Green Smoothies--my current "recipe"

I put "recipe'" in quotes, because I don't exactly measure, and the ingredients vary.  But it's basically a blender full of ingredients that renders about two pint mason jars (one for me and one for my better half).  Everything on the list doesn't go in every smoothie, these are just most of my favored ingredients.  Experiment and see what you like!

blueberries & raspberries!

-frozen mango pieces
-frozen strawberries
-frozen raspberries
-frozen blueberries
-regular green kale
-purple kale
-spinach
-broccoli sprouts (we blend better than whole broccoli!)
-cucumber
-apple (with the peel!)
-dandelion greens

cucumber & kale

-flax seeds or fish oil
**Optional additions
*half an avocado
*half a banana (frozen or peel-fresh)
(avocado, banana, and fish oil (and I assume other oils) give smoothies that creamy smoothie texture)
*beet root powder
*raw pumpkin seeds
*maitake mushroom
-filtered WATER (although recently, I tried tea instead of water--see my soon to be posted Owens Acres tea review--yay tea!)
-If it's a meal replacement, I like to include a significant protein like:
-white beans (If they're canned, I prefer BPA free brands like Eden.  But if you're not in a hurry you can soak and cook your own.)
-raw walnuts (these seem to be more blender friendly than my other favorite nut--the almond)

avocado!  

I try to buy all of my ingredients organic if possible.  Especially if you're eating the peel (like an apple or cucumber).  Consider checking out EWG's Dirty Dozen list for which produce items are best eaten organic only, as a starting point.  Apples, Strawberries, Spinach, Blueberries, and Kale are all on the Dirty Dozen list.

Just a note about why I use water instead of juice in my smoothies.  Why use juice when you can use the whole fruit?  And get all that healthy fiber too!  Juice has sugar without the benefits of the fiber you get from a whole fruit.  Okay, I'm off my soap box... off my fruit crate?  Off my rocker... never mind, that's a different blog post.

organic & raw pumpkin seeds and walnuts

broccoli sprouts

A lot of the fruit I use is frozen (If you can get it fresh and in season--even better).  But the frozen mango pieces and strawberries aren't very nice to my blender unless they've thawed a bit so I like to pop them in the blender half an hour before I make my smoothie.  Or I've recently tried pouring warm (not too hot) tea over them if I want to make my smoothie right then and there.

Another thing when making smoothies with frozen fruit, big chunks, or nuts--you need enough water for everything to blend together, and the PULSE button is your friend.  Use it to chop up everything and then hit "blend."  And don't hold down the pulse button, pulse it.

Any questions on green smoothies?  Blenders?  Mason jars?  Why I put what ingredients in my smoothies?  Mason jars?  I just hit the mason jar jackpot--1970s mason jar from my parents' canning days!  Can you tell I love Mason jars?  Oh yeah, so back to smoothies.  Questions?  Ask away.  What do you like in your smoothies?  I love new ideas!

Green Smoothie Treasure Chest: Reusable Glass Straws & Mason Jar To-Go Lids

I've written about using green smoothies as meal replacements and snacks, but what if you're not at home with your blender, freezer, fruit bowl, and crisper drawer full of veggies?  In a previous post, I wrote about my love of mason jars (and working glass jars) for storing smoothies.  What if you want to drink it on the go, like while driving your car and are afraid of spills.  Or at my previous job we could only have beverages at our desks that had lids/caps/covers.  Enter Poppy and Pearl Co. on Etsy.

Bobbi of Poppy and Pearl created these snazzy "to-go" mason jar lids with a hole for your straw.  She has regular and wide mouth lids available.  I bought one wide mouth and two regular.  The lids come with straws that are BPA free (yay!) plastic, and reusable! The straws come in different colors too:  pink, purple, orange, green, and clear!  The tall straws for quart mason jars come in green (check out my longer green quart straw in the pic) and clear.  Don't have any mason jars?  You can buy the mason jar and lid together or just buy the lids.  I purchased mine for smoothies, but I'm a huge fan of iced coffee too!

wide mouth lid & straw on a quart mason jar

Poppy and Pearl Co To-Go Mason Jar Lids with Straws on Etsy!




But hey, if you're at home and don't need the lid but still want to slurp your smoothie out of a straw I found reusable glass straws on Amazon.  These are called Glass Dharma Beautiful Bends.  I've also seen stainless steel, but I'd assume those would get pretty cold if drinking an iced drink and I don't like the metallic taste water gets if it sits in a metal container too long.  Anyhow, the point is, I went with glass (see link below the photo).

Reusable Glass Straws on Amazon

Beauty Treasure Chest: The All Natural Face's Face Food Fruit Facial Washes

Another awesome product from The All Natural Face!  The ingredients are simple but delicious!  The fruit flavors only have two ingredients a piece--dried coconut milk and whichever fruit you choose (Sorry, I got some water on the label)!

