Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

This is a new smoothie recipe that I tried this morning from Greeensmoothiegirl. com

If you have a big blender you can use this full recipe, I have a Tribest personal blender, so I halve the recipe except the coconut water, I ended up needing about 10 oz.

I had never had coconut water before today, and I was nervous because I don't like coconut anything!! I was sooooo pleasantly surprised by this. It's really refreshing, no coconut flavor, just very slightly sweet and refreshing water.

This recipe is available on the Internet by searching Hot Pink Breakfast Smoothie. I just wanted to print it here to encourage you to try it.

1 1/2 young Thai Coconut juice, some recipes call it Coconut Water
1 large carrot cleaned and cut into pieces (I peel mine, but not necessary)
1/2 of a med raw beet peeled
1/4 c. of cashews
1/4 c. of chopped dates (I didn't have these on hand so went without)
2 tsp of vanilla (I used less)
12 frozen strawberries
opt. 1-2 tbs hemp protein powder
opt 2 tbs kefir or yogurt (I didn't use any yogurt, but might try it tomorrow.)

I was inspired when I saw a picture on Greensmoothiegirl.com of two little girls in their stroller sipping on hot pink smoothies. So cute!!! Knew I had to try this one. Kids and smoothies, the best fast food ever.

Everything white!

One thing I learned a long time ago was that everything is easier to care for if it's white. It can be washed in hot water, bleached and all loaded together without having to sort into colors! We have all white towels, hand towels and wash clothes, shower curtains and sheets. You might think that would mean that we have white bedrooms ect, but we just do the basics white, and keep blanket and comforters colorful! The things that should be crisp and bright are, the rest of our house is loaded with color! As I've mentioned in other posts I do sheets on Monday, so we strip the beds and have a few big loads of white sheets to wash, but it's so much simpler than having to sort into various colors. If there is a stray dirty towel it can go right in too. I have to confess, I always forget to wash our shower curtain until it's way past due. So one thing I decided to do today was to add the shower curtain to the Monday morning load. To make things easier, I have several white shower curtains that I have picked up on sale, that way when I take down the dirty one, I immediately clean the shower and add a fresh shower curtain while the other one goes in the wash. Believe me, our shower curtain gets dirty and grayish looking, but after coming out of the wash it's crisp and bright white again. We do the same thing with sheets, everyone has a basket in the linen closet and several sets of white sheets. To keep so many sets of white sheets sorted I mark the top and fitted sheets of each set with the same number K1(King 1)for one set K2 (King 2) for the next and so on with Queen and Twin, then I bind them into sets with white grosgrain ribbon. As a result I know easily which sets go together, and tying them up with ribbon keeps them neat in the closet. Then each set goes into it's own basket for each room, labeled (Master , Ryan , Jessica, Guest). Instead of "Master" you could label your baskets King, Queen, Twin ect. it just works for us to label by room since each room has a different size bed and I prefer to use certain sheets just for the guest bedroom. I have additional taller baskets labeled for the Bathroom (extra shower curtains, washcloths) Extra Pillowcases (all white of course) and Extra blankets. I have found you can never over organize. We use baskets a lot in our house, although most are not seen. I've found the very best way to organize closets, vanity cabinets almost anywhere is with labeled baskets, it's just much harder to put something in the wrong place when there is a basket labeled with where it's supposed to go. I try to use large rectangular lined baskets that are all dark wicker. They look crisp against the white, and using about the same size/ shape baskets is pleasing to the eye.

In our bathroom, we roll towels and put them into a large basket that sits on the bathroom floor, but I've done the same thing with the smaller bathrooms in our house by putting the towels rolled in a basket under the sink. I even used this idea this fall when we were traveling in a RV cross country. I knew we would have almost no storage and a very small bathroom, so we kept towels and toilet paper under the vanity.

