Beetroot Smoothie #CooktheBooks

This colorful, pretty smoothie is packed with antioxidants.  It is a great pick-me-up after a fall hike or as a post-workout treat.

I was inspired to make this drink while reading our Cook the Books October/November selection......

Razzles for Breakfast #MoviesandMunchies

This month's pick for our Movies and Munchies group was 13 Going On 30, chosen by Camilla of Culinary Cam.

Strawberry Smoothie #SundayFunday

Fresh Strawberries, Frozen Banana, Pineapple Juice, and Greek Yogurt combine to make a scrumptious, refreshing smoothie.  Perfect for Breakfast or a post-workout snack.  

The Sunday Funday bloggers are sharing Strawberry recipes today......

Chocolate, Banana, Cranberry Smoothie with Selefina Spices #Sponsored #SundayFunday

When I am busy preparing for the holidays but need to make sure that I keep my energy up, I turn to smoothies for a quick, easy and nutritious breakfast that I can sip while working in the kitchen.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are sharing Thanksgiving Breakfast Ideas today......

Banana Pumpkin Smoothie #SundayFunday

Fall has officially arrived here on the farm in Michigan.  The weather is cooler, the leaves are starting to change color.  This week the pool will be closed up and the majority of the outdoor furniture will be put into the barn until next season.

As the weather changes so does my appetite.  I start craving pot roasts instead of steaks, roast chicken instead of bbq chicken, soups instead of salads.  Squash becomes the vegetable of choice and fresh tomatoes and corn become fond memories.

Pre-Workout Caramel Apple Smoothie #BacktoSchoolTreats

I received product samples from sponsor companies to aid in the creation of the #BacktoSchoolTreats week recipes. All opinions are mine alone. 

I loved having my teen home this summer.  We got to spend time getting to know each other better as we adjusted to our new normal of being a family.  But I am looking forward to the new school year as is she.  She feel more settled now and ready to concentrate on school rather than being the "new" kid.

I am looking forward to getting back into my routine of hitting the gym three mornings a week.  One of my favorite ways to take care of myself is to get my nutrition in before my exercise with a smoothie.  They are quick, portable and give me enough energy to power through even the toughest workout.

This smoothie contains a whole apple for fiber, Greek yogurt for protein, and Torani syrups for flavoring.  It is like enjoying a caramel apple on your way to the gym.  That is a wonderful way to start your day.

Orange Creme Smoothie #SpringSweetsWeek

Rich, thick and delicious this citrus smoothie is the perfect, nutritious way to start your day.

We are still celebrating Spring Sweets Week.  Please join us........

Honey Oat Smoothie #ImprovCookingChallenge

A wonderful and delicious way to add more fruits and fiber to your diet is by enjoying a smoothie for breakfast in the morning.

This smoothie combines bananas and strawberries for flavor, oats for filling fiber and a touch of honey for sweetness.  You can feel good knowing that your family has a great, healthy start to their day.

Join the Improv Cooking Crew as we create recipes featuring Oatmeal and Honey........

Fresh Peaches and Cream Cocktail

Disclosure: I received product from a sponsor for the creation of a recipe and the sharing of my honest, individual opinion and content in this post.   The addition of alcohol is intended for persons 21 years of age and older.

This creamy delicious cocktail starts with fresh peaches.  Mixed with some light cream and pure Madagascar Vanilla and you have a perfect treat for the kids.  Add a splash of Peach Schnapps and you have created the perfect, seasonal cocktail to enjoy during these last dog days of Summer.

It is peach season here in Michigan and I couldn't be more excited.......

Beartown; An Audible Book Review

This is a fictional account of the lives of people in a small community called Beartown.  It is a disturbing and truthful look at humankind and current life, at least in First World Countries.  Beartown could easily be the true account of any community and is probably closer to the truth in our communities than we would like to believe.

So like the residents of Beartown, we put on our blinders.  We tell ourselves that it couldn't or wouldn't be our kids.  That we are the parents that will have more influence over our children than their peers and that we are the kind of people who would stand up and shout out about truth, honesty, goodness, kindness, responsibility and consequences in the face of popular opinion and beliefs.

