Warm and Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup

Warm and Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup

Comfort foods.  Usually "Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup" is not the first thing that pops into your mind.  However, this soup is comforting in so many ways.  It literally warms and soothes your belly and digestive system.  Two things I need right now.  This week was an anomaly to our very mild Utah winter.  It was actually cold, cloudy, a bit snowy, and windy.  At least most of the mornings.  Usually training for a Spring Marathon can be quite dreadful, but our "California Winter" has been fantastic.

With the Boston only 6 weeks away, I am watching my food intake vigilantly.  Today I ran 22.2 miles, my fifth run over 20 miles since January.  I burn a tremendous amount of calories doing 2 speed workouts a week and running between 60-70 miles.  But, have no doubt, that correlates into a ravenous appetite.  It doesn't feel hard to eat 5000 calories in a day.  However, every one extra pound equates to approximately 1 extra minute in a marathon.  I don't want any of those extra pounds.  The weight:time correlation struck me out of nowhere.  I though I would do a little research and I was stunned.  The only hints I've ever had are a couple conversations with my running friends about the pressure from coaches in College to lose weight.  Logically, it is a duhhh.  Carrying around any extra bulk just slows you down, but the dramatic impact was news to me.  A serious runner's healthy weight is significantly lower than the average American's healthy weight.

On a cold, dreary day, after a long run, and a soak in an ice cold river, my stomach and body Today warranted the warm up of this soup.  The temperature and cayenne pepper pack the hot punch, and the vegetables and lentils are easily digested by your body.  The result is a great combination.  It stores well, so I make a giant batch in my canning stock pot (quadruple the recipe) and share, freeze, and eat all week.


Everything about this soup classifies as "easy" except.... there is a lot of chopping involved.  Once you square that away, you're set.  Don't be afraid to play around and add your favorite veggies in.  Sometimes I warm up the spices, other times I tone them down.

Warm and Spicy Indian Vegetable Soup


1 c dry lentils
1 sweet potato, diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
1 red onion, diced
1-2 cups chopped tomatoes (I like cherry) or use a can of diced
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
2 small zucchinis, sliced
1 cup green beans, chopped
1 bunch of kale, chopped
6 cups of water


Seasonings:


1-2 tsp Real Salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp cayenne (or less to taste)
1 tsp oregano




Preparation:


Chop all vegetables. Place in a large stock pot, reserve kale for the end.  Add water.  Bring to boiling and simmer for 20 minutes, adding water as necessary. Add chopped kale a minute or two before serving.   


110 Calories per 1 cup serving and 12 grams of protein.  Makes about 12 cups.

Josephina's Authentic Mexican Salsa

The trick to this salsa is blackening on a cast iron skillet.  Make sure not to stir too much.
You want dark black patches on the veggies.  

The first almost 4 years of our marriage we lived in a charming, basement apartment (albeit creeping with cockroaches, the entire neighborhood was) of the most wonderful family from Mexico.  We learned a lot living with them, and one of the biggest take-aways was Josephina taught me how to make her delicious salsa.



Brent and I would beg her to make us salsa, as much as was possibly tactful.  Finally, I asked for the recipe.  I made several batches.  No comparison.  They all fell flat.

I decided I needed a live tutoring session.  After several careful observations, my salsa improved dramatically.  I discovered Josephina and I were from the same mold.  We don't like recipes and rarely stick to one.

I watched her like a hawk, and this salsa is the best semblance.  I may have posted this before, but it is worth reposting.

Josephina's Authentic Mexican Salsa

1 can tomatoes or 5-10 fresh roma's

1  onion, yellow or red

¼-1/2  c cilantro

1 t cumen

1 t coriander (opt)

1 t salt

Juice of 1 lime

½-1 jalenpeno

Turn heat onto high and blacken tomatoes, onion and jalepeno on a cast iron skillet.  Combine the rest of ingredients into blender or food processor.  Process.  Add tomatoes and onions and process gently until desired consistency is reached.  

Warm Pasta Salad

In household with no meat and very little dairy, pasta salads are a staple. Winter doesn't have to end the enjoyment. This particular salad is served warm, with crisp, slightly warmed vegetable. It is key to this winter salad not to overcook the vegetables. The zucchini is added raw. It softens just enough when mixed with the hot noodles. If you don't usually use whole grain noodles try them on this recipe! The nutty, earthy flavor of the whole wheat compliments the walnuts perfectly.

