potatoes should still be firm and not falling apart

Allow to cool in the vinegar for about 20 or 30 minutes

Drain, spray lightly with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and other preferred spices

Place potatoes on heated grill – flip when one side browns – about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from grill.

Retouch with spices if necessary

Serve.

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Entertaining, Frugal Living, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Cucumber Hummus

Friday, September 9th, 2011

Brisk fall air might have made its way to Cincinnati this week, but there are still loads of the versatile summer staple – cucumbers – at the Farmer’s Market to remind me that the seasons haven’t turned just yet. But we’re getting close. I can almost smell fall in the air. I can’t wait for apples, pumpkins and all the sweet goodness that comes with fall.

But back to summer -

I added cucumber to the blender this week while making hummus and was very pleasantly surprised by the cool refreshing flavor it added. Just a hint of cucumber – not too overpowering at all.

Here’s a fun-filled fact I just learned about cucumbers – they are part of the same botanical family as watermelon, cantaloupe and all squashes. I guess I sort of see the resemblance with watermelon, but the other members of the family were a bit… unexpected.

Anyway, adding cucumber to hummus is an easy way to kick the nutrient-density of this dip up a few notches, cram in extra phytonutrients and maximize antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, which is always a good thing. This comes in handy, especially if you’re dipping chips into the hummus, which don’t really big a lot of nutrient-punch. Ok, they don’t bring any.

This is a great dip that I will definitely make for company, or just to have at home, again and again.

Ingredients:

1/2 large cucumber, peeled

2 cloves garlic

15 ounces cooked chickpeas

3 tablespoons tahini

juice from 1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 – 2 tablespoons of water

Directions:

Put everything into blender or food processor and blend until thoroughly combined and smooth.

Use spatula to pour hummus into bowl.

Place bowl in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill. Hummus will thicken slightly.

Serve with fresh vegetables, crackers, chips or add a scoop to your salad or whatever else you’re eating!

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Entertaining, Frugal Living, Nutrients, Quick & Easy, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | 1 Comment »

A Side of Summer

Wednesday, August 31st, 2011

In case it wasn’t obvious, I thought you should know that I do not have a culinary background. I occasionally helped my mom in the kitchen growing up, but before my diagnosis, scrambled eggs and mashed potatoes were the extent of my skills in the kitchen.

I’ve learned a great deal about food these last few years and I can honestly say that the best recipes and tastiest meals are the ones that are also the simplest – use the fewest ingredients. Using real ingredients takes the work out of trying to make something taste good.

Some people go to culinary school. Others grow up in the kitchen learning generations of family secret recipes. I surf the web and browse magazines. I get inspiration for my meals from several sources, including what I already have at home in my cabinets and refrigerator, Mother Nature, and what I read on some of my favorite websites. What can I say? I guess it helps get the creative juices flowing.

After moving to Cincinnati, I became a subscriber of Better Homes & Gardens (BHG). I love playing around / daydreaming with ideas for our home almost as much as I love “playing” with food. And sometimes BHG even has some pretty interesting recipes. Their August 2011 issue had an interesting recipe with green beans and peaches – a combination I never considered before.

So that’s where I started – with the green beans and the peaches. Thank you BHG, but I got it from here.

Ingredients:

a very generous 1/2 pound green beans, tips trimmed

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, sliced in semicircles

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seed

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1 peach, cut into 1/2’’ slices

Directions:

Pour grapeseed oil onto large skillet and use medium heat

Mix garlic in oil and sauté for 2 minutes

Add onions and cardamom, mix again. Sauté for another 3 minutes.

Add grean beans and balsamic vinegar, mix well and cook until green beans are al dente – about 8 to 12 minutes
Remove and pour into glass or heat safe dish

Pour peach slices onto pan – gently mix with any leftover marinade in pan – sauté for about 2 minutes

Remove and add to green bean mixture

Where does your inspiration come from for meals for you and your family?

Posted in Cincinnati, Eating Local, Frugal Living, Quick & Easy, Summer, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Tea and Ice Cream. Yes. Really.

Thursday, August 25th, 2011

If we were friends a few years ago you probably knew that I was a big fan of ice cream any time of year. I loved it and it didn’t matter if it was below freezing outside. In particular, I was a big fan of Tasti D-Lite – one of the first popular frozen yogurt chains in NYC before the fro-yo market really exploded. Now that I know better, I have no idea how I rationalized putting that crap into my body, but what’s done is done. I can’t change it now.