My daughter, Amy, also read this novel. Neither of us knew the other had read it but when having a pedicure/lunch date we were talking about what we were reading and discovered that we had both just finished this novel.

Amy believes it should be required reading in high schools world wide.  I believe she is correct.  I also believe that it should prompt daily discussion in schools and homes. Discussions about how it is so easy to get caught up in the we/they mentality.  Discussions about overlooking someone's faults/sins/crimes because that person is important to the community/society.  Discussions about the inequality between men and women that still exists today even though we try to deny it.  Discussions about taking responsibility for your own actions.

The list goes on and on.  You could have daily dinner conversations with your teens for a month and not cover it all.

This novel by Frederik Backman is very different from the others of his that I have read and loved.  A Man Called Ove,  My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She Was Sorry,  and Britt Marie Was Here were all novels featuring loveable characters, even the cantankerous ones, who learn to accept and care for one another despite initial difference.  They are feel good novels that I enjoyed immensely.

Beartown is, by no stretch of the imagination, a feel good novel.  All of these previous audible novels were narrated by a pleasant, soft spoken voice that contributed to this relaxed, feel good atmosphere.

The narrator of Beartown has a harsh voice, perfectly suited for this novel.  It is a powerful novel and one that I would strongly recommend, especially for a book club setting where it will provide great fodder for your reviews and discussions.

There was not a lot of food in this novel.  There was however a lot of invitations to "come in for coffee".  There was also an explosion of a smoothie in the beginning of the novel when the lid was not properly placed on the blender and lots of alcohol consumed.

This inspired me to make and share this Frozen Irish Coffee.  Join me over at Foodies Read as sip our smoothie and see what the other food bloggers are reading this month.

Frozen Irish Coffee

1 c. cold coffee

1/2 c. Irish cream liqueur

2 T. chocolate syrup

2 c. ice cubes

whipped cream and chocolate syrup for garnish, if desired

Place coffee, liqueur, chocolate syrup and ice cubes into a heavy duty blender. Puree until smooth.  Divide between 2 glasses.  Garnish with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup, if desired.

Print Recipe

Beet and Carrot Smoothie to Finish Up #RecipeMakeover Week

Today is the final day of this wonderful #RecipeMakeover event hosted by the lovely ladies over at ThePinterTest Kitchen.  It is also the last day to enter to win the fabulous gifts being offered by our gracious and generous sponsors.  You can learn all about our sponsors and enter the drawing by going over to my Welcome Post.

One of our sponsors, Barleans, sent me a wonderful package of their Digestive Blend, chock full of flax, chia, coconut, pumpkin and quinoa.  Perfect for sprinkling on salads, yogurt and oatmeal.  You can add it to your baked goods for an extra nutritious punch.  I decided to add it to this smoothie, perfect for grabbing as you head out the door to work.

The recipe I am sharing is perfect for smoothies for two.  You can always halve the recipe if you are not forcing having your husband eat healthier along with you.

I had some leftover beets that I had roasted for a salad (that recipe will be coming shortly)  and some leftover carrots from a package of frozen that I had heated up for dinner the night before.  I added in a crispy and sweet apple and some apple juice so no additional sweetener was required. 

I topped this with 4 tablespoons of the Barleans Digestive Blend and a cup of ice and set my heavy duty blender to puree.

I thought the earthy goodness of this smoothie might be too sophisticated for young palates but to my surprise the Little Angel Face loved it!  I was happy to share this nutritious, delicious breakfast with her.  Thanks Barleans! 

Thank you Allison and the other ladies of The PinterTest Kitchen for all of your hard work putting together this wonderful event.

Beet and Carrot Smoothie

makes 2 servings

2 c. roasted beets and carrot mixture

1 c. apple juice

1  apple, cored

4 T. Barleans Digestive Blend, if desired

1 cup ice

Place all ingredients into a heavy duty blender in the order listed and puree until smooth.  Print Recipe

Let's see what the others are sharing on this final day

An InLinkz Link-up

PBJ Smoothie #FantasticalFoodFight

It's time again for our Fantastical Food Fight the day when we all share a recipe featuring the same theme or ingredient.  This month our theme was Peanut Butter and Jelly.

