My nephews love smoothies.  I got them hooked last summer and we would regularly make smoothies when we were together at the cottage.  I’d pull out the blender and let them go wild with the ingredients.

Enjoy one of Chef Matthew’s creations!  Nothing like enjoying a nice smoothie on a hot summer day.

Mango Surprise Smoothie

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

One of the kids in my life returned from Italy recently.  She went on a school trip to Italy with her high school.  The same school trip that I went on when I was in high school.  I’ll be entertained with her pictures tonight and I’m sure that one of the pictures will be the pineapple that’s in the Courtyard at the Vatican Museum.  In honor of the occasion, I decided to whip up a batch of yummy pineapple smoothies.

Pineapple Head Smoothie

1/2 cup water (optional)
1/2 whole pineapple, golden and ripe
1 whole mango, peeled and cubed (fresh or frozen)
6-7 whole leaves mint
2-3 cups of spinach

Blend pineapple and mango together. Use water if desired. I have a fairly low powered blender so I always need water to get things started.  Some of the higher powered blenders may not need additional water.  Also, the riper your fruit is, the less water you’ll need.  Add mint leaves and spinach and blend until smooth.  For a nice treat in the summer, add a few handfuls of ice for a frosty treat.

Kitchen Table Talk…

If you try one of my recipes, please let me know what you thought by sharing a comment in the area below.  Or if you like this post, share it with your friends and family through your favorite social media service.

I cleaned out my freezer today and found a forgotten container full of frozen blackberries.  I had gone to visit a friend in the summer who grew blackberries and raspberries in their backyard and had completely forgotten that I had set aside a few pints to get me through the winter.  What a treat!  I left a pint out on the counter for about an hour to defrost a little and whipped up a delicious batch of blackberry smoothie.

Blackberry Surprise Smoothie

3 whole bananas
1 pint blackberries
2 cups baby spinach
3 to 4 peppermint leaves
1/2 to 1 cup water

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender and enjoy!

My sister-in-law gave me a box of green teas from Teaopia for Christmas.  They’re quite bitter and have a strong woody taste.  Since I don’t like to add sugar to my herbal teas, I thought I’d sweeten the tea by making a smoothie instead.  I was inspired by Starbuck’s Green Tea Frappucino.  It’s a great alternative to the store bought frappucino and a very refreshing, healthy smoothie.

Green Teaz Smoothie

1 decaffinated green or white tea bag (I used the loose leaf mix that was gifted to me)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup mango, cubed
1 large peach, sliced and pitted
1/2 whole banana
1 wedge fresh lime juice
2 cups crushed ice

Heat water and brew tea. Let cool.  Place cooled tea, fruit, lime juice, and crushed ice in a blender and blend until thick and smooth.  Adjust ice to the consistency you like best.  The fruit will naturally sweeten this smoothie but for those who want a little more sweetness any type of sweetner can be used.

I don’t know about you but I’m in the mood for a nice healthy smoothie today. While I’ve been posting quite a few sweets recipes lately, other than a bite to evaluate the recipe, I’ve been passing on most of the holiday treats this season. The best way to avoid the holiday bulge is not not indulge in all the sweet treats making the rounds. I’m just as happy with a nice fruit smoothie.

I often get asked to find a good source of raw vegan smoothies and raw recipes. Karen Knowler, whom I’ve had the pleasure of working & coaching with, has some very creative and simple recipes that I just haven’t found anywhere else. In fact, one of my favorite raw vegan smoothies is courtesy of Karen.

Mono Melon Smoothie by Karen Knowler

1 ripe melon of your choice [Galia is my favourite melon for this recipe]

Simply cut your melon in half and spoon the ripe flesh out of the skin, putting the seeds to one side. If you are serving one person, half a melon will be enough, unless that person (probably you!) is very hungry! Blend your melon on high speed until no lumps remain this is your smoothie! Pour into a tall glass, find a cosy corner, relax . . . and sip silently if you can!

Karen’s Tips:
You could try adding one other fruit to this smoothie to give it a gentle twist, such as a few strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries. This will make for a stunning looking drink as well as new tastes to delight you and your guests. This is a great breakfast as it is just fruit. If drinking this at any other time of day, to avoid gas and bloating you must drink on an empty stomach, as all fruits digest the quickest of all foods, but melon is the fastest and when blended faster still! So wait at least 3 hours after eating your last meal to drink this hence the breakfast suggestion! This one won’t keep well in the fridge, so best to drink it as soon as possible. Why wait anyhow?!

Another glorious fall day in the city.  I was out raking leaves this afternoon and I could smell apples baking.  One of my neighbors was baking up a feast for my senses.  The wind was carrying the smell of their delicious treats in from somewhere and I almost dropped my rake in search of the source of the yummy goodness (my immediate neighbors aren’t home during the day so I know it wasn’t either of them).

Inspired by the smell of apples but no time to bake, I decided to mix up a batch of Apple Smoothies to enjoy while I worked the afternoon away.

Appletini Smoothie

4 whole apples, cored and cut into eighths
2 cups baby spinach, or greens of choice
1 rib of celery, chopped
1 cup water
2 tablespoons raisins, soaked, reserving soak water for the smoothie
1/2 cup ice cubes (or you can substitute 1/2 cup of frozen fruit such as mango)

Blend all the ingredients together, reserving the ice cubes.  Pour over ice into your favorite martini glass. Enjoy repeated servings, shaken not stirred

As many of you know, I don’t have any kids of my own but my life is full of children nonetheless.  I have nephews and nieces whom I adore to bits and because our family is close, I get to enjoy some of the joys of parenting without having to bite the bullet and have my own child.

One of my favorite things to do with the kids is have fun in the kitchen.  My nephews have helped me make several tasty treats.  They’ve both had their hands in the home made pizza dough.  They’ve helped to roll out pasta.  And recently, I’ve managed to get them hooked on smoothies!

I’m always on the lookout for fun recipes I can try with them that are not only delicious, but focus on whole foods and nutrition.  Kids these days get their fill of processed food and junk so when we’re together as a family on weekends, we try to give the kids their fill of home made goodness.

Imagine my delight when I received notice about this new Raw Foods cookbook aimed at kids.  I just couldn’t wait to share the news with you:

Introducing…

Monkey Mike’s Raw Food Kitchen!
The First Ever Un-Cookbook for Kids!

I know from years of experience, that the best way to get kids to eat healthy food is to inspire them and make eating fun.  I smile when I think of all the fun I’ve had in the kitchen with my nephews and step-daughter.  They love helping me in the kitchen and I love the time we get to enjoy together, creating memories that will last a lifetime!

So be sure to grab your copy of Monkey Mike’s Un-Cookbook For Kids today!

It’s the start of apple season here in Canada.  In a few weeks, I’ll be heading to the Apple Orchard to pick a few bushels of apples.y Yum yum yum!  Last year, I turned all of those apples into a year’s supply of apple pies (I churned out 28!).  Believe it or not, we still have a few left in the freezer.  This year, my challenge will be to make some of the pies gluten-free since it’s not fair to do all that work and then not get to enjoy any of the rewards   Since I’m still a few weeks away from my Orchard visit, I think I’ll take advantage of the apple bounty and slurp down some Apple Pie Smoothies!

Apple Pie Smoothies

1 whole frozen banana
1/2 each peeled, chopped apple
1 cup apple juice
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg

Blend all ingredients in a blender.  Great substitute for applesauce!  Control the consistency by adding more or less chopped apple.