Beet Orange Smoothie with Arugula March 30, 2012

Jamie says: I’m a rock star. Or at least I felt like one after drinking this with my breakfast…

Beet Orange Smoothie with Arugula

I wasn’t planning on making beet juice. But, after cooking some beets I witnessed the vibrant red color of the cooking water and just couldn’t throw it… so I saved it and decided to make a smoothie…

Beet red

Beets aren’t the only veggie in there. There’s also arugula from the farmer’s market. I read an article in the Publix Greenwise Magazine about using leafy greens in smoothies. I honestly thought it sounded kinda gross, but the seed must have been planted in my mind because I actually wanted to give it a try. And I rarely ever have vegetables with my breakfast…

Beets aren't the only veggies in here- there's arugula, too!

So, after drinking this juice, I felt awesome. It could be just up in my head, but who cares, right? So, to all the people who give me a hard time about not drinking coffee, I say you give one a try for your next energy boost.

Beet Orange Smoothie with Arugula

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup beet juice
• 10 oz orange juice
• 1/3 cup arugula
• 2 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Pour beet juice and orange juice in a mini blender. Remove stems from arugula; place leaves in blender along with ice cubes. Blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

Nutrition note: See the naturally bright color in the beet juice? It’s a sign that there’s anthocyanins in there- good for you, antioxidants.

Sangria March 3, 2012

Jamie says: I enjoyed catching up with my good friend Clarissa last Saturday night. We chatted and I brought out the Skinny Girl Sangria…

Sangria

After my trip to the grocery store, I had lots of fresh fruit at home so I added that to the sangria.

Check out that fruit!

It was a light and refreshing drink. Perfect for brunch or an after-dinner palate cleanser.

Light and refreshing

It looked pretty, too.

Classy and colorful

Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1/4 peach
• 2 strawberries
• 12 grapes
• 10 oz sangria, chilled (Skinny Girl)

Directions:

1. Cut peach and strawberries into small pieces. Slice grapes in half. Divide fruit between 2 wine glasses. Pour sangria on top. Enjoy (if age-appropriate).

Serves: 2

• Nutrition note: Most alcoholic beverages do not contain nutrition information. Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram which means it has more calories per gram than protein and carbohydrate but less than fat (protein- 4 calories per gram, carbohydrate- 4 calories per gram, and fat- 9 calories per gram). Skinny Girl Sangria has about 130 calories per 5 oz glass (plus the calories from the fruit).

Homemade Hot Chocolate December 7, 2011

Jamie says: I was in the holiday spirit and was thinking of the tasty little treats that come along with the season… candy canes and hot cocoa instantly came to mind. I knew we didn’t have any candy canes. So I added them to the grocery list- “candy canes- USA or Mexico” I wrote (I wasn’t ready to be surprised by what might be in the ones made in China). Then, I opened the pantry and started my search for hot cocoa. After moving almost every box of tea and bag of coffee, I still couldn’t find it. It was time to make my own…

Homemade Hot Cocoa- no packets needed for this one

The last hot cocoa I had was a gift to my Mom from Williams-Sonoma. It came in a tin and had chunks of chocolate in it. I was inspired by the memory, so I added a heaping tablespoon of mini chocolate morsels to my cup…

Chocolate morsels on the bottom... mmmmm!

The natural unsweetened cocoa made some nice patterns on top…

Another cup of it- each batch is a little different

It was comforting, warm, and had just the right amount of sweetness.

Curl up with a cup

Homemade Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels (Publix)
• 1 1/2 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s)
• 1 cup fat free milk (Horizon organic fat-free milk with DHA Omega-3)

Directions:

1. Scoop chocolate morsels and cocoa into a coffee cup or mug. Pour milk on top.
2. Microwave for 1 minute 45 seconds. Stir. Enjoy melted chocolate on bottom with a spoon.

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note: Most hot cocoa packets have trans fats in them (disguised as partially hydrogenated oils in the ingredients listed on the label). Skip the bad-for-you fat and make your own. Using the cocoa and milk brands used in this version, you’ll also have the added benefits of omega-3s (good-for-you fat) and fiber.

