Mango Raspberry Green Smoothie

 I know, this doesn't look very appetizing.  I promise that it tastes way better than it looks.  If you can't stand the way it looks go ahead & put it in a sports bottle or a non-see through cup & use a straw. Your body will thank you!

Mango Raspberry Green Smoothie

1 mango (fresh or frozen)
1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen)
3 handfuls of your favorite greens
1 cup water (more if using both fruits as frozen)

Blend greens with water, add in mango and raspberries, and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Mango Raspberry Green Smoothie

Lemon, Cucumber, and Basil Infused Water

I found this recipe this morning & I just had to make it right away.  I'm not a big fan of plain water, so anything that can help bring some life to boring plain water is win in my books!  This water is really, really good.  Will certainly cool you off while you're sitting in the sun. :)

Lemon, Cucumber, and Basil Infused Water
Original recipe found here

10 thin slices of lemon
10 thin slices of cucumber
10 small leaves of basil, ripped
3-4 cups of water

Put in fridge and let stand for at least 1 hour.

Lemon, Cucumber, and Basil Infused Water

Luscious Pineapple-Orange Salad

This is a very light & refreshing salad! It would be perfect on a scorching hot summer day too.  It only takes minutes to prepare, but you'll want to let it set for a few minutes to allow the fruit juices to "dress" the greens. That's right - this is a salad dressing free salad! Don't worry you won't miss it. :) Also this would be really good with sprouts added. I didn't have the foresight to have sprouts made, but next time I will.

Luscious Pineapple-Orange Salad

1 cup chopped pineapple
1 orange (peeled & chopped)
4-5 handfuls of your favorite greens (I used mixed greens and baby spinach)
2 handfuls of your favorite sprouts

Place the greens in a large bowl. Add fruits & sprouts (if using) and mix all together. Allow to sit for a few minutes so the fruit juices can "dress" the greens.  Eat slowly & enjoy!

Luscious Pineapple-Orange Salad

Banana Mango Green Smoothie

It's been a long time since I've posted a new green smoothie recipe. I'm doing a green smoothie detox this week, so plan on sharing some of the new things I make.  This is a lovely, creamy green smoothie thanks to the addition of mango. I used a whole celery stick in this green smoothie. If you have never tried using celery in your green smoothies, it does give it a different taste. I really would recommend starting out with a half stick of celery and building up to using more.

Banana Mango Green Smoothie

2 bananas (fresh or frozen)
1 mango (fresh or frozen)
3 large handfuls baby spinach
1 celery stick (use less if new to using celery in smoothies)
1 cup water

Put ingredients in blender in best order for your blender (I do the greens first), use the celery stick to push everything down to the blender blade, eventually blending the celery too.

Enjoy!

Banana Mango Green Smoothie

Cabbage Vegetable Soup

I made this soup yesterday for lunch, it makes a huge pot so I'll have lots for lunches for quite a few days or I can freeze it when I'm tired of eating it.  It turned out really good, so I thought I would share the recipe with all of you. :)

Cabbage Vegetable Soup

1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium onions, diced
1 large carrot, quartered and sliced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
2-3 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups of vegetable cocktail
7 cups of vegetable stock
1 (28oz) can whole tomatoes (broken up)
1/2 a medium white cabbage, cored and sliced (about 4 cups)
2 cups cooked white navy beans(drained)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 TB. Italian Seasoning
2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise then sliced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat. Add your onions, carrots celery, green peppers, bay leaves and saute for 7-10 minutes to soften.
2. Add your vegetable cocktail juice, stock, tomatoes, cabbage, beans, garlic, pepper, and Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer for 40-45 minutes.
3. Add your zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes to cook. Serve hot. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Cabbage Vegetable Soup