Grapefruit Green Smoothie

The onset of spring and summer means many fantastic things for me. Spending Sundays on our speedboat, walking around outside just for the heck of it, sitting on the balcony with friends for dinner and a beer, and getting a slight tan to my otherwise glow-in-the-dark skin. But most importantly? It means fresh produce, in a variety of colors, flavors, sizes and types! I LOVE fresh summer fruits and veggies, and getting your recommended daily intake of 7-10 servings is made much easier with smoothies!

My blender gets the most use in the summer months for this exact reason. And green smoothies became my new obsession last summer, which I am happy to re-implement now. Don’t like to eat spinach? Smoothies are the perfect place to get a full serving’s worth, without even tasting, or chewing it. Raw spinach makes smoothies a gorgeous emerald color, too. Appetizing, right? Meh, who cares what it looks like, as long as it tastes great!

Plug in your blender, throw in some fresh, tasty, healthy ingredients, and slurp up!

Here’s an easy green smoothie – full of vitamin C, iron, healthy fats and natural sugars. It’s also vegan, so everyone can enjoy it. You can’t go wrong!

Chugging my smoothie after Zumba, and before a walk with my friend. It’s classier in a beer glass, don’t you think?

Grapefruit Green Smoothie

Serves 1 hungry person, or share with a friend if you’re nice (I was not nice, and gulped down the entire smoothie on my own between workouts!)

• 1 C cold water
• 1/2 raw avocado
• 1 grapefruit, peeled and de-seeded
• 1 tbsp agave (or honey if you’re not a strict vegan)
• 1-2 cups raw spinach, rinsed clean
• 4-5 ice cubes for thickness

In your blender, add all ingredients, in the order they’re listed. This will make blending it easier, and you’ll be less likely to make the engine start smoking! Tip: I peeled the grapefruit OVER the blender, to catch all juices.

Blend until completely smooth. Add more ice as desired. Taste, and add more sweetener if needed. Some grapefruits can be sweeter than others, so this really depends on the one you picked.

Pour into a glass or two, and drink!

Variations are endless. Replace water with non-dairy milk or yogurt for added protein and creaminess. Substitute a frozen banana for the ice, for creaminess and sweetness, and a potassium boost. Use a large orange in place of the grapefruit. Mix spinach and kale, if you have it on hand. Really, you can take this any direction you like. Just remember to keep it healthy with real, fresh produce!

What do you put in your green smoothies? I’m always looking for new flavors!

My friend took me to a park that at the top, overlooks all of Milwaukee. So beautiful!

Free Weight Friday

That can be a thing, right? Ok, well this is actually the weight training I did last night, but same difference. I think.

I’m fairly new to using the weight room. Serious exercise for me first started just over two years ago, with Zumba. And I loved (and still do!). But now that I’ve lost weight, and am working to keep it off, it’s time to throw some weights in, to start toning up. Smooth progression, if I do say so myself. Luckily, my best friend Mary is pretty knowledgeable about the weight room, so she’s been a great workout buddy. We spot each other, correct our form, and provide awesome motivation.

Here’s what I did last night, and am now fantastically sore because of it!

MyFitnessPal is such a useful little app

Any suggestions on how to improve? What to add? Other moves to throw into the mix? I’d love more ideas to keep my gym time fresh!!

Oh, and post-weight training nutrition: Spicy Sweet Potato, Black Bean and Corn Quinoa Salad from Cooking Quinoa. And a hard boiled egg. And beer. Because you gotta live a little Luckily, I was smart enough to prep all that ahead of time and let it chill. So I could devour upon returning from the gym. I’m a smart one!

This bowl barely lived to see 10 minutes from the time I snapped this picture. And that beer saw the same tasty fate.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal

Go read that title again. Chocolate. Covered. Strawberries. And. Cream. ….OATMEAL. Yep. I told you I love dessert for breakfast, and often times, it’s rather simple to make a healthy version of it. Last week, I was obsessed with my Key Lime Pie oatmeal. This week, the fruit obsession is strawberries. There’s nothing wrong with that, right? RIGHT?! Good.

So here it is. My breakfast of the week, that which I have been happily devouring daily. It’s easy. It’s vegan-izable. It’s sweet and decadent. And best of all, it’s healthy! What are you waiting for? Go make this!

Look at that bright red berry color! Gorgeous, and sweet.

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal

Serves 1, can be easily doubled.

Overnight Oats Version:

• 1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3/4 C milk – skim, or non-dairy
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chocolate chips, or cacao nibs
• 5-6 washed & sliced strawberries
• 2 spoonfuls nonfat plain Greek or non-dairy yogurt

The night before you want to eat it, mix oats, cinnamon and chocolate chips in a container with a lid. Pour in milk, mix. Scoop in yogurt, and top with strawberries. Store in fridge overnight. In the morning, either stir it up and eat it cold, or warm it in the microwave for 90 seconds. Enjoy!