I don't ever buy expensive washcloths for our family. Instead I buy white washcloths in a bulk pack from target for $5. They are thinner, which I like, because they dry faster, and I love that if I get mascara or lipstick on them, I can just toss them away. I keep them rolled in a small basket in our bathroom, so they are easily accessible to everyone, and can also be used for quick clean ups and tossed if needed. I usually buy 3 or 4 packs a year and think they are the handiest things around.

May you enjoy the process of tidying, organizing and creating order in every corner of your home this week.

Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. JOB 25:1-3

Different background, same blog!

Yikes!! I was changing around a few things on my blog and accidentally erased my background. I didn't immediately panic, until I went back to "cutest blog on the block"'s site and found they have discontinued my favorite background! So I'm trying on a few different background colors, trying to find one that I really like. For now I've settled on this light brown, but haven't gotten around to changing the font colors, so thanks for your patience while this is a work in progress.
Melissa

Reflections of Lent

You loved me when I was yet unknown. You saw me, raw, bare, my deepest darkest sin, the depths of my heart. And you smiled, not because I was good but because you are good and your creations are beautiful. Your love is deeper than we can fathom. You forgive more than we know. And yet even the sin that remains unnamed in our hearts, you have already forgiven. Deep, pure love like the racing of a river, it cleanses, it guides, it renews. And so it is this time of lent. Not a time of sacrifice, rather a time of recognizing your abundant, faithful, unwavering love. A time of reflecting on your ministry, your life and the way you've touched and transformed mine. How precious is this time! How I don't want anything to steal your face from my eyes. Father, I pray that we will use this time to be filled up by you, renewed and cleansed through you. That we may look to every day with such joy of knowing that you are... have always been and will be. How you bless me father! How you are the keeper of my soul, the maker of my life! The one my heart longs to adore. Fill us again with passion for you, and strength for the work you put before us. I pray that passion would overtake ritual, that real love would consume us... that we would recognize more of you in every minute of every day. That above all else we would live for you.
This is the prayer of my heart.

Whole Food Breakfast Ideas

As promised... here are a few whole food recipes.

Baked Oatmeal
1 1/2 cups of quick oats
1/4 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. ground golden flaxseed
1/3 c. of honey
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. of butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c. of mini choco-chips (opt.)

We mix all dry ingredients into individual food saver bags and seal for busy mornings. So we essentially have prepared, shelf- stable mixes on hand. I use self-stick printed labels on the front of each package with the recipe and baking instructions.

Mix all ingredients and spread evenly into a greased 9X13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

My children love assembling, baking and eating this recipe and it's been a great way for me to get my kiddos to eat oatmeal a few days a week.



Basic Whole Wheat Pancakes
(using fresh ground wheat/ or store bought whole-wheat flour)

4 cups of freshly milled soft wheat
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 oil
4 eggs
3 cups of milk or buttermilk

Mix together and drop by 1/4 c onto hot skillet
Just made these this morning.... makes a huge batch so be sure to freeze extras. We like these served with fresh fruit and whip cream. Yum!!! Thought Whip Cream was off limits? So did I until I read the labels!!! Reddi-Whip Original Whip Cream only has 15 calories, less than 1 gram of sugar, 1 carb and 1 gram of fat. So enjoy guilt-free!t
* This is another mix we prepare and seal with our food saver. You can ground fresh flour and seal it and while it does loose a little nutritional value, the food saver bags do a great job at keeping it fresh!




For Waffles:
Use the same recipe, just increase oil slightly to 1/2 cup.

