Smoothie Tuesday! Apricot carrot smoothie

It has been really hot here in Washington this past week! It seems hotter than the typical July here at least. We have been eating a ton of coconut water popsicles and drinking smoothies to stay cool. Here is an idea- you can pour your smoothie in a Popsicle  mold and make smoothie popsicles! We just received a big box of apricots from my father in law so I am trying to figure out what to do with them all!

 

Smoothie Tuesday!

Apricot carrot smoothie:

8-10 apricots
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
2′ chunk ginger
2-3 cups water
1-2 packets stevia powder
pinch turmeric

 

*I am also on facebook and twitter, so you can follow me there also! Cheers to good health!

The ultimate vegan chocolate pudding!

I think this pudding comes very close in flavor to the boxed pudding filled with sugar and dairy. It is made with all whole food ingredients so there is no need to feel guilty! It takes only a few minutes to make and there is no cooking involved. Make yourself some! I should really be studying  for my acupuncture points test and not playing with food! Ok-time to study!

 

Ultimate vegan chocolate pudding

Blend or process:

2 cups coconut milk

1/4 cup 100% maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large avocado

1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder

pinch of sea salt

* To make it even more awesome you could sprinkle some chopped chocolate chips and shredded coconut on top!

* Makes 2 servings

Smoothie Tuesday! Blueberry lavender rose smoothie

This is a great way to feel calm and cool in this hot summer heat! I notice our family tends to get more irritable in the summer heat so this is the perfect cure for that! Lavender and roses are naturally calming flowers when their scent is inhaled or they are ingested. I used rose petals for this but you can also use about a teaspoon of rose water also.

 

Blueberry lavender rose smoothie:

1/2 cup blueberries
1 large apple
2 tablespoons cashew butter
2 cups coconut milk
15-20 rose petals
1 teaspoon dried lavender
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 packet stevia

 

This recipe can also be seen at http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2014/07/07/gluten-free-diy-tuesday-7-8-2014/  and  http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gfw-paleo-tortillas-chocolate-mousse-brownie-fudge/ along with many other yummy gluten free recipes.

Grain free pancakes

Sometimes my kids request pancakes without veggies in them:) I tend to go overboard with my veggie obsession and squeeze veggies into everything I possibly can. So these are my compromise pancakes that they get to have. They are high in protein and grain and dairy free so they don’t have a blood sugar crash an hour after eating them! They do have 1 egg in them so they are not vegan but let me know if you try these with an egg substitute and how they turn out.

 

Grain free pancakes

1/2 cup finely ground cashews

1/2 cup finely ground sunflower seeds

1/2 cup tapioca flour

1 free range egg

2 tablespoons ground shredded coconut

1/4 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup oil (coconut,olive,grapeseed)

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

large pinch of sea salt (or about 1/4 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon baking soda

 

*Grind the nut and seed flours and combine all ingredients together and mix well.

* Cook over medium heat in an greased pan for about 5 minutes on each side or until medium brown.

* Makes about 20 smaller medium sized pancakes

 

This recipe can also be seen at  http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2014/07/07/gluten-free-diy-tuesday-7-8-  and 2014/http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/gfw-paleo-tortillas-chocolate-mousse-brownie-fudge/  with several other delicious gluten free recipes.

 

 

Toasted hazelnut and chai spiced steel cut oats

I came across this idea by accident this last weekend while we were on vacation. We were staying at my mother-in law’s place and I was making myself some oatmeal and trying to figure out what to put in it to give it some pizzazz. What I used at the time was hazelnut coffee creamer, cinnamon, cloves with some maple syrup. It’s  my new favorite oatmeal flavor! I think I have made it 4 times in the past week!

 

Toasted hazelnut and chai spiced oats

1 cup steel cut oats

3/4 cup hazelnuts

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup 100% maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch allspice

pinch cloves

pinch cardamom

pinch ginger

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon earth balance butter

 

* Toast the hazelnuts with 1 teaspoon earth balance/butter on medium for abouts 10-15 minutes until lightly toasted.

* Toast the oats with 1 tablespoon of earth balance/butter for about 10 minutes until lightly toasted then cook them in water for about 10 minutes. I let them come to a boil then took them off the burner.

* Chop the toasted hazelnuts and mix in a bowl together with the spices, vanilla and maple syrup.

* In a jar put a layer of the hazelnut mixture then a layer of the  slightly watery oats, then a layer of raisins, then another layer of the hazelnut mixture.

* Let sit over night in the refrigerator and warm in the morning and eat! I would add a little coconut milk or other nondairy milk to make it extra creamy.

* Makes 1 large or 2 small servings

*This recipe can also be seen at http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2014/06/30/gluten-free-diy-tuesday-7-1-2014/ along with many other delicious gluten free recipes.

Island breeze smoothie

I don’t know about you but I LOVE Hawaii.  Almost everything about it makes me happy: the food, the weather, the beaches, the sunsets, and the wildlife. So of course I have many recipes that are very ” island” inspired including this smoothie! So turn on your favorite island music sit back in the sun and sip an an island breeze. That is what I am doing on this 4th of July anyways! I’m sure a little rum added wouldn’t be horrible either! Cheers!

Island breeze smoothie:

1/2 pineapple
1 apple
juice of 1 lime
3 cups coconut milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1/2 avocado
1-2 teaspoons nutmeg

optional: a few drops of stevia or 1 tablespoon maple syrup

This recipe can also be seen at http://www.allergyfreealaska.com/2014/06/30/gluten-free-diy-tuesday-7-1-2014/ with many other yummy gluten free recipes!