Fast-forward 5 years to present day me. My current favorite treat year-round that hits the spot all the time is a big cup of tea. I realize very few people, if any, have ever compared tea to ice cream, but for me, they are quite similar.

Our emotions play a big role in our food choices. Craving our favorite childhood snack (or some variation of it) can bring us emotional comfort when we are stressed or depressed. Essentially, it’s eating to feed a feeling.

When I cut out dairy and cleaned up my diet I had to give ice cream the boot. Not that I don’t indulge from time to time – there was a mom-and-pop ice cream shop in Asheville that I loved that carried a few vegan options, but it was still processed and relatively pricey.

Over time tea has become my new comfort food – it’s soothing like ice cream was but also nourishing. I usually drink it hot, even in the summer, because the warmth brings an instant calm to my body. There are so many flavors out there – the options are endless! I love trying new teas.

This Tummy Tea made by Love & Tea is awesome and my go-to right now.

It’s flavorful and good for my tummy. The ingredients support digestive health and provide a very pleasing taste. The packaging is incredible – it’s obvious that Love & Tea really has a passion for their products.

* Chamomile to tone and balance the stomach.

* Fennel seed to ease and settle digestion.

* Ginger’s antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal properties promote a healing effect on the stomach.

* Peppermint and spearmint tone and balance the stomach and alleviate gas.

Jen, owner of Love & Tea has generously offered a 15% discount to you guys! How cool is that? Just enter the code “feedyourroots” at checkout. You can shop online here. Jump on it though – discount ends Wednesday, August 30, 2011. Thanks, Jen!

Posted in Dairy, Digestion, Quick & Easy, Self Care | 2 Comments »

Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Sunday, August 21st, 2011

Growing up, whenever a new neighbor moved onto our street, my mom always stopped by to welcome the new family to the neighborhood. She typically brought a basket of goodies with her – usually her famous apple chocolate chip cake.

However, when I lived in a huge apartment building in NYC with a few hundred other New Yorkers, I didn’t really expect to meet many neighbors, given the reputation of New Yorkers. And I didn’t. And that was ok. That was “normal” for New York.

I was a little surprised though, when I didn’t meet any neighbors in Cincinnati either. May be times have changed since I was a kid? May be it’s just me? I’m not sure. Either way, it’s ok. Hopefully we won’t be moving anytime soon and there’s plenty of time to meet the neighbors. I can say though, that having been the “new kid” a number of times in the last three years, I will always try my best to be the Welcoming Committee for any new neighbors that move into my ‘hood.

Anyway, the other day I noticed a bottle balloon flying in front of our next-door neighbor’s house so I decided to break the silence and introduce myself, say congratulations and drop off a plate of something tasty.

I had planned on making something nourishing, wholesome and nursing-friendly. But when I ran my idea by my fiancé he thought it might be a little too “adventurous” for people we’ve never met. He was probably right on some level, but I was still a little bummed.

So out came these chocolate cinnamon cookies instead. Yes, they are still tasty and made with real ingredients, but not as baby-weight or nursing-friendly as my original idea. Oh well. Still better than the prepackaged stuff at the grocery store. I hope the new parents enjoy them and that I have successfully broken the silence. That was the point after all.

Ingredients:

1 cup teff flour

1 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sucanat

1/4 – 1/2 cup honey

1 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks (I like to chop up a 70% dark chocolate bar into big chunks)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Add wet ingredients (eggs, coconut milk) in small mixing bowl and use fork to mix well

Add dry ingredients, except chocolate chips, to medium mixing bowl and mix well

Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients – except chocolate chips

Use electric mixer to blend batter well

Use spoon to mix in chocolate chips

Use 2 spoons to scoop batter onto greased cookie sheets

Bake until cooked – about 20 to 25 minutes

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before moving to cooling rack

Posted in Baking, Cincinnati, Community, Desserts, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Relationships, Sugar, Vegetarian / Vegan, Wheat Free | No Comments »

Pulled Chicken & Raw Kale Salad

Friday, August 19th, 2011

While I personally choose to refrain from eating animal protein on a regular basis, I realize that we are all different and that for some, eating meat makes them feel better compared to how they feel if they don’t eat meat. I am the opposite. I feel best when I don’t eat animal protein.

Just to make sure we are all on the same page – “animal protein” means any food that comes from an animal – eggs, cheese, milk, chicken, turkey, veal, lamb, you get the idea.

