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

Green Smoothie Treasure Chest: Mason Jars & Working Glass

If you're like me, you're busy and you may use smoothies as snacks on the go, or a really large smoothie (with a significant protein) as a meal replacement.  But wait, you need a blender and straw--not very travel friendly.  My solution?  I blend my smoothies in the morning for a healthy breakfast.  Or before I leave home for the day I make my smoothie and use mason jars (with plastic screw top lids) or working glass jars as to-go containers.  From my experience the plastic mason jar lids are pretty spill resistant, but I doubt they're completely water tight so be careful--put the smoothie in a plastic bag to catch spills if you're going to put the jar in your purse.  If you purchase a dozen mason jars, they make fun and stylish water glasses too!  (Sorry for the weird flash picture).

Now these won't keep your smoothie cold, but if you're going to drink the smoothie on the drive to work it doesn't need to stay cold all day.  Or you may have a handy refrigerator at work to keep your lunch and snacks cold.  One note--you may get questions at work like, "What is that?"  "What are you drinking?"  "Gross."  Remember, instead of a morning doughnut, you're having fruits and vegetables.  You've made a healthy choice.  Good for you!  But if you want to keep your smoothie more red and purple, use beet powder or extra blueberries.  Remember you'll still have bits of spinach and kale floating around.  And bananas and avocados will start to turn a little funky gray color in the course of a day, but no worries--the smoothie is still okay to drink.  Though I wouldn't suggest keeping a smoothie for more than about a day and a half (and keep it refrigerated!).  If I make a whole blender full of smoothie, I usually have one full meal sized smoothie and a smaller size, which I store in a 14 oz working glass jar or a smaller jelly jar, as a snack for later in the day.  Also, remember to rinse out your smoothie container once you've drank it--otherwise bits of spinach and fruit residue will dry onto the jar (no worries,  a light scrubbing will remove it if you forget to rinse).

Here's some Amazon links to purchase:
Mason Jars (pint size as pictured)
Plastic Mason Jar Lids  (these are the regular size, they also have wide mouth size--check the size of your mason jars before you purchase!)
Working Glass Jars 21 oz and Working Glass Jars 14 oz (pictured above)

Upcoming posts--My blender and eco friendly glass straws!

Beauty Treasure Chest: Etta + Billie Exfoliating Scrub Bar

This is one of my shower favorites!  I don't have time to do this every day, but at least once a week, I like to exfoliate my legs before shaving.  Exfoliating sloughs off dead skin and lets you get a much closer shave.  I've used tons of salt scrubs and sugar scrubs.  I've even made my own with jojoba oil and sugar.  One problem--they're messy and gloppy and goopy and sloppy.  The Etta + Billie Natural Exfoliating Scrub Bar is the perfect solution.  At first you may need to wet the bar with warm water to get to the salty part before you can start scrubbing.  Don't use this on open cuts (it stings) or your face (not for sensitive areas).  But it's perfection for your legs, arms... I even use it on my hips/sides to try and keep my stretch marks moisturized (and hopefully prevent more from showing up).  Well, that was embarrassing, but true... This is not soap.  It doesn't lather.  It's a like a salt scrub in convenient soap bar form (although, Etta + Billie does sell soaps!).  Just wet it a little and rub in circular motions.  I like to follow with exfoliating mitts to get an extra close scrub. The Etsy listing says the bar lasts 5-8 showers.  But since I only use it once or twice a week, I usually get a month and half to two months out of a bar... longer in the winter when I'm lazy about shaving my legs. Aren't I full of embarrassing admissions tonight...  It's $7.95 for a 3.5 ounce bar.

So anyhow... What else is great about Etta + Billie?  Check out the ingredients in this Scrub Bar.  Good quality natural ingredients.

Ingredients: Sea Salt, Organic Theobroma cacao (Cocoa) seed butter, Fair Trade Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) fruit butter^, Organic Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) essential oil, Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) essential oil^, Rosemary Extract, Tocopheral (Vitamin E)  

^grown w/o pesticides/herbicides 

The Shea Butter in this product is wild harvested and processed by a women's collective in West Africa.        

I'm currently using a Coriander and Ylang Ylang scented scrub bar.  I believe I got a couple of these as a gift (which I requested) after having purchased one myself in the past.  Sorry for the weird used product picture.  My bar only has a few more shower and shaves left in it.  I best get over to the Etta + Billie Etsy site and stock up.

The exfoliating scrub bars also come in a few other scents:  Lavender, Peppermint and Cocoa, Grapefruit and Cardamom (I'm excited to try this one!), and Geranium  Patchouli.  Etta + Billie carries other natural goodies too--soaps, lotions, butters, and bath salts--just to name a few.  From perusing the shop's Esty listings, I can tell you the ingredients are good quality oils and butters that are nourishing and moisturizing for your skin.  Lots of organic ingredients.  My guess is when organic is unavailable, Fair trade or wild harvested are used.  No creepy chemical preservatives you can't pronounce (Yay for natural preservatives Rosemary extract and Vitamin E).  Another sign that a company takes being all natural seriously--no synthetic fragrances.  I saw a Sweet Orange and Ylang Ylang solid lotion bar.  I'm citrus obsessed and Sweet Orange essential oil is my favorite (smells just like a fresh peeled orange-yum!).  She also has a Cinnamon and Oatmeal soap scented with--you guessed it--cinnamon and oatmeal!  Sounds like breakfast... or a cookie!