Stovetop Version:

• 1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 C milk – skim, or non-dairy
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chocolate chips, or cacao nibs
• 5-6 washed & sliced strawberries
• 2 spoonfuls Greek or non-dairy yogurt

In a medium saucepan, bring milk to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium, add oats and cinnamon. Cook for 5 minutes, or to your liking. In the last two minutes of cooking, stir in yogurt and cinnamon. Add half the strawberries. Once your preferred consistency is reached, spoon into your bowl, and top with chocolate chips and remaining strawberries. Eat up!

A side-view of my overnight oats bowl. It’s like I’m digging into the earth’s crust! Ok, not really. This is tastier.

This morning, I tried a new coffee: Blueberry Crumble. I highly suggest it! Tastes just like a blueberry muffin, but in coffee form! Yum A perfectly fruity accompaniment to this desserty breakfast.

When the weather starts getting warm (70 degrees when I woke up today!), I like to ice my coffee.

What are some other desserts that could be turned into a healthy bowl of oats? I love suggestions!

Kulfi

Innovation is something we’re encouraged to do at my work every day. It’s something that has been instilled in me thanks to Girl Scouts. And it’s something that I try to apply to my personal life on a daily basis as well. Using leftover ingredients is one (delicious) form of that innovation. It’s also experimentation! Because if worse comes to worst, you can still toss out the failed creation, without really losing much at all.

In the spirit of innovation, I decided to put the leftover milk mixture from my Tres Leches cake to use in a new recipe. I could have thrown out the milk combination, but did a little research (something I tend to do rather often when it comes to cooking), and came up with a perfect, new, and foreign recipe! Don’t you love when things work out like that?

I discovered Kulfi, a traditional Indian Subcontinent ice cream type of dessert. Original recipes require you to evaporate the milks yourself, which is a long and slow process. Luckily, the first recipe I found for the “modern” world, required only melting, mixing, cooling, pouring and freezing. EASY! The most popular flavor is a combination of cardamom and pistachio nuts. I had neither of those ingredients, however, so I improvised.

Below is my version, though it’s hardly traditional. For best results, you’ll have to apply some creativity of your own! Use add-ins that you have on hand, or really enjoy in a dessert. After all, YOU are the one to eat it! That’s the fun part about cooking – rarely must you follow a recipe precisely. Most allow for changes, adaptations, and personal flair.

White Chocolate & Walnut Kulfi, based off recipes from Served with Love and Honest Cooking

Makes 12 half-cup servings

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 C heavy cream

Add-ins

• 1/2 C white chocolate chips
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts
• 3/4  tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

In a sauce pan on medium heat, combine all three milks and stir together. Mix in the chocolate chips, and stir until completely melted. Add the spices and walnuts. Allow everything to come together, without letting it burn – this shouldn’t take too long, so don’t walk away!

Remove from heat, and allow to cool.

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin – I used my silicone muffin baking molds to allow for easy removal later. Place the tin(s) on a cookie sheet (make sure you have room in your freezer!) and carefully pour the cooled milk mixture into the cups, filling completely. Transfer to freezer and allow to sit for at least 2-3 hours to firm up. Making individual-sized servings is perfect if you plan on eating this over time, or for presenting to a crowd. I had one first on my own – needed to test it! So I just popped out a single serving, placed on a plate, and ate with a spoon.

The result?

The perfect single-serving size. My roomies loved it!

OH MY GOSH this is amazing! It’s rich, decadent, creamy, sweet, milky, spiced, and cold. Pretty much all of my favorite things in one tiny serving. You might think the portion is small, but trust me, you won’t need any more than one muffin tin’s worth. You will want more the next day, however. But I wouldn’t make this a daily occurrence. The calorie and fat counts alone indicate that this is a once-in-a-while treat. Make some for your next get-together with friends. Or just so you always have something sweet in the freezer when that craving hits you.

Banana Omelette

…or is it an eggy pancake? I discovered this simple and healthy recipe on Casey Ho’s site, Blogilates – go check her out!

This breakfast is so quick, easy and tasty, you’ll have a hard time going back to traditional pancakes afterward! It’s perfect for a post-workout breakfast, or even if you’re just low on foodstuffs in the fridge. It’s also gluten free, and has no added fat or sugar. Give it a shot! You won’t regret it.

Banana Omelette, adapted from Blogilates

• 1 banana
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Heat a medium sized frying pan on the stove, over medium heat.

If your banana is not overly ripe, slice it and microwave for 30 seconds to soften. Mash completely with a fork. Whisk in two eggs, along with the cinnamon. Get out the lumps as best you can.

Spray heated pan with PAM, or a bit of coconut oil. Pour mixture into pan, as if you were making an omelette.

