The Perfect Pear; The Perfect Cleanse

I'm pretty sure I've had this green smoothie every day possible over the last two months.

Perhaps you have heard of Natalia Rose?

She is very famous for her raw, juiced green drink, called "Green Lemonade." A few of Paul's and my extended family members are currently doing a 100% raw juicing diet with green lemonade to successfully lose unwanted weight in a short period of time.

While I have also just discovered a new love for juicing lately; grapefruit orange juice, apple juice, carrot celery juice, etc. I have also discovered that kale does not juice very well, and most of it seems wasted.

As kale plays a major role in green lemonade, it seems tragic to see such small yeild of juice from such a power-packed nutrient, and almost heart-breaking to see so much kale thrown away into the trash after it has been juiced. (Even using the very popular and high quality Breville juicer; my personal fave).

I prefer to blend my greens, whole, to enjoy the whole plant, and this green smoothie is the closest "mime" to green lemonade that I have come across (thanks to my sister!).

Over Christmas break, it seemed that Paul, the kids and I were able to dodge a lot of "illness bullets." We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends, but it seemed like everyone was getting hit really hard with some kind of bug. Through it all, we somehow avoided getting the stomach flu, Norovirus, the cold, and other such ailments.

We thought we were out of the woods.

Until I got a sinus infection, which I have been prone to getting since I was little.

Did you suffer illness during the holidays? Or perhaps, you interacted with one too many sweets, and are ready for a cleanse. Maybe your Resolutions for 2013 include weight loss.

This Perfect Pear really is the perfect cleanse.

Because:

*It packs in a lot of greens
*It packs in a lot of cruciferous vegetables...
*...and cruciferous vegetables are known for their high nutrient density

According to Joel Fuhrman, and his book, "Super Immunity," if you want to avoid illness, or do everything you can to speed your recovery, you will consume a lot of cruciferous vegetables.

Examples of Commonly Found Cruciferous Vegetables:

* Kale
* Bok Choy
* Broccoli
* Cauliflower
* Collards
* Cabbage

Joel Fuhrman also says that in order to get the maximum benefit from cruciferous vegetables, it is best to have them lightly steamed, or raw, but pureed or finely chopped so that your body has easy access to the nutrients.

The Perfect Pear Smoothie has both kale, and bok choy, in their raw form! All blended up for a quick infusion of power-packed nutrients.

It's not super-sweet, but packed with greens. Cleansing is the idea, or good for weight loss or for just wanting to feel great. So don't expect it to taste like candy...However, despite the fact that it's not overpoweringly sweet, it is just about the juiciest green smoothie I have ever tasted. Pleasant, energizing, and very satisfying.

You can adjust the sweetness levels easily to your taste by adding more pear, or banana, or both.

The Perfect Pear
Adapted from Diana Stobo

Note from Ashlee: I found the most beautiful and delicious red Bartlett pears at Costco, that I have ever had. They were very large, and very sweet. I can't find them at Costco anymore, and seeing as how pear is the main sweetener/taste in this smoothie, I recommend you use either very ripe Bartlett or very ripe D'anjou pears. If they are small use two pears.

Ingredients

1½ cups water
1 large Bartlett pear, cored and stemmed (or 2 smaller pears, D'anjou pears work well!)
1 baby bok choy
3 celery stalks
3 large romaine lettuce leaves
3 large kale leaves (I add more like 6-8 leaves because I love greens)
1 banana
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of ice (optional, but I think smoothies taste much better when cold, and ice helps blenders like Blendtec blend more efficiently.)

Directions

Add to your blender in the order shown, starting with water and ending with ice. Blend in high-speed blender for 60 seconds. Serve immediately.


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What I do to get a good picture sometimes!

While I was carrying the cutting board back into the house (through the snow) after this smoothie's photo shoot, the lemon started rolling off the board. I used my elbow to catch the lemon, and down went the green smoothie.

Luckily, I was able to use my torso as a lid for the top of the green smoothie and able to salvage most of it, but not without suffering some loss.

I was trying to get ready for our trip to Utah, so I just quickly wiped down my shirt and pants, and wore them during packing. Seeing a green, round stain, Essie and Paul both asked, "What did you get on your shirt?!"

5 Minute Banana Berry Ice Cream

My little Samuel asks me for ice cream almost daily.

