Peanut Butter & Chocolate "Green" Smoothie | Recipe

                        

Dessert for breakfast?  With this delicious Peanut Butter Chocolate Smoothie, you can have the taste of a decadent dessert while also adding a jump start your day with tons of nutrients!   Loaded with fruits and veggies, this green smoothie looks anything but green. Perfect for kids, picky eaters and health-nuts alike!  Don't let the massive amount of produce that is packed into this recipe fool you - the end result tastes just like a smooth, chocolate-y peanut butter shake.  My daughter and I enjoy one every day and she loves it!  Just blend together the ingredients listed below until smooth and creamy, adding the peanut butter last. The key to this smoothie is using a high-power blender, like a Vitamix or a Nutri-Bullet.  (Regular blenders won't cut it - you'll be left with a chunky shake instead of a smooth, creamy blend.)   You'll feel good knowing you loaded up on several servings of your fruits and veggies for the day.  Not to mention the energy you'll have to kick start your morning!  Enjoy!  

Ingredients:

5-7 slices of frozen peaches or whole strawberries

small handful of blueberries

small handful of raspberries (optional)

large handful of spinach (about 1 cup)

large piece of kale

1 cup Silk Chocolate Soymilk (or more as needed)

1-2 heaping tablespoons of Natural Peanut Butter

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth except for the peanut butter.  Once everything is blended together, open the blender and add your desired amount of peanut butter.  Allow the blender to whirl the peanut butter into the rest of the smoothie for about 20-30 seconds and serve.  

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the mighty apple

                 

                        

Need a quick pick-me-up?  Looking for a fast, convenient snack on-the-go?  Reach for an apple!  Packed with powerful nutrients and healthy fiber, these savory little treats will satisfy your hunger and your sweet tooth.  As a child, my mom would always have a drawer full of apples in the refrigerator as the perfect afternoon or evening snack.  To this day, everyone in my family grabs an apple if they're looking for something to munch on between meals.  Establish a healthy home and healthy snacks from day one in your children's lives and you'll set them up for a lifetime of success in making the best choices for their nutrition. Not to mention, September is National Apple Month.  And so is October.  And November.  (In 1904, National Apple week was founded.  The event has since spread across the season of the apple harvest and runs from September through November each year.)  See, apples are so awesome that they merit receiving recognition not one, but 3 months out of the year! ;) The benefits of apples are numerous.  Here are just a few of their mighty health benefits:

Brain Boost:  Apples contain an antioxidant called quercetin which has been found to protect neurons against free radical damage.  In one study, apple juice improved behavior and mood in Alzheimer's patients. 

Heart Health:  Eating an apple a day may protect against heart disease and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol. 

Lower Blood Pressure:  People who eat apples are more likely to have lower blood pressure (and trimmer waists!).  

Cancer Prevention:  Quercetin has been linked to hindering the growth of cancer; daily apple consumption helps protect against colorectal cancer.  

Breath Easier:  Moms, check this out - children of apple-eating moms were less likely to show signs of asthma at age five.  Apples are rich in fiber and flavonoids, which may reduce respiratory symptoms.  

When it comes to selecting apples, always go for organic.  Leave the pesticides of conventional produce behind, as the skin of apples contain many beneficial nutrients.  Enjoy an apple every day - they may just be one of God's perfect, portable snack foods!  

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happy fall!

"While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, 
cold and heat, summer and winter, 
day and night, shall not cease.”  
- Genesis 8:22