My fiancé prefers meat – not for every meal, but at least a few times a week. I get that. However, he has significantly reduced his intake these last few months – he’s lost weight, feels good and our monthly food budget is looking better than ever. I like it.

When we first moved to Asheville together I started cooking meat for the first time in a few years. I had completely forgotten what raw meat felt and looked like. I didn’t like it at all. In fact, at the very beginning I had to buy meat already seasoned and marinated from our grocery store (don’t worry, still high quality meat and ingredients because that’s just how Asheville rolls), plop it onto the pan without touching it and walk away. But I did it. Man, that’s love.

Well it got easier over time. Much easier. Sort of how most doctors will tell you how nauseous or ill they got the first time they ever saw a live surgery and within no time how they completely became immune to the idea of what they were actually looking at, cutting into, etc. Yea – it was definitely like that – minus the whole saving lives thing.

So anyways, now I don’t mind cooking meat at home. Anything and everything. As long as it’s good quality stuff, of course. I’ve always been curious by pulled meat and decided to give chicken a try. I didn’t taste it (I did however, dip my pinkie in a few times once the chicken was cooked to see how the sauce tasted), but my fiancé gave it excellent reviews – which is good, because there’s a few meals worth of pulled chicken in our refrigerator!

I paired it with a raw kale salad (recipe below) that was inspired by a segment I saw on TV earlier that day.

Ingredients:

Round 1 in the Slow Cooker:

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

3 tomatoes, diced (keep seeds and juice)

1 – 1.25 pounds boneless chicken breast

1 cup broth of your choice (check out my homemade bone beef broth)

Round 2 in the Slow Cooker:

1/3 cup soy sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup ketchup

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons paprika

Directions:

If the chicken is thick, cut into thinner pieces – about 1’’ thick or less.

Place all ingredients from Round 1 in the slow cooker. Use a spoon to mix in the vegetables and seasonings evenly around the chicken.

Cook for about 3 hours or until chicken is white and cooked.

Strain.

Remove chicken and use 2 forks to pull it apart into strings.

Place ingredients from Round 2 in slow cooker. Mix evenly.

Pour pulled chicken into slow cooker.

Add tomatoes and any other ingredients still in your strainer back into the slow cooker. Most of it should still be there except the broth.

Use a spoon to mix everything together.

Cook for another hour.

Serve warm or chilled.

The pulled chicken can be eaten on top of a salad, as a sandwich or with this raw kale salad featured below. Whatever sounds good to you!

Ryan takes a huge salad to work everyday with whatever veggies we pick up at the Farmer’s Market. Today I topped it with pulled chicken.

Raw Kale Salad

Ingredients:

1 head of kale (I used the curly kale)

1 lemon

2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar

1 avocado

Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

Wash kale and use hands to remove leaves. Tear leaves into bite size pieces. Pat dry with towel before placing in large mixing bowl.

Add lemon juice and raw apple cider vinegar.

Add avocado. It helps if you cut the avocado into cubes first.

Use your (freshly washed) hands to mix all ingredients together. Feel free to mash the avocado.

Season if necessary.

Place in refrigerator and let the acidity do its thing for at least 1 or 2 hours.

Serve chilled.

Posted in Asheville, Cincinnati, Eating Local, Meat, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Relationships | 2 Comments »

Homemade Bone Broth

Wednesday, August 17th, 2011

Ulcerative Colitis comes with a lot baggage. Some things matter more when I’m flaring and others are just an everyday reality. One of my greatest concerns that I always have to take into consideration when deciding what to eat is how easily my body can breakdown, digest and absorb said food. My other big concern – nutrient-density of said food.

Nutrient-dense foods are just as important for the average person, whether or not you have a diagnosed digestive disease. Our bodies need the right tools to replenish and repair the cells and keep all systems running smoothly. Those tools are the nutrients that we feed it. My body will make sure I know it’s not getting what it needs pretty darn fast. Yours will too, if you listen.

Homemade bone broth is an excellent way for my body (and yours) to get a lot of nutrients without having to work too hard to absorb them.

Broths made from bones have been made and used by most of the traditional societies around the globe for centuries. And for good reason – it’s inexpensive, super easy to make and loaded with nutrients.

A little raw apple cider draws out nutrients and minerals including calcium, magnesium phosphorus, silicon and sulphur from the bones into the water. These nutrients are in a form that is very easy for the body to assimilate. It’s no wonder that broth is known for healing colds, sore throats and other health ailments! Broth also contains broken down material from cartilage and tendons – chondroitin sulphates and glucosamine – essential ingredients found in the expensive supplements for arthritis and joint pain.

