Pretty In Plum

Continuing on the theme of using fennel stalks and leaves in smoothies, today's is beautiful and delicious. I don't know about you, but I just love purple smoothies!

1 banana
1 plum
2 fennel stalks and leaves
1 apple
1 handful frozen blueberries
1/2 cup Balkan style yoghurt
1/2 cup tropical juice







I'm still amazed with with every fennel smoothie I make just how amazing the taste is. It gives every smoothie the same refreshing feel that celery does, but instead of the bite, you get an amazing sweetness and a touch of anise flavor.

Maybe I'll start posting some recipes, too, where we can use the leftovers in smoothies. What do you think? Smoothie on!

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Fun With Fennel

Gee I love when I try something new and it turns out delicious! I'm particularly excited about this smoothie because I've been thinking about trying this for quite some time now. So here's what I did this time:

1 banana
1/2 cucumber
2 stems fennel, with leaves
about a cup of red grapes
1/2 cup balkan style yoghurt
cold water
3 kiwis, peeled

This was another smoothie that was a delight to taste, and to smell. Some of you may not be used to fennel, or anise (Foeniculum vulgare), but it's a veggie that's an absolute staple in our household, both cooked as a side dish and raw in salads. It has a fabulous licorice flavour, and though I don't like licorice, I loooooooove fennel. The seeds are used frequently as a seasoning spice (great pounded with a mortar and pestle and used as a rub for meat, fyi), and the leaves as a herb. It was also used in the making of absinthe... Lots of very interesting properties make it great for health - it's been said to improve digestive tract health (also reducing flatulence), be great for eyesight, reduction of hypertension, and even for increasing breast tissue improving breastfeeding. Pretty neat stuff for something that is so absolutely delicious.

Since it's a lot like celery in texture, I wasn't worried about using it in a smoothie at all. In fact, it's much more smoothie-friendly, I believe, since it has a nicer taste, even when used in higher quantities. Celery, on the other hand, can become very overpowering in a smoothie or a juice. This is just my first attempt, stay tuned for more experimentation with fennel. Oh, and it's just perfect with the tartness of the kiwis, by the way... Smoothie on!

Kiwi-Coriander-Kraze

Oh was this smoothie ever a success.... Fragrant, smooth, yummy, everything a super smoothie should be. Did I mention nutritious? No fancy business here, but one I'm sure all you coriander addicts will adore. I was craving yoghurt this morning, so I went a little heavy. If you'd prefer a less creamy version, just decrease the amount of yoghurt.

1/2 cucumber
1 banana
1 apple
2 kiwis (peeled)
3/4 balkan style yoghurt
1 small handful coriander leaves and stems
1 cup cranberry juice
splash cold water

The kiwis really added a nice tang to this smoothie, and I have some neat ideas about what to do with the rest of the punnet, so stay tuned. And not surprisingly, kiwi and coriander go great together! Smoothie on!

What did you think?

Apple Pie Smoothie

Hello everyone, I'm back! Sorry for the long hiatus, I have just started a great new job, and the new schedule has taken some getting used to. I have been smoothie-free, but now we're going to make up for it. Continuing with my excitement over using oats in my smoothies, I had a great idea to do a nice, seasonal smoothie, and I'm so pleased to report that it was a HUGE success, I'm sure you're going to love it. Ok, so the ingredients:

2 apples
1/2 cup balkan yoghurt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice
1 handful old fashioned oats
1 tsp honey
1 large pinch cinnamon
Cold water as needed to thin

Since apples are usually quite hard, be sure to blend for long enough to make sure you don't get any chunks. One of the nice things about this creation is the fragrance, which is just as tantalizing as the taste. Many studies have shown that cinnamon has a positive effect on blood sugar, insulin response and even cholesterol levels. Commonly used for all kinds of ailments in traditional Chinese medicine, cinnamon is also believed to improve energy, vitality, and circulation. So there you go, something else that tastes great, and is also great for you! I so enjoy finding out how so many natural things work to keep us healthy, and it just reinforces my opinion that as long as you're eating "real" food, you'll be ok...

So tell me, have any of you tried a pie in a smoothie before? Smoothie on!

Blueberry-Oatmeal-Cookie

Oh how I love this smoothie!! Can you tell I'm excited? I always tend to get a little excited when I try something new and it ends up being delicious... Since with this cooler weather I've been craving oatmeal, I thought to myself it'd be the perfect time to add some oats to my smoothies. So this is the beginning of my Adventures In Oats, I'm sure you're going to love it.

1 banana
1 ripe avocado
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 handful rolled oats
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
splash of cold water

I'm noticing a bit of a trend lately, with my deep purple smoothies. This is of course due to an overstock in frozen blueberries in my freezer... This smoothie has a really neat flavour to it because of the oats. Being my first foray into the realm of oats in smoothies, I was quite conservative adding only a handful. I'm going to experiment with more, but you'll notice I had to add a splash of cold water because the oats really thickened this smoothie up.

Oats, as most of us know, are a fantastic source of fiber. Doing my homework about oats I came across a great website www.eatmoreoats.com which is chock full of great info about the benefits of adding more oats into our diets. One of the major benefits is in cholesterol reduction and heart health, but there are plenty others, such as blood sugar control, cancer reduction, blood pressure, weight loss, bowel health, and many more. I have lots of great ideas which will be blended up this week, so stay tuned! Smoothie on!

Have you tried oats in a smoothie before?

Strawberries-Green-'n-Yoghurt

Sometimes, albeit rarely, a mix doesn't quite work the way I'd hoped. This just happens to be one of those times. I think had I added some more fruit, it could have worked better, or perhaps arugula and coriander just weren't meant to be... I will experiment further and get back to you on that. It wasn't terrible or anything, just not my fave.

1 banana
3/4 cup green tea
1 stick celery
1 cup yoghurt
1 handful frozen strawberries
1 handful arugula
1/2 handful coriander
1 tbsp salba

What do you think would improve this smoothie?

Green In Disguise

Would you believe me if I told you that this is a green smoothie?? Well, believe it or not, it is. Yes, even though technically it's purple. It's because blueberries have a magical property - they turn every smoothie you use them in purple, regardless of what other ingredients you may use. That's a great tip when you're trying to trick someone into drinking a green smoothie... They won't even notice the green stuff, I can guarantee it.

1 banana
1 handful frozen strawberries
1 handful frozen blueberries
1 handful arugula
2 cups green tea
1 tsp honey




This smoothie was incredibly nutty from the arugula, and less creamy than some other smoothies because I didn't use yoghurt. That being said, it was really refreshing, nutritious and tasty. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, smoothie on everyone!


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