Although making homemade ice cream is not really too big of a deal, it requires a little bit of patience. And since Samuel and I are alike in so many ways, sometimes neither of us have the patience required to wait for the ice cream to freeze.

In comes 5 minute Banana ice cream. Aaaahhh. And it is almost done in an instant.

Because it is made from bananas, berries, raw nuts, and minimal added pure maple syrup, I have no problem serving this to my kids as an afternoon snack. Kinda' as a replacement for yogurt or cottage cheese or something like that.

You do need a food processor. Or if you don't have one I have seen some people try it with a blender. I have been very frustrated in trying to use my Blendtec to get it to work. Perhaps try adding the maple syrup with the bananas in the first step to get it to blend?

Here is a great little video with Dreena Burton, demonstrating how to make Banana Ice Cream. I will post her recipe, and also my modifications so you can see what I did.



Dreena has other movies that you can watch. I think she's the best!

Cashew Banana Ice Cream
By Dreena Burton, with some modifications of my own that my kids love.

When I have overripe bananas, I slice them, measure 3 cups to a container or ziploc bag, then store in the freezer so they are readily available to make this ice cream.

Ingredients: (Tree NUT FREE variation)

(About 3 cups)

3 cups frozen sliced bananas (4–5 medium bananas) (see notes)
1/3 – ½ cup cashew butter (raw cashew butter is especially good; also try a combo of almond butter and macadamia nut butter) (if allergic to tree nuts, use peanut butter)
1/8 tsp sea salt
3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup (or less/more as desired)

And my variation:

Includes frozen mixed berries, and less nut butter.

3 cups frozen sliced bananas (4–5 medium bananas)
1/2 cup frozen berry medley
1/4 cup (scant) cashew butter
2 Tbsp almond butter
1/8 tsp sea salt
3-4 tbsp pure maple syrup (or less/more as desired)


Instructions

In a food processor, process bananas until they are roughly chopped. Add frozen berries, cashew butter, salt, and syrup (starting with 2-3 tablespoons) and purée until very smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.

Taste test, adding remaining syrup if desired.

Serve immediately, and store leftovers in the freezer. (This ice cream freezes well, being easy to scoop again within a few minutes after removing from the freezer. In fact, I prefer to freeze it to reharden the ice cream somewhat before digging in!)

Notes:

When I have overripe bananas, I slice them, measure 3 cups to a container or ziploc bag, then store in the freezer so they are readily available to make this ice cream.
The more overripe your bananas, the sweeter this ice cream will be. Also, softer ice cream is sweeter to our tastebuds than hard, frozen ice cream, so you can adjust sweetness to taste with the maple syrup. (don’t omit the salt, it enhances the sweetness and also rounds out the overall flavors.)

You can modify this ice cream as you like. I prefer the simplicity of bananas and cashews, but you could add vanilla extract (or paste), almond extract, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg. Also, try pulsing in some raw cashews or macadamia nuts, or some chocolate chips.

PROJECT VEGAN KIDS
DAIRY FREE SERIES
AND
We all want VEGAN FAST FOOD!
This will be our first contribution to this new fast food series, as I really do make this when I am panicked and don't know what else to feed my kids in a hurry.

Purple Power Smoothie

A few days ago I found myself so hungry I realized I should have eaten 20 minutes ago!

Has this ever happened to you?

Some words from my brother came to mind, "Ashlee, nothing you have to feed me will suffice! I am just too hungry."

At that moment I knew exactly what he meant by "too hungry."

When this happens I try to have a few healthy go-to snacks, or snack ideas on hand so that I don't panic. Nothing really sounds appetizing that's junk-foodish because junk food never has any satiation power.

I remembered that I had a new green purple smoothie that I could fix super-fast, and then I didn't feel so desperate. I tend to memorize smoothie recipes after fixing them one or two times so that I can make them in a flash.

After those one or two initial makings of it, I generally stop measuring, and just throw the basic ingredients together the way I like it. Which generally consists of adding a lot more greens than the original recipe calls for. I LOVE greens. I love them because of how they make me feel.

Paul and I were talking about how, after drinking a green smoothie made entirely from fresh produce, water, and ice, that we never feel sick. And, admittedly, some foods make me feel sick. You have experienced this before, too, I am sure!

It has taken me a while to really realize that smoothies are more than just a breakfast food. They are snack food, sometimes even dinner food. Basically, just a good ol' anytime standby food.

