Orange Mango Strawberry Parsley Smoothie

Add another worthwhile smoothie to the collection. This one gets its flavor from the strawberries, sweetness from the dates and creaminess from the mango. Parsley comes along to sweeten the breath and sharpen the eye-sight!

It’s the middle of November and I’m now getting down to the last of the greens from the garden. Event thought we’ve had a frost and more than half the leaves have fallen off the trees, the parsley’s strong enough to endure. What a great plant. Even though I’ve still got Collard Greens and kale, the parsley still tastes fresh and healthy! The Collard Greens turned peppery and that it’s too really not something I can stomach. The kale, well, no longer tastes all that flavorful, it’s kind of old.

So, using what’s offered, parsley’s on the menu!

Recipe:

  • 2 oranges
  • 1 ripe mango
  • 10 frozen strawberries
  • 3 medjool dates
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 fresh bunch parsley

The work comes pealing and removing the seeds. I like to buy oranges that have seeds for the fruit tastes better. Add the fruit to the blender and liquefy.

Once it’s liquid, press in the parsley.

Plan on having enough for breakfast and half a lunch! This combination yields about 6 cups.

I love these small mouth quart jars! This one is an old honey jar that I’ve been recycling for months now. As long as you promptly wash it out before the residue dries, the lid will not corrode very fast. When the lids ware out, it turns out that the jar doesn’t hold my interest much longer. Fortunately, I can still find great raw honey in quart jars so my source doesn’t run dry.

Have a great day!

Strawberry Orange Grape Spinach Smoothie

Good day for another raw green smoothie! This one has got to be one of the easiest and most comforting. I believe this is the first time that I’ve mixed oranges and strawberries. What a wonderful combination. The orange is so neutral, I rarely think of it as being a flavor all in its own. But in this case, when you add the strawberries, the orange flavor is really accentuated. Like wow!

Who would have thought that if you mix a few strawberries in with a couple oranges the oranges would taste stronger?

Even though I’m making the smoothie in order to get the greens, you don’t always want to get the flavor of the greens. In this smoothie, you’d think that the grapes and spinach are just along for the ride!

Winter is upon all of us in the northern hemisphere so oranges and frozen strawberries should be plentiful. You might want to give this one a try!

Recipe:

  • 2 oranges (remove the seeds)
  • 10 frozen strawberries
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups seedless grapes
  • 1 cup coconut milk (I like the one with added vanilla)
  • ¼ cup (or so) “Good Belly” probiotic
  • 2 medjool dates (remove the seeds)
  • ½ lb raw baby spinach

Pile everything but the greens into the blender.

I usually place the wettest, easiest to grind stuff at the bottom. Place the lid on tight and liquefy (this should only take a few seconds).

Now stuff in your spinach! You should be able to easily get the half pound in and around that juice. Now place the lid on again and blend until smooth. I usually let it spin for about a minute. The frozen strawberries will keep it from overheating so if you want to spin it longer, that’s probably ok too.

In the end, you get orange flavored green magic!

Each morning I make about 64 ounces. This recipe makes just that. If you want less, cut the fruit in half and don’t use more than 1 cup liquid.

Oranges are a bit cooling so make sure you’re going to stay active during the day. Don’t want to hear about anyone getting cold after drinking an Orange Strawberry Grape Spinach Smoothie!

Enjoy!

Raw Beet Orange Strawberry Smoothie

It never gets old sharing my experience with raw green smoothies! I know that out of all the things I’ve consumed over the last few years, the greens in the smoothies have helped me regain a youthfulness that I thought I’d lost. The best part about this is that I’ve actually experienced it. I’m pretty sure that it would also work for you!

It never seems to get old posting another raw green smoothie recipe on the blog. Even though they can start looking the same, each one is a different set if experiences, flavors and textures. This one has the excitement of strawberries with an after taste of orange. The beet greens give it a little bit of a wild ride.

If you’ve got a collection of beets you haven’t harvested from the garden, you might be able to give this one a go and see how easy it is for yourself. If not, Swiss Chard or Spinach might be really good substitutes. Just make sure you use a large amount of greens! Remember, the health benefits come from the greens.