Homemade bone broth is a great source of gelatin. Research suggests that gelatin is not only great for our joints, but it also supports the growth of our hair and nails.

I like to use it as a base for soups, sauces and a flavorful cooking medium for vegetables.

So why is the homemade version preferred to the store bought stuff? Well for one thing, if you’re using bones and meat from a healthy animal that was fed well and wasn’t given antibiotics then you’re quality of broth is going to be off-the-charts awesome. Also, store bought broths can be watered down, minimizing your nutrient intake. They may also be highly processed and your wallet will definitely notice the difference in cost. I definitely use low-sodium organic store-bought broths from time to time, but I prefer homemade when possible.

For more information about homemade bone broth I highly recommend Sally Fallon’s Broth is Beautiful.

Ingredients:

1 pound high-quality beef soup bones

1 large potato, diced

1 large onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

2 tablespoons raw apple cider

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon thyme

4 cloves garlic, chopped

6 cups water

Directions:

Add all ingredients to slow cooker

Cook on low heat until meat falls off of bones and simmers – about 9 hours

Remove meat and bones

Strain well

Cool

Freeze or place in refrigerator (Make sure broth is completely cooled before placing in ice trays. I put mine in a big glass Pyrex overnight before freezing.)

Freezing some of your batch in ice cube trays makes it easy to use small amounts without defrosting everything at once

* No need to discard all of the veggies – you can either leave them in the broth or eat them separately. I like to put them on a bed of cooked greens with some hummus. Delicious!

Posted in Cooking Basics, Digestion, Eating Local, Frugal Living, Meat, Organic, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Soup, Ulcerative Colitis | No Comments »

Kale Chips

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

I realize I am behind the times with the whole kale chip craze. Truth be told, I have tried to make kale chips several times, and every time they came out of the oven soggy and limp — hardly chip-like. I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong, why the kale wasn’t getting crisp and crunchy. It’s one of the easiest recipes in the world. What was I doing wrong?

I’ve been working a lot lately and my cravings for a snack have continued to escalate as everyone around me spends the afternoons munching on potato chips and cookies. With a refrigerator stocked with dark leafy greens, I decided it was time to sacrifice another head of kale.

This time I tore the leaves into much larger pieces. I also used curly kale instead of dinosaur kale. Minor changes, but it really made a difference!

Why kale hasn’t been recognized by the masses as a super food is beyond me.

Here is just a short list of why kale is so a-w-e-s-o-m-e.

* alkalizing

* blood purification

* cancer prevention

* improved circulation

* strengthen immune and respiratory system

* promote healthy intestinal flora

* improved liver, gallbladder and kidney function

* cleared congestion

Ingredients:

1 head of curly kale

1 tablespoon coconut oil

nutritional yeast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Wash and dry curly kale thoroughly

Tear into large pieces and place on baking dish

Discard stems

Spread coconut oil over kale leaves

Use hands to evenly coat oil on kale

Sprinkle nutritional yeast as desired

Place in oven until leaves are crispy – about 10 to 15 minutes

Posted in Frugal Living, Health Coaching, Quick & Easy, Snacking | 1 Comment »

Eating Well is Sometimes a Group Effort

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Making changes – big and small – to diet and lifestyle is tough. I’ll be the first to admit it.

It can be difficult for many reasons, but I think one of the most common is the potential impact a healthier way of living can have on said individual’s social life. Concerns of isolation, relapse and judgment are very real.

It took quite a few months for me to be comfortable in public with my dietary restrictions. I remember how guilty I felt asking my waiter about ingredients in a dish I wanted to order, or placing an order but with a bunch of substitutes so that by the end of the order the dish barely resembled the original item on the menu. Picture the famous restaurant scene from “When Harry Met Sally”, but worse. Yea, that was me. And I hated it. I went on dates and was so worried my date would think I “high maintenance” and had “food issues” so I ordered food that I knew was going to make me sick. Because the real me was easy going and orders a dish as-is off the menu. The real me wasn’t obsessed with weight or body image. This “other girl” wasn’t the real me.

A close friend of mine also had medical issues that required her to have somewhat similar dietary restrictions. She helped me feel more comfortable with eating in restaurants, talking about my dietary restrictions and most importantly, accepting my new reality. Thanks, Jules.

For many of you, my experience is extreme. I get that.

