Smoothies

Zucchini Brownies and Peach Smoothie- kid friendly recipes for the summer!

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This summer I have been taking cues from my kids…slowing down, fostering creativity and play, letting go of “perfect” and focusing on present instead.  Recently they revived their old swing set playhouse that was abandoned as they grew older.  They redecorated with comfy pillows, wall hangings and signs and dreamed of cool things they could add like lights and a beaded door.  Even if they don’t get all of their wish list, I think it’s cool they are dreaming and being creative.  But they also love their electronics and screens.  While it’s easy to say no and tell them to just go outside and play like I used to when I was little, I also think we need to embrace what’s in their world now and help them learn moderation and to use their creativity in new ways.  This weekend we had a compromise.  I said they can use their iPads to take pictures and create a guest blog post of something they make in the kitchen.  They could be my guest bloggers!!  Win, win for me.  I’ve been hung up on my photography not being good enough and inspiring and not posting unless I have something I think is relevant to say.  Silly excuses really.  Sharing recipes is something I enjoy and I choose not to because of insecurities or not living up to some made up expectations.  Whatever your passions are, let’s take some cues from the kids and just do it and have fun in the process!!

Here are the posts from my 9 and 10 year old…in their words!!

Peanut Butter Zucchini Brownies

Hi, I’m Alexa. I’m 10 years old and going into 5th grade. I’ve always loved cooking. I also love sports such as, lacrosse and swimming. I used to help my mom cook stuff by just putting the ingredients in the bowl, but now I’m the one cooking stuff and it’s really fun. The first thing I started making was homemade granola bars. Everyone loved them and that’s when my passion for cooking started. We had so many zucchinis in our garden and my mom showed me the recipe for these amazing zucchini brownies. I jazzed the recipe up and added peanut butter. We took these brownies to church and the plate was cleaned off. No one even noticed that there was zucchini in the brownies. I am also a very picky eater and hate chunks and weird tastes in food. These are the complete opposite of that. You can’t even taste the zucchini! They’re AMAZING! Now here’s the recipe!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped zucchini
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup of peanut butter
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • ½ unsweetened dark cocoa powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ c chocolate chips (optional, for topping)
  • ½ chopped pecans (optional, for topping)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9×13 pan. In blender or food processor, puree zucchini, oil, yogurt, sugar, peanut butter and vanilla. Set aside. In large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add pureed wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until well incorporated. Pour into greased pan, spread evenly, add any toppings you desire (I added chocolate chips and chopped pecans) and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool for at least 5 minutes. Enjoy!!!!

 

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Summer Peach Smoothie

Hi, I’m Elise and, I am 9 years old and I am going into 4th grade.  I decided to make this peach smoothie because I LOVE peaches, they are one of my favorite fruits. I like this smoothie because it is super easy to make. There are only a few ingredients. It is also really good because it is really healthy. I really like to cook. I usually cook with my Grandma because she is at my house a lot. When I grow up, I want to be a baker. People say I’m really good at taking pictures. This drink is a really good summery drink. This smoothie is good for pool parties, appetizers, and just for refreshment. I just made it today and I loved it. I am going to make this drink a lot this summer so all of our peaches will be gone. I don’t like most kinds of smoothies that my mom makes, but this one I really like.

Ingredients

1 peach, peeled and cubed

1/2 frozen banana

4 oz. almond milk

2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt

3 ice cubes

Blend together and enjoy!!

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Green Smoothie and Notes for the New Year

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January is usually a time of reflection for me.  I don’t write resolutions or bold new goals, but I take stock of where I am; what is important to me, what I learned the previous year, what I want to accomplish this year.  I try and recalibrate and renew, not start again or rebuild, but build on what I learned already.  Last year was crazy…I could not have anticpated what 2015 brought in my life. It was an incredible time of growth, uncertainty, sacrifice, joy and life.  I learned to follow what really makes my heart race and say yes.

I love to use words to describe the seasons in life….2014 was a year of BRAVE, 2015 became ABLE then REST.  2016 is still REST but also feels like INSPIRE.  I learned how important rest and reflection are in my life and the need to create a rhythm that fosters growth.  That’s my intention for this year and that rhythm will include more self care, time to work on relationships, being present in small moments, time to encourage and inspire and intentional yeses/permission to say no.  For me, self care looks like eating well, exercising daily, tea and a good book, walks outdoors and sitting on park benches.  Taking this time for self care and rest will give me the energy to inspire and be inspired.