Sweet Potato Pie Shake November 22, 2011

Jamie says: I opened my Glory Foods prize gift basket the other day. It looked so pretty that I just wanted to leave it there on the table with its plastic wrap on it, but you can’t have your cake and eat it, too. Which food should I make first, I thought. Ah, the sweet potato casserole caught my eye. (Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods.) Yes, that would be it- the can of sweet potato casserole was coming out. I heated it up and enjoyed it straight from the microwave. It was tasty and very sweet- great for a dessert… I thought it would go perfectly with slightly bitter kefir. My wheels were turning…

I made a:

 

Sweet Potato Pie Shake in my new Mason jar from Joe's Crab Shack and my spoon from TJ Yogurt Works

Yum! It tasted very similar to pumpkin! The sweetness of the canned sweet potato casserole and the bitter of the unsweetened kefir were the perfect match.

Graham crackers and whipped cream on top

Sweet Potato Pie Shake

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup canned sweet potato casserole (Glory Foods)
• 3/4 cup unsweetened nonfat kefir (Lifeway)
• 2 Tbsp fat free whipped cream (Reddi Wip)
• 1/2 honey graham snack cracker (Publix)

Directions:

1. Add sweet potato casserole and kefir to a blender. Pulse until well-blended. Pour in a Mason jar or glass. Drink with a spoon if desired.
2. Crush graham cracker into small pieces.
3. Top sweet potato casserole kefir with whipped cream and crushed graham crackers. Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note: After taking your first sip, you’ll have a hard time believing this sweet dessert/beverage has a nutritious side, too. But it has almost no fat and has lots of vitamin A, some fiber, calcium, and probiotics, so it certainly has a healthy kick to it.

PB & Blueberry Milk with Cheerios October 15, 2011

Jamie says:  Do you own a pair of shoes, a purse, a classic little black dress, or something that goes with just about everything? These are staple items for your wardrobe. And just like how clothing and accessories can be staple items, so can a cereal. Cheerios has been a part of my diet since I was an infant. And you gotta love it for being so versatile, just like those shoes…

PB & Blueberry Milk with Cheerios

And just like the cereal is versatile, so is the milk! The PB & Blueberry Milk can also be enjoyed as a smoothie or with a spoon as a frozen treat.

PB & Blueberry Frozen Treat

The color is so brilliant- and no Red 40 or Blue 1 here.  Just real color from real fruit.  And it tastes so flavorful, too- like peanut butter and jelly on bread with a tall glass of milk.

PB & Blueberry Milk with Cheerios

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen blueberries (e.g. Publix)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2/3 cup fat free milk
• 1 Tbsp trans-fat free peanut butter (e.g. Smart Balance)
• 1 cup toasted whole grain oat cereal (Cheerios)

Directions:

1. Add blueberries, cinnamon, milk, and peanut butter to a small blender.  Blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy immediately as a soft frozen treat, or let sit for 5 minutes to thaw and use as a flavored milk by pouring it in a bowl of toasted whole grain oat cereal.

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note:  You  may have heard that Cheerios is heart-healthy, but do you know why?  It contains soluble fiber which can help lower cholesterol in a diet that’s low in saturated fat and cholesterol, thereby decreasing the risk of heart disease, according to the approved health claim on the Cheerios box.

Chocolate Strawberry Kefir Shake October 12, 2011

Jamie says:  Yoga.  It’s a gentle workout, right?  Sometimes, not always.  But certainly not this time.  My arms were shaking from doing so many chaturangas.  They still are.  Yup, it was yoga that did me in.  As a post-work out snack I made a Chocolate Strawberry Kefir Shake.  Kathryn eagerly volunteered to be my unbiased taste-tester.  The slightly bitter and slightly sweet chocolate flavors balanced each other out nicely.  Let’s just say I ended up making another batch…

Chocolate Strawberry Kefir Shake

Chocolate Strawberry Kefir Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 cup low fat plain kefir (Lifeway)
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp natural unsweetened cocoa (Hershey’s)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Microwave strawberries in a bowl for 1 minute or until just slightly icy.
2. Blend strawberries, kefir, cinnamon, cocoa, and maple syrup in a small blender until well mixed.  Enjoy!

Serves: 1

• Nutrition note:  Lactose intolerant?  Try kefir.  Lifeway kefir is 99% lactose free.