What I hear a lot from my clients, friends and family members is that they want to make a change but are worried about two things more than anything else; (1) the social implications and (2) the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal for themselves and their family.

My suggestion – ask your friends if they would be interested in a weekly recipe swap and/or alternate hosting a weeknight dinner each week. This way you get at least one night off of menu planning, preparing and cooking OR you’re just making double the amount you’d be making anyway. Your friends come over for dinner on the designated night or you go there. Agree ahead of time that dinner is casual, with a focus on eating whole nutrient-dense foods and catching-up with friends. There’s no need to pull out the fine china or prepare a three-course meal.

I am lucky enough to have friends like this in Cincinnati. We alternate one dinner each week. I get to try new recipes I might not have come up with on my own an so do they. Last night was my turn to host.

I kept things really simple – sautéed kale and onions, a stir-fry of quinoa, onions, peppers, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes and black beans with a ginger teriyaki sauce and baked patty pan squash.

I saw the patty pan squash at the farmer’s market earlier that week and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. It was the first time I’d even heard of a “patty pan squash”. The woman who sold it to me said it’s great in the oven with some butter and parmesan cheese. Well, that wasn’t going to work well for my dinner guests or me so this is what I did instead.

Ingredients:

1 summer squash – cut into half inch slices

cumin – to taste

pepper – to taste

nutritional yeast – to taste

extra virgin olive oil – enough to lightly coat each side of the squash slices

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray or lightly coat olive oil on each slice of squash (both sides) and place onto bottom of baking dish. Squash may overlap slightly.

Sprinkle cumin and pepper.

Lightly coat with nutritional yeast.

Bake until slices are tender – about 15 minutes.

I was a little skeptical at first, since nutritional yeast doesn’t melt like cheese, but the reviews were very positive so I will definitely be making it again this summer.

So last night not only was I able to socialize, but I also had a healthy home cooked stress-free meal! Win, win all around.

Posted in Baking, Cincinnati, Community, Eating Local, Entertaining, Frugal Living, Health Coaching, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Self Care, Stress, Summer, Ulcerative Colitis, Vegetarian / Vegan | 1 Comment »

Green Smoothie on the Go

Friday, July 29th, 2011

Lately my schedule and commitments have required me to leave the house for the day before 7:30am. I don’t mind – I’m a morning person after all, but getting myself together in the morning and squeezing in time to eat breakfast doesn’t always happen.

Skipping breakfast entirely is not an option for me. If I do, it’s difficult for me to focus, I feel tired and by the time lunch rolls around I can’t get the food into my mouth fast enough. It’s not pretty. Trust me.

Being able to bring breakfast with me on the go is a necessity. I’ve done the oatmeal thing plenty, but in this heat I’m not craving something that heavy. A smoothie however – raw and cooling – well, that sounds perfect.

It’s a great way to get dark leafy greens in first thing in the morning. The protein in the kale and peanut butter keeps me feeling full all morning. A fruit smoothie on the other hand is full of sugar so I always feel starving an hour later.

The best part was that it took less than 2 minutes to make. I now get my peanut butter fresh in the bulk section of my grocery store, but a few years ago I used to buy the natural organic peanut butter that came in glass jars. Each time I finished a jar I held onto the container, peeled off the label and now I have a tiny collection of large jars with lids that make the perfect container for transporting smoothies.

One more point that the budget conscious gal in me has to make –

Cost of a smoothie at a restaurant or take out place – $6 minimum

Cost of smoothie in your own kitchen – less than $2

Enough said.

I know that the idea of blending kale, spinach or your dark leafy green of choice may sound a little bizarre. But truth be told, when paired with a little fruit and nut butter is actually quite delicious.

Ingredients:

1 banana (frozen is recommended for a creamier smoothie, but fresh is great too)

1 leaf of kale

1 cup of water

1 generous tablespoon of natural peanut butter

3-4 ice cubes

Directions:

Tear kale leaf into large pieces and toss into blender

Add remaining ingredients

Blend until smooth

Place a handful of ice cubes into transportable drinking container. Add smoothie. Seal and you’re on your way!

Posted in Breakfast, Frugal Living, Quick & Easy, Recipes, Summer | 1 Comment »

Quick & Easy

Crispy Salt & Vinegar Potatoes

Cucumber Hummus

A Side of Summer

Tea and Ice Cream. Yes. Really.

Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

Pulled Chicken & Raw Kale Salad

Homemade Bone Broth

Kale Chips

Eating Well is Sometimes a Group Effort

Green Smoothie on the Go

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