Let cook on one side until it starts to brown. Carefully flip (I usually have to split it in half to achieve this without making a mess). Cook on other side until brown. Remove to plate and eat!

I like the combination of banana with peanut butter. So to top, I mix 1 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter with 2 tbsp plain nonfat Greek yogurt. Mix well and spread on omelette. Devour!

The warmth of the omelette melts the PB yogurt mixture just enough to be perfect.

Lime Takeover! Lime Oat Bars & Lime Yogurt Olive Oil Cake

As mentioned a few posts back, I have a surplus of limes. I’ve been squeezing them into my oatmeal every day last week, but one can tire of that pretty quickly. So instead, I searched for a few recipes and came up with these two lime-y desserts. The first, a lime oat bar, is perfect for snacking. I healthified it a bit, to take out the extra fat, which makes me feel better. The second, a lime and olive oil cake, is also lightened up with nonfat Greek yogurt! Mom wanted a citrus-y dessert for Mother’s Day dinner, and everyone loved this cake! Sweet and fruity enough to represent the onset of spring, and yet light enough that we didn’t feel too full after a tasty dinner. If you have too many limes, and don’t know what to do with them, try these recipes! You won’t regret it.

I love you, mom! Me, mom, and sister.

Lime Oat Bars adapted from Plated Perfection
Makes 12 bars

• 1/3 C puréed unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 C brown sugar, packed
• 2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 C whole wheat flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Filling ingredients:
• 1/2 C fresh lime juice (or bottled)
• 1 tsp fresh lime zest
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (I used leftover tres leches mixture)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8×8 glass pan with PAM.

Mix applesauce, yogurt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add oats, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well.

In a smaller bowl, combine lime juice, zest, egg, and milk. Whisk together with a fork, and allow to sit for a minute to thicken.

Spread 2/3 of the oat mixture into the prepared glass pan – even out to cover the bottom completely. Pour the lime liquid mixture on top of this, making sure to cover the whole dish. Using a spoon, spread the leftover 1/3 oat mixture on top.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack, and allow to sit 20 minutes. Chill in fridge for a couple hours, to let it set. Cut into squares, and serve plain, with ice cream, or with leftover homemade whipped cream, like I did!

A dallop of homemade whipped cream really makes this snack stand out.

Lime Yogurt Olive Oil Cake adapted from Souvlaki for the Soul
Serves 8

• 1 C nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 C granulated sugar
• 1/3 C olive oil
• 1/4 C fresh lime juice (or bottled)
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 eggs
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 3/4 C whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Lime Sugar

• 1 tbsp lime zest
• 2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt pan or springform pan with PAM.

In a medium sized bowl, mix the first six ingredients together well.

In a big bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder and salt.

Pour wet mixture over flour mixture. Using a wooden spoon, mix until just combined – do NOT overmix!

Pour into prepared pan, and smooth out the top. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out and let cool completely. Mix lime sugar ingredients in small bowl, sprinkle on top, and serve!

So pretty, you could just eat it up! And we did.

Cake close-up…because even desserts are vain

The only slice left! That lime sugar on top really was the….icing….on the cake

Tres Leches Cake

This “special occasion cake” has been a favorite of mine since I first had it on my birthday 8 years ago. My family has a tradition of always going out to eat to celebrate one of our birthdays, at a restaurant of the birthday person’s request. I always chose a Mexican restaurant, because how can you go wrong with tortillas, salsa and cheese?! They once brought me a big piece of Tres Leches cake, to accompany the required birthday song & dance that most waiters have to humiliate themselves with.

And I fell in love. It’s such a simple cake. But dripping with tres leches, three milks, this dessert is like heaven on a plate. Sweet, creamy, and topped with fresh whipped cream, you can’t go wrong. And guess what? It’s not that difficult! Slightly time-consuming, as it must be created in stages, but it’s easy enough to prepare each bit, go do something for a half hour, and come back to continue.

Don’t wait for a special occasion to whip up this decadent dessert. This one is for my department lunch celebration at work tomorrow…a slightly later Cinco de Mayo party, as it were. Make it for your family, invite your neighbors over, and have a lovely evening with good cake and great company! That’s what life is all about anyway, right? …ok, maybe that’s what MY life is about

Go make this Tres Leches Cake, found on Crumbs and Chaos. You won’t regret it!

Only change I made: pour the milk mixture onto the cake twice, letting it soak in for 20 minutes in between. I also saved the leftover milk mixture…for tres leches cookies!

Cake batter goodness.

Egg whites and sugar…yum?

Whirrrrrr

I LOVE homemade whipped cream. 2 ingredients, and you have clouds of fluffy sweetness.

Poke the cake, and pour on the leches!

Finished product…frosted with the whipped cream

The side boob of cake photography.