I found a great new blog to check out http://www.organicthrifty.com/. This blog proves that you can make good, value driven food choices without breaking the bank. In fact this was one of our first steps in changing the way we ate as a family. We would often buy lots of boxed, processed stuff but felt that organic meats were expensive. It took us considering our values to change our lifestyle. We knew that organic meats and dairy were a better choice for our family, so we started with a commitment to spend the bulk of our grocery budget in those areas. We also knew we wanted to try to eat more veggies and whole grains, so we applied more of our budget toward buying organic as much as possible. And as I began to use my grain grinder I was able to make real bread, muffins, pancakes, and other breakfast foods that we no longer needed to buy pre-packaged. You CAN get your family off the national obsession with sugar. You can prioritize your budget to include organic meats and dairy without it costing you more to go grocery shopping. Most of us just get into a rut and buy the same things when we go shopping, but consider the scenario below:





Great Value Milk $3.99/ gallon

A Box of Cereal $3.79

Total = $7.78



or

Organic milk $5.99/ gallon

A dozen Free Range Farm Eggs $1.79

Total= $7.78



The budget is the same, but the priorities are different. Another thing to think about is that a box of cereal will last a day or two, but a dozen eggs can make a hot breakfast for your children for several days. Our children love hard-boiled eggs, which are fun to eat and a powerhouse of protein. They affectionately call the yolk "cheese" and usually dump the "cheese" in the garbage and eat the whites, but occasionally will eat the yolk. Either way is fine with me, because their diet is low in fat and cholesterol, and because I'd rather have then eat an egg yolk which is a natural god-made food, rather than McDonalds french fries. :)



My next blog will be on whole-food breakfast ideas, so check back soon if you need ideas or encouragement in this area!

Hi everyone,
I have been reading and gotten some great new menu planning ideas and resources I wanted to share. One thing I recently read about was to write down the 21 meals you make the most. I love this idea! What a great idea to write down the 21 meals we use the most for nights when you are staring in the pantry and can't think of what to make. My biggest obstacle in the kitchen is finding planning time. Now that I've made the commitment to plan, organizing my recipes in lists helps me make that planning time quicker and easier. I found a website called ListPlanIt.com On their trial tab you can print a few lists for free to try them out. I printed 6 of the favorite recipe page and used one page each for beef recipes, chicken/ turkey, vegetarian, sides, entertaining, and bread recipes. I'm still making my lists, but along with my 21 meals lists, planning is a much easier task! I'm even going to make a list for recipes I want to try, then I plan to organize my recipes behind each list in my recipe binder. So simple! Another idea I've tried in the past is to list our favorite meals by season. Some things I make all year, but certain things like chili, and chicken pot pie are things that we make only in the winter. So it may be helpful to make a 21 meals list for each season too. Happy planning!

Green Smoothies

I recently ordered the book the Green Smoothie Diet and have enjoyed looking through new green smoothie recipes. I purchased a Tribest Personal Blender some time ago from Bread Beckers and have made smoothies for our family, so I was very interested in exploring more green smoothie recipes. The idea is to increase the amount of fruit and veggies in your diet by blending them into a smoothie, and (no they aren't all green). When dark leafy veggies are blended with fruits the smoothie turns our purple easily disguising the spinach. Don't underestimate the taste of these smoothies, they are delicious! Our kids even make their own in the morning because they like them! I just do my part keeping spinach, and frozen fruit available to them and they wander downstairs and make their own smoothies while I'm making breakfast. A big glass of fruit and veggies feel especially decadent when there is 12 inches of snow outside! :)

My big kitchen aid blender recently died, and I'm thinking about replacing it with a smoothie-friendly, high powered Blend-Tec Blender for making big batches. I recently started adding a shot of wheat grass juice to our smoothies and love it!! Wheat grass juice can be purchased frozen from Whole Foods or other natural food stores. It is great for energy and just feels good in your body! It has a green tea type taste... and I wondered the other day if you could dilute it and sip as a tea? Not sure if I'm brave enough to try it or not?!! My husband is much braver than I am and lets it thaw and drinks it straight. Just remember not to drink it on an empty stomach!

Our smoothies recipe
frozen blueberries
Frozen strawberries
fresh spinach
orange juice / water to desired smoothness
opt 1 oz of wheat grass

This morning I also added 1/2 a carrot and it was delicious. It adds sweetness and also tiny bits of texture which makes it feel to me more like a meal.