Berry Banana & Greens Smoothie

There’s no matter way to wake up than a smoothie (after coffee, of course). It makes me feel refreshed, my body feels ready to go, and all in all, it's the best thing your body can use in the mornings. It'll thank you for it, I promise.

I have a few different smoothies I switch between. I’m simple. I don’t try to make the most extravagant smoothie and I often use whatever we have in our fridge. My favorite is so simple to throw together, you'll start adding it to your morning routine. 

Ingredients

• 1/4-1/2 cup of frozen berries 
• 1 ripe banana
• Bunch of kale (add a little spinach if you want too)
• Flax seed (also shredded coconut, hemp seed, and chia seed when I have it) 
• Almond Milk, coconut water, or water filled just above the fruit and veggies

Add them all to your blender, blend, and drink up! It's so simple and it's such a good base recipe you can try different variations. Frozen mango instead of frozen berries? Spinach instead of kale? Coconut milk instead of almond milk? Get creative with it. 

Tell me your favorite smoothie in the comments so I can try it!

Naturally Dyed Easter Eggs

I was hoping to have this post up before Easter but alas, life got the better of me as it always does and since we made eggs the Friday before Easter Sunday, we had a lot to do and getting onto my laptop to edit photos and write out a post just didn't seem to be in the cards. However, I had a lot of fun dying eggs this year and feel compelled to share. It won't help this year (unless you hollow them out or use wood/ceramic ones for Spring decorations!) but bookmark this post for next Easter!

For these, we used beets, turmeric, blueberries, and matcha (not pictured because my son took and hid the egg as I was photographing). Some we soaked for 20 minutes, some for 60, some overnight. The longer the soak, the more vibrant the color will turn out. White eggs are best as brown eggs won't hold the dye. 

I hard boiled my eggs before dying them. Some people will boil them with what they're dying their eggs with but I was more comfortable doing it this way. 

So onto the recipe + what we need:

1 chopped beet (skin can stay on if you don't plan on eating them)
2 tablespoons turmeric
1 cup blueberries
1 cup matcha

Boil together each ingredient with 1 teaspoon of salt and 2 cups of water in separate pans for 10-15 minutes. Stir occassionally. Strain the water into a bowl, cup, or jar and stir in 1 tablespoon of vinegar to each. If you are using spices, like turmeric, you may want to use a cheesecloth because the powder may cling to the egg (or you can pat it off with a towel after dying). Allow the dyes to cool. I put mine in the fridge to quicken the cool down process. 

Now you're ready to dye your eggs!

Feel free to play around with this recipe. Try strawberries or elderberries in place of blueberries. Use red cabbage. Play with different spices you have in your cupboard. This was my first time naturally dying them so I'll definitely experiment more next year. When I was a kid, we merely went to the store and bought the Paas boxes. However, this will definitely be our family tradition - picking out fruits and vegetables and teas and spices we can use. Some may work well, others may not but we'll have a blast doing them regardless!  

Homemade Granola

Packaged foods always have extra preservatives. Making things homemade allows you to know what exactly goes into your food and makes it that much tastier when it has been created with your own two hands. I love making sure I have oats in my pantry because they are so versatile in the kitchen. I create all different kinds of recipes with them: oatmeal, no-cook oat balls, granola, granola bars, cookies, etc. This homemade granola recipe is definitely worth trying out. It's an easy go-to for breakfast, snacks, topped over ice cream, or tossed into a salad. The other perk is it is SO customizable. Add more oats, add less seeds and more dried fruit, add whatever flavors you want. Don't be scared to veer off from this recipe and make it your own!

What you'll need:

2 cups of rolled oats
1/4 cup of shredded coconut
1/4 cup of shelled hemp seeds
1/2 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of cacao nibs
1 tsp of cinnamon (or more if you want more cinnamon flavor)
pinch of salt
dash of vanilla extract
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup of honey
1 tbsp melted coconut oil (optional)
1 flaxseed "egg" (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
*Optional: dried fruit of your choice (i.e. raisins, apples, etc)

1. Preheat oven to 300°F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper (compostable) or grease your pan.

2. Prepare your flaxseed "egg" by combining 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Let it sit. 

3. Combine the oats, coconut, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and salt together. 

4. Then combine the vanilla extract, maple syrup, honey, and coconut oil. Mix in flaxseed "egg". 

5. Spread evenly over your pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes (you can mix the granola half way if you're worried about burning). Granola will be lightly browned and dry to the touch. 

6. Take it out. Allow it to cool. 

7.  Break apart. Mix it with dried fruit. Store in an air tight container, glass preferable. It should last up to 2 weeks. Mix it with your favorite milk, yogurt, fresh fruit, whatever! Just enjoy.