And it goes without saying that, fresh produce, in whatever form you eat it (whole, as a salad, smoothie, or whatever) is dairy free, gluten free, oil free, meat free, soy free, egg free; free of a lot of junk and stuff we don't want!

So grab produce when you are just too hungry, and you will feel great!

Here's one way to enjoy fresh fruits and veg. It's like a salad in a blender that doesn't require any dressing.

What is your favorite go-to food that makes you feel great when you find yourself too hungry?

Coming up I have found and improved a fantastic nut/soy/dairy-free cream sauce that has a secret ingredient! You'll never guess what it is!

And look here for my other favorite green smoothie.

I was intrigued by this recipe because of it's liquid foundation: pomegranate juice. It can be found at Costco, Target, and other natural food stores. It makes the berries pop, and the taste of greens completely disappears.

Purple Power Smoothie
From Dr. Joel Furhman's book, "Super Immunity."


Ingredients:
1 cup pomegranate juice (I had to use more juice, almost 2 cups, because I add more greens)
1 cup compacted spinach (I used 3 cups compacted, I didn't have Boston lettuce)
1 cup compacted Boston lettuce
1/4 of a medium cucumber
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup frozen mixed berries or strawberries (I added 1/2 cup extra and omitted blueberries)
3 pitted dates (blended dates hurt my stomach for some reason, so I added 3 packets of stevia plus 1-2 teaspoons of agave nectar)
2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 cup ice (don't skip, don't underestimate the power of ice to enhance smoothie flavors)
2 tsp green powder (my addition/modification, I use Ormus Supergreens)


Directions:

Blend ingredients in a Vitamix (I use my Blendtec) or other high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. If you don't have a high-powered blender I still encourage you to make this, but halve the recipe or work in batches and blend until smooth and creamy.

For PROJECT VEGAN KIDS (ALL MY KIDS LOVE IT) &
For GO DAIRY FREE SERIES

Baked Rice Pudding

One of the sweetest things is when my kids have requests that I make them certain foods.

First of all, they ask me so nicely! And second, it lets me know for sure that they really like that particular food.

Rice pudding is on their top ten favorites list of breakfast foods (yes, they love it for BREAKFAST!). And for the last couple of days, it's what they've been requesting.

It is a great way to get your kids familiar with brown rice, and also helps use up rice leftovers from a previous meal. I have a rice maker and make rice in batches of about 4 cups at a time. Rice (cooked) is easily frozen and then thawed for more use later.

I modified this recipe from Mary McDougall after a few trial runs. I only add 1/2 cup of dried fruit, where she adds 1 whole cup; it just seemed like their were more raisins than rice! In the above picture I used craisins and dates, but only because I didn't have any raisins. Raisins are definitely our favorite dried fruit to add. But get creative and add whatever dried fruit is your fave. And if it's just for the adults in the house, you may want to add a few chopped walnuts for crunch.

Don't forget, or decide to skip, bringing the mixture to boil on the stove-top before baking it. I have done this and it makes the rice less plump, more runny (in the above pic the pudding is quite thick, I added the extra milk after baking), and increases the baking time by 2-3X. It's totally worth bringing it to a boil! I actually just stuck my 13X9 glass baking pan right on top of the stove and brought it to a boil, then transferred it to the oven.

I hope you enjoy it, it's dairy free, gluten free, very low in fat, is a whole grain, and depending on what milk you use, it can be nut or soy free. Here are some of the milks I had in my fridge yesterday.

Part of our GO DAIRY FREE series, and PROJECT VEGAN KIDS.

BAKED RICE PUDDING
Modified from Mary McDougall's online Recipe Index

Note from Mary: We have been enjoying rice pudding in assorted variations for many years. We made this one a few nights ago and really enjoyed it. Check out the “hints” for different serving ideas. We would consider this a healthy dessert, the less sugar used, the healthier it is.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes (cooked rice needed)
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4-6

3 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups soy or rice milk
1/2 cup dried fruit
3 teaspoons brown sugar (you may need to add a little more for your kids)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients in an oven-proof pot. Heat to just boiling. Remove from heat, stir and place uncovered in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Hints: Serve in individual bowls with extra soy or rice milk to pour over the pudding and/or brown sugar to sprinkle on top. This may also be baked in individual bowls. Baking time will be reduced by about half. Different kinds of fruit may be used such as raisins, currents, dried cranberries, or chopped apricots or dates. This may also be served cold or at room temperature.