Recipe:

  • 2 Oranges seeds removed
  • 10-12 Frozen (or even better – fresh) strawberries
  • 1 cup Orange juice
  • 2 Medjool dates (seeds removed)
  • 1 Large bunch beet greens

Place all the fruit in your high powered blender and grind it up for a few seconds. If you put the orange slices in first things will break down faster (even though it only takes a couple seconds). Next, add the greens.

The liquid fruit will flow up and around to fill all the empty space in the greens making it pretty easy to place a blender full of greens into a blender full of fruit purée. Blend for 60 seconds or more. If you’re using frozen fruit, you might let it go a little longer in order to warm it above freezing. It’s a lot easier to consume if it’s not ice cold.

The oranges take on the pink color given up by the strawberries only to be overwhelmed by the red of the bet green stems. But in any case, it’s easy to drink and filling!

Enjoy!

Pineapple Orange Banana Lettuce Smoothie

There is something about this combination that I love. I’m not sure if it’s the simple fact that the lettuce is straight from the garden and harvested only minutes before hand, or if it’s something else. It could be the juices that I’ve added, of the fact that the banana is fully ripe and already partly creamy.

In any case, there is nothing bitter about this and you’ll find that it’s amazingly easy to drink!

I also find this combination a bit cooling, so if the day is warmer than normal, this combination might be what you’re looking for.

Recipe:

  • 1 inch ripe pineapple
  • 1 large orange (remove the seeds)
  • 1 ripe banana
  • ¾ cup your favorite probiotic juice
  • ¾ cup Orange Peach Mango juice
  • 2 pitted dates
  • 1 large bowl fresh picked garden lettuce

Peal the orange, banana and pineapple before placing in high speed blender. Add the juice and dates. Blend to break everything down.

Next, cram in the lettuce. You’ll be surprised how much will actually fit! Blend until smooth. It might take a minute or so on high speed.

Breakfast and lunch! All at one time I’ve put together what should keep me going for the better part of the day.

I’m not sure how I could change this one to make it better, but who knows, tomorrow I will probably find myself combining similar ingredients but with slight variations. Hopefully, I’ll find the next one as enjoyable as this one!

Best Mint Smoothie Yet!

It feels like harvest time already! The garden mint is nearly a foot tall and it’s finding its way into the kitchen every morning now. There’s nothing like fresh young mint in the early spring. Ok, well, it’s nearly summer, but everything is nearly 45 days late this year so I’m still thinking of it as early spring. I just hope we get a summer before fall comes around.

But, don’t let me get off track with this smoothie. I absolutely love the fact that I’ve got a lot of different things to mix up this year. As it turns out, this combination is a real keeper. I’ve been looking for something where when you drink it your taste budds say “wow, … savory, … sweet, … rich, but what is it?” That’s what this one is! You can taste the mint, but it’s not too strong. The orange, and it’s subtle too. The sweetness shines through, but it’s just enough. And finally, it’s creamy.

Unfortunately, I’m out of oranges. I guess I’m going to have to go shopping again. This time, I’ll pick up twice as many for the mint is coming on strong.

I highly recommend this smoothie. When you pick your mint, get more than you’ll ever think will work! I picked a big handful. And, make sure that its spearmint. When I asked Lori what she thought she said, “Did you put mint in it? I wasn’t too powerful. I think you put in just the right amount this time.” When I told her it as a huge handful, she was a bit shocked.

Let’s get on with it.

Recipe:

  • 2 Medjool dates (remove the seeds)
  • 3 oranges
  • 1 larger mango
  • 1 inch slice of pinapple
  • 1+ cup water
  • 1 large handful spearmint
  • ½ lb fresh young baby Spinach.

This is a recipe that needs some pealing. Peal orange, mango and pineapple the best you can and make sure no seeds make it into the smoothie. Remove the spearmint leave from the stocks adding only the leaves. Turn the fruit and then pack in the spinach. After a go 60 seconds on high it should be ready to go.

As you can see, it made more than a quart and I’ve got more pineapple left for next time.

I really like this combination. Notice that there is no cacao in it! As much as I wanted to add it, I refrained in order to see what it was like without. Well, it’s best without!

I’m sure you’ll love this one too. Let me know.

Good day!