I love these Face Food Fruit Facial Washes--they're like a daily mask, but without the dry tight feeling masks sometimes give you.  And since it's more like a mask, there's no sudsing or foaming to strip your face of its natural moisture.  But my face still feels clean, fresh, and soft--these are great gentle exfoliators (no scratching or irritation!) for daily use.  The All Natural Face suggests using one small scoop (see picture below of included scoop) and two scoops of water that you mix and then apply to your face.

I happen to be lazy (the fewer steps the better), so I just splash some warm water on my face, shake about a 1/2 teaspoon (probably more than you need) in my left hand, and just pick up the powder with the wet fingers (fingers must be moist/wet to grab the dry powder) of my other hand and rub it in circular motions on my (wet) face.  I have to dip my fingers in the powder a few times to pick it all up and cover my face, but it's easier than measuring  and mixing.  Since I "mix" and apply this one treatment at a time, I've had fun adding other ingredients to the recipe depending on my skin's mood.  I've added some clay from a dry clay mask powder I have (The All Natural Face sells a selection of Clay Masks here) and some Tamanu oil.  I  just rub these additions on after the Face Food Fruit Wash is already on.  Or I've even rubbed in a little African Black Honey (I'll probably do a post about this soon, it's my new beauty secret!) from Skinfolk on Etsy.  Then I let the mask sit while I brush my teeth, etc.  If I apply the face food before showering, I usually leave it on to soak in while in the shower and then wipe it off with a wet wash cloth.  It's usually good to splash a little more water on your face to get any remaining facial food off.  Now for some details on the flavors I've tried!

Here's a sound bite from The All Natural Face on the benefits of cherries in their Cherries and Cream Face Food Fruit Facial Wash:

Cherries are great antioxidants! The red pigment is where this lies. It also helps with reducing inflammation and pain. Cherries also minimize the look of fine lines and veins in the face.  Good for all skin types.  Brightens and smoothes skin. Suitable for even the driest, most sensitive skin.  Cherries are great for those with acne as well. Their acidic properties also dissolve dead skin and keep it clear.

I like Cherries and Cream and it worked well.  I especially like that you can use it on dry skin but it's good for blemishes too!  Anyone else experience this in the winter?  The cherry pieces are a little chunky, especially when applied, compared to the mango and lemon flavors.  This didn't bother me at all, just an FYI.  You can kind of see the difference between the mango (left) and cherry (right) below.

Here's a blurb on the Mangoes and Cream Face Food (pictured to the right):

Mango helps in clearing clogged pores that causes acne. Mango is good at getting rid of the blemishes and scars. The beta-carotene in mangoes encourage skin regeneration and wrinkle softening.

And Lemon (I used this up before taking pictures):

Lemon is an astringent, so it dries up the excess oils. Lemon will make your skin glow, reduces hyper pigmentation, reduces acne lesions, reduces acne outbreaks, and naturally lightens the skin. Your skin will be smoother and brighter. Caution - if the juice is on your face (even dried) and you go in the sun, it will burn you! Do be careful about sun exposure immediately after applying. Rinse thoroughly

If you look at each individual listing, there's a blurb about each fruit's specific skin benefits.  So browse around and see which would be a good fit for your skin.  I just ordered the Strawberry and am excited to try the Orange or Pomegranate next (Vitamin C and antioxidants are so popular in skin care products right now--why not get them straight from the fruit!).  Here's a blurb from the Strawberries and Cream listing:

Strawberries are useful for oily skin but are suitable for all skin types. Strawberries contain salicylic acid, which rids the skin of dead cells, allowing it to absorb moisture more efficiently. Strawberries also have a mild bleaching effect on the skin and will help heal blemishes.

Not sure what flavor to try?  The All Natural Face offers three sizes-- 1 ounce for $7.50, 2 ounces for $15, and 4 ounces for $25 (just select your size choice from the drop down menu on each listing).

Here's a list of all the flavors (I included links to the flavors I've tried at the bottom of the post):
Aloe and Avocado
Avocado and Cucumber
Aloe and Cucumber
Cherries and Cream
Pineapples and Cream
Bananas and Cream
Strawberries Bananas and Cream
Peaches and Cream
Lemons and Cream
Oranges and Cream
Pomegranates and Cream
Papayas and Cream
Mangoes and Cream
Strawberries and Cream

And here's some COUPON CODES (good through 12/31/11) for The All Natural Face website (Crystal always seems to have a great sale running!):

Spend $30.00 before shipping and get 15% OFF!  Code: 15OFF
Spend $75.00 before shipping and get 20% OFF!  Code: 20OFF
Spend $100.00 before shipping and get 25% OFF!  Code: 25OFF
Spend $150.00 before shipping and get a Free Eye Shadow gift pack to give or to keep:)  Code: FREEGIFT

The All Natural Face homepage 
All the Face Food Flavors!
Lemons and Cream Face Food Fruit Facial Wash
Mangoes and Cream Face Food Fruit Facial Wash
Cherries and Cream Face Food Fruit Facial Wash