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie October 3, 2011

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Orange Pumpkin Pie Smoothie in a Blue Gator Cup

Jamie says:  Rockin’ the Gator gym shorts and Gator Wrap class ring, drivin’ in my car with my Gator license plate frame and Gator grad key chain, got my Gator alumni association membership bill in the mail, talkin’ about the Gator game, had a little kid come up to me and do the Gator chomp, and sippin’ an orange Pumpkin Pie Smoothie out of a blue Gator cup… lots of Gator stuff going on in my life, and that’s all just today!  Even though I’ve graduated and moved out of G-ville, I’m going to forever be a Florida Gator!  Go Gators!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup 100% pure pumpkin (Libby’s)
• 1 cup plain, unsweetened kefir (Lifeway)
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice (Spice Islands)
• 3 ice cubes
• 1 Tbsp, 1/2 tsp maple syrup

Directions:

1. Blend pumpkin, kefir, pumpkin pie spice, ice cubes and 1 Tbsp of maple syrup in a small blender until well-mixed.
2. Use a spatula to pour into serving glass.  Chill in freezer for a few minutes.  Top with 1/2 tsp maple syrup.  Enjoy!

Serves: 1

Thick, rich, creamy, and full of fall flavor!  The maple syrup adds a nice touch of sweetness.

• Nutrition note:  This Pumpkin Pie Smoothie is an excellent source of vitamin A and fiber and has probiotics, too!

Mango Berry Bliss Smoothie October 1, 2011

Mango Berry Bliss Smoothie

Jamie says:  I got on my road bike again yesterday.  I woke early and went out with my Uncle Steve.  He’s been biking for awhile and offered me some good advice.  We had a great time and the 31.5 miles went by quite quickly.  It felt awesome.  I recovered with some stretching and a Mango Berry Bliss Smoothie.

Mango Berry Bliss Smoothie

• 3/4 cup frozen mango chunks (Dole)
• 1 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened kefir (Lifeway)
• 1/2 cup boosted 100% juice smoothie, no sugar added (Naked, Red Machine)
• fresh mint leaves (optional)

Directions:

1. Place mango chunks on a plate on the counter to defrost slightly for 10 minutes.
2. Add mango, kefir, and juice smoothie in a blender.
3. Blend until well mixed.  Top with mint if desired.  Enjoy!

Serves: 1

Tastes rich and creamy and full of fruity flavor!

• Nutrition note:  Refuel your body right after a tough workout with carbohydrates and a little protein.

Maple Kefir July 26, 2011

Maple Kefir

Jamie says:  Ever tried kefir before?  I hadn’t until this week.  A dietitian at the VA Medical Center recommended it to me as a good source of probiotics.  I figured I’d give it a try and bought my first bottle of kefir.  (It’s sold next to the milk at Publix but it’s texture is more like a drinkable yogurt.)  I tried it plain at first, but then thought it could use a little more flavor.  Adding some maple syrup did the trick.

Maple Kefir

Ingredients:

• 1 cup kefir (Lifeway organic lowfat kefir cultured milk, probiotic, plain, unsweetened)
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

1.  Pour Kefir in a glass cup.  Pour in half of maple syrup.  Swirl with a spoon.  Pour remaining maple syrup on top.  Serves: 1.  Enjoy!

The maple syrup adds a nice touch of sweetness to this drinkable yogurt.  I like it!

• Nutrition note: Kefir is a good source of probiotics.  Lifeway organic kefir has 12 strains of probiotics which help support digestive health and immunity.

Mulberry Mocktail May 22, 2011

Mulberry Mocktail

Jamie says:  I went mulberry and blueberry picking this weekend!  Eunshil, the past president of FDA and a fellow GDDA member, brought her home-grown and picked mulberries to a recent GDDA meeting.  Everyone raved over how good they were, and she invited us over to pick the fruit.  My friend Lorielle, aka my “twinnie,” also joined in on the festivities.

I learned blueberries grow on these wild bushes and mulberries grow on trees- not bushes; this new fact about mulberries growing on trees changed my life (I’m exaggerating of course, but that children’s song about going around a mulberry bush had me fooled).  Berry-picking was so relaxing and so much fun.  We talked and laughed and, by the end, had purple fingers (and shoes and legs and shirts) to prove of our adventure.

Mulberry Mocktail

Ingredients:

• 5.3 oz container of Voskos Greek honey vanilla bean yogurt
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 20 mulberries
• 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a small blender.  Blend well.  Serve in a cocktail glass.  Serves: 1.  Enjoy!

Mulberries taste like sweeter, less-seedy blackberries. The mulberries add a nice bold flavor and slight tartness to the mulberry mocktail.  The drink had just the right amount of sweetness.

• Nutrition note:  The purple color of the mulberries comes from anthocyanins, a type of phytonutrient which has many health benefits including being anti-inflammatory.