Etta and Billie is currently working on becoming a San Francisco Certified Green Business.  I glanced at the retail checklist to become certified and wow... talk about reducing your carbon footprint.  Now I'm not sure what standards an independent business would be held to to attain green certification, but I think it's a moral business choice to respect the Earth and our posterity.  Nobody is perfect, but each little thing helps (I admit it, I'm not even close to being perfectly green, but it's good to try).  Go green!  Okay, off my soapbox.

I was wondering about the name of this brand... guessing it had something to do with singers Etta James and Billie Holiday, but I was wrong.  Here's the lovely true story from Etta + Billie's Etsy profile:

I decided to name my business Etta + Billie after my grandmothers. I spent a lot of time with each of them growing up and they have always been a huge part of my life. Etta + Billie seemed like the perfect way to honor their selflessness, tenacity, support and courage. 

My Grandma Etta passed away before my business ever really started but my Grandma Billie loves my products and has made me promise to give her a million once I make my first two ;).

Check out Etta + Billie on Etsy.
You can sign up for the Etta and Billie newsletter on her facebook page.
Or check out the owner on twitter.
Or on her blog.

Green Smoothies Ingredient Profile: Beet Root Powder

I've decided to do a few smaller entries on smoothies and the ingredients I use to break all the info down into smaller, more manageable pieces (and because I'm lazy).  Today's ingredient is beet root powder.  Here's a not-so-great picture I took with my cell phone.

Beet root powder:  Has the highest sugar content for a vegetable and can also be used as a dye. One of the nutrients in beets/beet root powder is betaine.  Here's some info from the Mountain Rose Herbs profile:
"Betaine (the same as the nutritional supplement trimethylglycine, not the same as betaine hydrochloride)."
"Beet powder provides a wide range of nutrients, but its most significant phytochemical is betaine. This plant chemical helps the liver and kidneys recycle the amino acid methionine to maintain the body's stores of s-adenosyl-methionine, more commonly known as SAM-e."  If you've never heard of SAM-e, there's been a lot of recent press about it's ability to help with depression (again, I'm not a doctor, this is not meant to diagnose, cure, or treat you.  It's just info).  Here's a link to a NY Times article about a study done on SAM-e.


"Betaine also helps the liver process fat. This prevents the accumulation of fatty tissues in the liver (steatosis), especially in heavy drinkers, and it also prevents excessive triglycerides and LDL cholesterol in the blood."


The Mountain Rose Herbs site says one teaspoon of beet root powder is equal to the nutrition in one beet.  And it's easy to incorporate a teaspoon into a smoothie.  It tastes kind of how you'd expect it to taste, like a sweet/tart dried beet.  It doesn't really change the taste of your smoothie, if anything it helps cover the veggie taste a little and make it a prettier red/purple color instead of weird green/brown/purple.  The beet root powder I used in my smoothie is from my local co-op, but I will be ordering some from Mountain Rose Herbs in the future (buying in bulk is cheaper!).  I have ordered other products from their site before and had a very positive experience (great selection of sometimes hard to find natural products--essential oils, herbs, tinctures, cosmetic and cooking oils, spices, etc.-- and good quality).  Here's a link Mountain Rose Herbs "B" section of bulk herbs, check out beet root powder!


There will be more entries on ingredient profiles and a smoothie how-to coming soon.  Be sure to check out my previous entry introducing my veggie smoothies.

But I don't want to eat my vegetables!

Are you like me and don't really care for vegetables?  I mean, I'll eat a salad (covered in not so healthy ranch dressing).  Or douse a veggie in garlic, cheese, and oil and I'm there.  But plain old raw vegetables just aren't my favorite.  This makes me feel like a five-year-old who doesn't want to eat her vegetables.  The current recommendation by the USDA is 30% veggies and 20% fruits on your plate at every meal.  That means, at every meal, HALF your plate should be fruits and veggies.  Here's a wikipedia link to the new "My Plate," that's replaced the old food pyramid.  Half a plate?  Eeek.  Are they begging me to complain about why I hate brussels sprouts?  Don't get me wrong, I want to be healthy, maintain a reasonable weight, and have the energy to keep up with a busy life.  So like any mature adult, I trick myself into eating them.  How?

SMOOTHIES!

I'm not going to lie, sometimes when I make a smoothie, I do have to chew a little tiny bit.  But you get used to it.  So what goes into these wonder drinks?  I don't really follow a recipe, just what I've got available in the fruit bowl, fridge, and freezer (frozen organic berries are the KEY to covering up that icky vegetable taste!).  For example, in the smoothie BB (before blending) pictured above there are:

Bananas
Manoges
White beans (I like Eden organic because they're BPA free.  YAY!  Or you can soak and cook your own, which is definitely cheaper, but more time consuming.)
Raw walnuts
Spinach
Kale
Blueberries (frozen)
Raspberries (frozen)
And a cup of filtered water.

All the fruits, veggies, and proteins listed are organic.  I know organic can be expensive, so check out the Environmental Working Group's list of the Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen to know which fruits and veggies you should try to buy organic.  Here's a link to the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

I'll post a part two on smoothie making with more details and photos soon!