Sarah of Fantastical Sharing of Recipes is our leader and challenged us all to share a recipe containing peanuts and fruit.

Peanut Butter and Jelly is one of my favorite combinations ever.  Actually Peanut Butter and anything makes me happy.  Chocolate, bananas, marshmallows....ok, I've gotta stop now I'm drooling again.

I am currently on the FMD eating plan.  Nuts and nut butters are allowed during Phase 3 but peanuts are not included on that list for some reason.  I made an exception for this event and used peanut butter but to make it truly FMD friendly you would need to use cashew, almond or sun butter.  

Smoothies are one of my go to breakfast and/or snacks on this eating plan.  They are quick, easy and oh soooooo goooood.  Especially if you are using peanut or another nut butter in them.  I used blackberries in my smoothie this time but you can use any fruit you want.  What is your favorite flavor for jelly or jam?

PBJ Smoothie

1 c. blackberries

2 T. peanut butter

1 c. almond milk

1/2 c. ice

Place all ingredients into a heavy duty blender and puree until smooth.

More Peanut Butter and Jelly Creations

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm having a Smooth(ie) day, thanks to #SRC

Happy Monday everyone.  Today is the second Monday of the month which, normally, means only one thing around here....Secret Recipe Club Reveal Day.

Today, however, it means the movers are coming and the rest of our belongings will be at the new house.  We have been very busy around here.  We spent weeks packing and then Saturday began moving stuff.  Today is the last moving day.  After this we can concentrate on putting stuff away and turning our new house into our new home.

I'm never too busy for SRC though.  I did have a little panic attack last week when I realized that reveal day was only 5 days away and I hadn't even looked at my assigned blog.  Then I got really worried because I went to my calendar where I normally put my assignments and links to the sharing codes and there was nothing listed.....not even SRC!!

Our fearless leader, Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, came through for me though.  She calmed me down and re-sent all the info I needed.  My assignment was Jeanie at The Tasty Cheapskate.  I was thrilled with this assignment because:

I love this blog

I found Jeanie when I first came to group B and immediately enjoyed her style of writing.  I also enjoy that each recipe comes complete with a breakdown of what it will cost to make. I am familiar with this blog so I didn't have to spend a lot time researching.

I am familiar with this blog

When I dropped the ball with SRC this month, I was so disappointed in myself because I was afraid that I would not give my assigned blog the attention it deserved.  Being familiar with The Tasty Cheapskate made my life much easier. Time is a rare commodity while moving and Jeanie's blog was a God send.

Jeanie has tons of fast, delicious meals

In fact, she has a special category for Fast Meals (under 30 Minutes) in her recipe file.  I peeked at the Vegetarian Fajitas and the Quinoa and Black Bean Salad  because it is, after all, Meatless Monday.

There are tons of Smoothies on this blog

There are over 30 recipes for drinks and smoothie on her recipe page including the one I made that was listed with a week's worth of smoothies to prep ahead so each morning goes more Smoothie for you.  Jeanie calls these Smoothies in a Bag.

If you are a regular reader here, you know that since starting the FMD eating plan I have been a smoothie nut. Smoothies are a great way to get in your breakfast or snack on this eating plan. Today is Phase 1 which means I need to have fruit and grains for breakfast and fruit for each snack.  I am also allowed to have unlimited amount of vegetables with snacks or anytime during the day if I get hungry.

This recipe for The Brown Berry caught my eye right away.  I made some slight adaptations.  I deleted the banana because bananas are not allowed on FMD and I used cider instead of apple juice since that was what I had in the refrigerator.  Mine was more of a Green Berry than a Brown Berry but it was still perfect for my snack on a very busy day.  

Thanks Jeanie, you made my day much Smoothier!!

Green Berry Smoothie 

Adapted from The Tasty Cheapskate

2 c. spinach

1 c. frozen mixed berries

1/2 c. apple cider

1 c. water

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.  Print Recipe

More Great SRC Reveals

An InLinkz Link-up