Sour Mango + Spinach Smoothie

See what I mean by 75% greens and 25% fruit? This is where I see you in 6 months. Or maybe you are already here. Awesome.

This beautiful combination of fruits and veggies was invented by Aimee Henrikson. My culinary genius of a sister. It is actually the inspiration for the name of this blog.

Aimee made this for us while we were visiting in Utah on a Saturday. It made me feel SO GOOD that the next day as we were sitting in church I couldn't stop thinking about it. I felt like a kid whose mother had made cinnamon rolls and I couldn't wait to go home and eat them!

While I was trying to pay attention to the speakers it must have looked like I was sitting on a hot stove. Counting down the minutes until I could jump up, run down the street back to my Mom's house, and make that smoothie as fast as I could. It was during this very child-like moment that the name hit me.

This smoothie was like a literal plant infusion. It made me feel like the plant ingredients plus the apple cider vinegar were scrubbing out all of the yucky toxins and fatigue right out of my body.

In anticipation I started chanting quietly, "Plant Infusion! Plant Infusion!"

And thus the name of this blog was born.

Thank you, Aimee. I bet you didn't know that your creations are THAT inspirational. What'd I say? Genius, I believe is the word.

This is often my breakfast and lunch.

This green smoothie is very portable in a glass quart jar.

Warning: glass quart jars are clear. If you walk around drinking this in public people will ask you questions.

I think I'll go make this right now.

P.S. Keep the pineapple core on your pineapple and include it in your smoothie. I was walking past Mr. Blendtec salesman dude at Costco the other day (why does the idea of buying my blender all over again excite and intrigue me?!?!?) and he said, "Leave the core on the pineapple as that is where most of the vital nutrients are contained. The blender will make it smooth as ever."



Sour Mango + Spinach Green Smoothie (or Green Drink)
Adapted By Aimee Henrikson (my sister!) from Diana Stobo

1 cup vanilla or plain kefir, coconut kefir, soy yogurt or plant milk
1 cup water
1 grapefruit, bitter skins and piths removed (see citrus avocado salad on how to fancy-peel citrus)
2 peeled oranges
2 cups fresh spinach (or more if you are aiming to incorporate more greens)
1-3 TBSP apple cider vinegar (according to how sour you like it, I love 1/4 cup!)
1 heaping tablespoon green powder (optional, I use Ormus Supergreens which really adds flavor)
1 cup mango or 1 cup peaches, depending on your preference (fresh or frozen)
1/8 – ¼ of a fresh pineapple depending on your desire for sweetness
2-3 Tbsp Chia seeds or flax seeds (to get your omegas and fiber, and attain a feeling of fullness)
1/2 frozen banana (optional, for added creaminess and sweetness)
½ to 1 cup ice

Layer in blender the liquids, then soft foods, then frozen foods. Blend well. Can add ice and the water if you want it colder and less thick.

I put this in my WildSide larger blendtec blender and I have to smash it down to make it fit. The blender has to really work to get it fully blended so if you do not have a WildSide Blendtec, halve the recipe.

Good, Better, Best

It's time for change.

Recently I have been reading from Dr. Joel Fuhrman's Book, "Disease-Proof Your Child."

It fuels my nutrition fire.

After reading this section (and many other wonderful ones!) about avoiding processed and sugary foods for children:

"Not only do processed foods and fast foods often contain dangerous trans fats and other additives, but they also can have high levels of acrylamides. When processed foods are baked and fried at high temperatures, these cancer-causing chemical compounds are produced. Many processed foods, such as chips, french fries, and sugar-coated breakfast cereals, are rich in acrylamides....Acrylamides cause genetic mutations, leading to a wide variety of cancers in lab animals, including breast and uterine cancer."

I have decided to eliminate a crutch I have been leaning on. Actually, 4 crutches.

I have read recently that children often need to taste something between 7-9 times before they are used to it, and can decide that they like it.

Adults may have similar needs to acquire tastes. So don't give up on yourself or your kids. And don't give out labels like, "Oh, so-and-so doesn't like that food." Or, "I don't like that." Keep trying, and keep expanding your options.

We are forgetting that tastes are often trained by habits.

