BlendTec

Simple Green Smoothie

So this smoothie has been my absolute obsession recently. I’ve been drinking this every morning to give me energy and strengthen my immune system during cold season. The best part is that it’s sooooo easy to make and fastest great with just about any tropical fruit or citrus added in!

I’ve been posting it all over my Instagram and Facebook page and it;s gotten great reader feedback. It’s a must try!

Other reader suggestions:
Blueberries
Pomegranate
Cocoa Powder

Let me know what your fav combo is in the comments!

Spimple Easy Green Spoomtie 3
Simple Easy Green Smoothie

Simple Easy Green Smoothie 2
Simple Green Smoothie
Serves 1

2 small oranges (or 1 large), peeled
1 frozen banana
1 huge handful of spinach
1/2 cup of ice

Blend blend blend until creamy and smooth.

Don’t like bananas?
Try 1 cup of frozen peaches, pineapple, or mango!

Don’t have a high powered blender?
Try adding some almond milk for a creamsicle flavor, or try pineapple or apple juice for an all alkaline smoothie.

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup

Motivation Monday: “Progress not perfection.”

I absolutely love this quote, and it was told to me at the perfect moment. Although visiting Denver was amazing, I did have a small setback with my eating disorder. I’ve learned that sharing these things with others helps me get through it. My eating has been really great recently and I haven’t had the same guilt that usually haunts me, but I did fall back into ED behaviors at one point on my trip. I ended up texting a friend for support and told her what had happened. Her response, “progress not perfection. Just keep moving forward.” From that short text, I felt so content, happy, and proud of myself for recognizing what emotion and feeling caused that small relapse. From that moment forward, I was able to move on and start fresh instead of dwelling on my “slip-up.” I don’t know what I would do without my friends!

Denver was so much fun. I loved seeing my friends and laughing until we cried, and enjoyed the snow and cold weather. Since Southern California basically doesn’t have real seasons, I am rarely in the mood for hot soups in the “winter.” I had to put quotes because winter here isn’t really winter. It was 80 degrees last week. Anyways, I get tons of requests for homemade soup recipes and although winter is coming to an end, I have a recipe for you! The day I arrived in Denver it started snowing and all I wanted for days was fresh tomato soup, so I made my friend Jason (he’s a Chef!) cook up a fresh tomato soup for Erica and I. Jason is a magical wizard in the kitchen. Seriously, no words here. He made soup from scratch in a matter of minutes and it was pure bliss. so. good. so. good. When I got home I was still craving Jason’s Tomato soup, so I thought I would branch out and try making a fresh vegan tomato soup!

The recipe is simple, and the prep time is under 10 minutes! Plus it has all of the creaminess you love without the added heavy whipping cream and sodium.
Have you ever looked at the nutrition label on Campbell’s Tomato Soup? 480 mg of sodium. PER SERVING! Have you noticed that there are 2.5 servings of soup per can? That’s 1,200 mg of sodium in one can, which is near the daily recommended limit of the American Heart Association! Yikes! High intakes of sodium increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, so it’s time to toss the can of condensed soup. Another interesting fact is that food labels can claim a product to be “low sodium” as long as it doesn’t exceed 480 mg of sodium per reference amount. Don’t let the term “low-sodium” fool you! Always read nutrition labels!

So how do we give this soup that flavor that we all love?
Sun-dried tomatoes!

And how do we make this soup thick and creamy?
Hemp seeds!

  • Hemp is a high protein seed.
  • Containing all nine of the essential amino acids.
  • Filled with high amounts of fatty acids and fiber.
  • Contains vitamin E and trace minerals.

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup 
(Serves 4) – by Chef AJ

1 lb Roma tomatoes
2 red bell peppers – seeded
1 garlic clove
6 to 8 fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup whole shelled hemp seeds
2 Tbsp ground sun-dried tomato powder (see note)
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
juice of 1 lemon

Wash and cut tomatoes into halves. Wash and seed the bell peppers and cut into smaller pieces. In a high-powered blender, puree the tomatoes followed by the bell peppers. Next add the garlic, basil, sun-dried tomato powder, lemon juice, and chipotle and blend until smooth. Add the hemp seeds and blend again on full power until creamy. Serve hot.

Note: If you cannot find sun-dried tomato powder, you can easily make your own. Just grind sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil) in a magic bullet or coffee grinder!
Second note: If you have a high-powered blender such as a Vitamix or Blendtec, the friction of the blades in the blender will heat the soup. Simple turn the blender to it’s highest setting and let it heat for 4-6 minutes. The soup will be steaming when the lid is removed!
Last note: If you do not have a high-powered blender, transfer the finished soup to the stove and heat for a few minutes over medium high heat.

Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Fresh Vegan Tomato Soup
Complete your soup with a serving of whole grain crackers! I loveeee dipping crackers in my soup, so I opted for Mary’s Gone Crackers – Herb Crackers.
Why I love Mary’s Gone Crackers: Organic, non-GMO, vegan, d>airy free, wheat free, gluten free, whole grain, kosher, no hydrogenated oils, no trans-fats, and contains 450 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per 1oz serving.

Want to make your own crackers?
Checkout my Quinoa Flax Crackers recipe!

I can’t wait for a little rain in LA this week! I’m fully prepared with fresh tomato soup!

Girl Scout Cookie Smoothie

Motivation Monday: “Suck it up now and make healthy choices so you don’t have to suck it in later.”

The other day, I was organizing files on my computer and came across this photo. I was speechless to say the least. Although I strongly dislike seeing photos of myself at my heaviest, I cannot hide what I looked like for many years of my life. This is what shaped me and my character, and gave me a completely different outlook and goal in life. I thought I would share this photo as a reminder of all of my accomplishments. Even if I fell off that wagon a few times, I have come such a far way and love my new lifestyle! Take a moment to acknowledge all of your healthy accomplishments, whether it’s taking the stairs instead of elevators, switching from refined grains to whole grains, or hitting a milestone on your weight loss journey. You should be so very proud of yourself. As I always say, all of the little things help you reach your goal!
Before & After

With that being said, it’s time for a healthy version of a not-so healthy favorite! Ahhhh yes. ‘Tis the season of Girl Scout Cookies. It seems as though this year those adorable little ladies have made it even easier to find those scrumptious cookies with their cookie finder iPhone app and “find cookies” locator on their official website. Refrain!
PUT DOWN THE THIN MINTS!
Coookies. why. must. you. be. so. addicting?

I thought I would bring back one of my favorite smoothie recipes to help you guys get through this cookie season sans weight gain! As usual, this one has an extra special ingredient: spinach! A tasty take on the green monster!

Thin Mint Protein Smoothie
Girl Scout Cookie Smoothie: Thin Mint
Serves 1

1 cup frozen spinach (or 2 cups fresh)
1 cup almond milk
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/8 tsp peppermint extract

Toppings:
1 Tbsp walnuts
1 Tbsp 70% dark chocolate chips

Combine the almond milk, spinach, protein powder, rolled oats, and peppermint extract in a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a glass and top with walnuts and chocolate chips and enjoy with a spoon!
Note: If your blender has a hard time blending certain things, start by blending the milk and frozen spinach first and then add in the oats, followed by protein powder and peppermint extract.

Thin Mint Protein Smoothie
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: spinach
Whole Grain: rolled oats
Protein: protein powder
Plant Based Fat: walnuts and dark chocolate chips

What healthy accomplishments have you made? Let me know in the comments! xo
Thank you so much for all of your awesome veggie restaurant suggestions for me while I’m here in Denver! I am so excited to try them!