 

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Walks in the Winter…

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Small Moments….

 

This smoothie is a great way to start your day and pack in some healthy fruits and vegetables!

Ingredients:

1 cup almond milk or coconut water

1/3 cup pineapple

1/2 pear

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup kale or spinach

Blend in a high powered blender and enjoy!!

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Pumpkin Pecan Protein Smoothie

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A cold smoothie is not the first thing you think of for breakfast on these cold winter days, but I still have pumpkins and winter squash stored and decided to roast one this week for some pumpkin puree.  I’ve been making these smoothies all week, and they are really good!! If you don’t have a pumpkin or real puree to use, use the canned stuff.  It’s still packed with nutrients and this is so easy to make.  The added healthy fat from the pecans make this a satisfying treat for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of whole pecans

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree

1 scoop of protein powder (I use plant based)

1 frozen ripe banana

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup almond milk

Blend the almonds in a high powered blender.  Add the rest of the ingredients and blend.  Add the almond milk to desired consistency.  Serve is a glass jar, sit in a sunny spot and enjoy!

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Watermelon Juice with Lime and Mint

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It’s September, but summer is not over.  Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than watermelon. This delicious juice tastes so fresh and is a nice switch from plain watermelon.  It can be made with or without the cucumber.  I love the fresh taste of cucumber, but the flavor can really take over so if you don’t really, really love the taste of cucumber, try it without.  This even kept in the fridge for a few days, so I made a bigger batch to have on hand for a refreshing pick me up!

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Ingredients

4 cups of cubed watermelon

juice of one lime

4-5 mint leaves

1/2 peeled, cubed cucumber (optional)

Crushed Ice

Blend all of the ingredients and enjoy!!

 

Beet green smoothie

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So, if you have run into me in the past week or so I was probably raving about using beet greens in my smoothies.  I seriously can’t stop talking about it- like I invented using beet greens in a smoothie or something.  Clearly, that’s not the case but it’s not something I thought about doing with the wonderful beet greens that come with the beets.  I was always too focused on using the beets, that the greens were an afterthought. Beet greens are great in smoothies because they have a mild flavor like spinach and they are packed with nutrients.  And in season, they are plentiful and cheap!

I have been loving smoothies for breakfast. When the kids wake up and I say “who wants a smoothie?” I get the inevitable “meeeee” from my 2 year old.  The other two have wised up to my use of kale, spinach, beet greens- whatever I can throw in there to add nutrients.   They will happily drink one that has more fruit than greens and is not “green”, so I just do what I can.  Even if they get a little of that good stuff in there, I’m good.  For me, the key to a good smoothie is the frozen banana.  I always have frozen bananas on hand for smoothies and banana “whips” as my friend calls them.  Just whip up a frozen banana and fruit or peanut butter and Nutella to the consistency of ice cream and it’s an instant dessert!  So yummy!  But back to the smoothie.  I rarely measure the ingredients when I make a smoothie, but I tried to give an idea what I put in mine.  You can adjust to your own taste.  The fruit options are endless.  I used strawberry here, but any berry or fruit will do. I had a raspberry one this week that was delicious.  We are at the end of strawberry season here, but raspberries, black berries and blueberries are in season.  And since my 2 year old will not eat much for breakfast other than a smoothie, I started putting oats in it to make it more substantial.  I put protein powder in mine if I’m making one for after a run or workout.  I am not an expert on protein powder, but I use a plant based protein and it’s been working well for recovery.

I also think it’s great to get the kids involved in making and growing healthy foods, and while I know this, I still have a hard time taking the time to get them involved rather than rushing through it myself and onto the next task. I have to be mindful of this and it’s something I’m working on.   This day, my 2 year old happily helped me in the kitchen and we sat and drank them together.

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Ingredients

1/3 cup rolled oats, pulsed in blender into a fine powder

1-1 1/2 frozen banana

2 cups beet greens, tough ribs and stems removed

2 cups capped strawberries or any berry or fruit you have on hand

1 cup almond milk, or milk of choice

*If you need more sweetness, add a little honey

Pulse the oats first and then add the rest of the ingredients to a blender and enjoy-preferably in a pretty glass or jar!  It makes the smoothie taste better in my opinion!

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