So, back to crutches: 1.) Meatless corn dogs. Oh, man! These took like 30 seconds to heat up in the micro. Yes, they were meatless. But they are not better. 2.) Sugar-coated cereals. Again, 30 seconds to put together. But so does making oatmeal in a rice cooker. It just means I plan ahead by 12 more minutes. 3.) Juice. Processed, sugary 100% juice. Essie often comments that when she drinks juice it hurts her stomach. Recently she gave her unopened juice to a friend at school. That tells me something. 4.) Store-bought fries. An item full of trans fats, saturated fats, and very processed. No longer an item on my grocery list.

So what does that beautiful citrus juicer above have anything to do with this?

I believe in incorporating the "something better" principle. Don't ask someone (even yourself) to give up something they love unless you have something better to offer them. My kids need a replacement for these things that I am not going to purchase again.

Citrus juicers are recommended by Dr. Joel Furhman because it is pure, fresh, unmodified real fruit juice. Costco sells huge bags of citrus. Lemons for lemonade. Limes for limeade. Oranges for orange juice. Grapefruit juice. All delicious, and all things my kids and I love.

Worried about time? Teach your kids to juice. They will feel good about contributing, and have a blast juicing. The juicer above is about $23.

So that is our replacement for juice. (Oh, and we rarely have soda in our house unless someone is very sick and cant keep anything else down.)

Fries? We are going to use a Spiralizer that currently sits unused in our kitchen cupboards to cut yams and potatoes into curly swirly fries. Toss them in vegetable broth, and bake until tender-crisp. Again, have your kids spiralize it for you. Essie and Samuel fight over who gets to turn the crank, and they love seeing the swirly veggies coming out.

All of these things will take more time and effort. But I want to help my children be free of the addictions that so many adults have for processed junk food. I want them to love health. To be strong and happy well into adolescent years and adulthood.

Cereal? I recently found multi-grain cheerios at Costco. Not sugary. Is it the best option? No. But it is better than sugar cereals. I will make oatmeal or spelt pancakes more often and rely less on processed foods.

Corn dogs. Instead, make "Skinny Elvis" sandwiches. Post coming soon. Remind me if I forget. It's basically a grilled nut butter and strawberry sandwich. Yum. Kids love it.

It's time for change, my friends.

Which foods are you consuming right now that can be replaced for something better?

I challenge you to find something "good" that you are eating, and get a replacement to make it "better." Or even find the best.

I'm doing this because I love my kids. Do this because you love your health.

Excuses? They're old. We can do better, and NOW is the time.

Strawberries and Cream

Samuel loved his fruit with whipped cream.

I would buy it by the case, and walk around the kitchen during snack time squirting the foamy cream straight into his mouth.

And then we went vegan.

One of the first things Samuel asked for with his fruit was whipped cream. I thought it was so great when I found Soyatoo! Rice Whip at Whole Foods Market. For $4.99 per canister.

Only to take it home and discover that half of it will not come out as soon as the air pressure completely escapes. After one or two uses.

When I gave this whipped cream to Essie and Samuel they consumed an entire case of fresh strawberries with it.

The cool part about it? A little bit goes a long way, and the stuff lasts forever. We're still trying to use it up. We put it on crepes, with apples, on toast, etc. And there is still some in the fridge, fresh as ever.

I wish I could say it was cheaper. Macadamia nuts are not cheap. Neither are dates.

However, in "Disease-Proof Your Child," Dr. Joel Fuhrman says that he works hard to incorporate nuts into children's diets in such a way that they would love eating them. Nuts contain endless health nutrients for children, and help them gain the proper weight needed for growth. This is one of his creations, and we whole-heartedly approve!

And you can make this your own. Different flavors are easily accomplished if you add different frozen fruits or juice concentrates. We added orange juice concentrate. Own it. Be daring. Be bold. And don't limit the possibilities of this cream. It could top pies, kiwi, blueberries, melons, coconut ice cream, and granola.

Have Fun!


This is an addition to our PROJECT VEGAN KIDS. But I won't tell if you eat it, too.


STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM
From, "Disease-Proof Your Child; Feeding Kids Right," By Dr. Joel Fuhrman


INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 to 6 (but I think it serves like 20!)

1 1/3 cups macadamia nuts
1 cup soy milk (I don't recommend any other kind of milk with this)
2/3 cup dates


DIRECTIONS

Blend nuts, soy milk, and dates to make the best-tasting whipped cream.
Eat with fresh or frozen strawberries (defrosted).

A variation on this theme is to soak dried mangos in the soy milk overnight and use fewer dates.