But one of my favorite thing about this pasta salad is my children can pick through it quite easily. One doesn't really like the olives, the other doesn't prefer nuts. They just work around it. It tastes great with all the flavors blended together, but is mild enough to be enjoyed by even fussy children.

Unless of course we are talking about Emmett who really won't eat anything on any given day.

Warm Winter Pasta Salad

(From the "Very Vegetarian Cookbook")

12 oz whole wheat rotelle

12 thin asparagus spears

2 small zucchini's, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 green olives or kalamata, quartered

1/2 c chopped walnuts

parmesan cheese

real salt and fresh ground pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Cook pasta as per directed. Toast walnuts in a cast iron pan for several minutes on medium high heat. Steam or blanch asparagus for 2-3 minutes. Immerse in ice water. Cut in 1 inch pieces. Drain but do not rinse pasta. Pour olive oil over pasta. Toss with parmesan cheese to taste (I just use a few tablespoons of a strong fresh cut for flavor). Stir in zucchini, asparagus, olives, green onions and walnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

A rainy day, a Saturday filled with raking leaves, pulling down dead limbs from trees ready to slumber, these all reminded me of my favorite savory, fall squash soup. I came across the inspiration for this soup at a sampling table at my local grocer almost 6 years ago. I've tweaked it a bit over the years as my cooking and dietary habits evolve. Here is my most recent version.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

1 head garlic

Extra virgin Olive Oil

SeaSalt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1 bunch fresh sage

2 medium onions, quartered

4 carrots, quartered

2 ribs celery, quartered

2 T maple syrup (honey or agave work as well), divided

2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and quartered

1 quart organic vegetable stock

½ c cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on.

Place garlic cloves, onions, carrots, celery, and squash onto the parchment paper.

Drizzle with more olive oil, 1 T maple syrup and sprinkle with sea salt and ground pepper.

Let the vegetables roast until edges brown and squash is tender, about 2 hours. You can slow or speed this process by modifying the temperature.

When vegetables are roasted, remove from oven. Squeeze garlic out of skins and use a knife to remove the squash skin.

In a large pot, add the broth, remaining maple syrup and chopped sage. Bring to a low boil and add roasted vegetables.

Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes.

If you have an immersible stick blender, puree the soup in the pot.

Otherwise, let the soup cool and working in batches, puree it in a food processor or blender.

I prefer a very smooth texture and use my Blendtec.

Refrigerate soup overnight. Usually we have some the first day too! Just before serving, return soup to a pot and bring to a simmer.

Add cream if desired, or just have some on the table, and salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with cream and sage leaves.

This is best served with my Scrumptious Honey Whole Grain Cornbread. My children and husband had gobbled the entire pan, save a scant row, before the soup was on the table. They finished off the rest for breakfast this morning.

Quinoa Veggie Burritos

I wish I could say my children devoured these...they don't. They are quite delicious, but far too complex in texture for the taste buds of my three silly eaters. I should probably just puree the filling and they would gobble them up. Brent and I love these. They are super healthy, and easily vegan if you choose to leave off the cheese. Delectable both ways. The way these are toasted, also adds an excellent texture twist to the common burrito wrap.

QUINOA VEGGIE BURRITOS
...recipe from Kitchen Kneads

1 (15 oz.) can black beans (or 2 cups cooked)
1 (15 oz.) can white hominy
1 (15 oz.) can black eyed peas (can substitute other bean of choice)
1 cup frozen (or freeze dried) corn
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1-2 Tbsp. diced green chiles
4 green onions
½ cup yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper
2 tomatoes
¼ cup cilantro
1 (11.5 oz.) can V8 Juice
½ tsp. cumin (optional)
¼ tsp. oregano
1 small lime
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 or 2 avocados
Raw cheese, grated (opt)
Whole Wheat Tortillas

Drain cans of black beans, white hominy, and black eyed peas into a colander. Add corn. Rinse well with cool water.

Dice or chop green chiles, green onions, yellow onion, green pepper, tomatoes, cilantro, and avocado. Reserve ½ of the second avocado for dip if desired. Mince the garlic.

In a large mixing bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, hominy, black eyed peas, and corn. Add above mixture. Stir together. Pour V8 juice over the top. Add oregano and juice from the lime (and optional cumin if desired.) Mix together. Gently fold in the chopped avocado.

Place 2/3 cup of burrito filling in the center of a whole wheat tortilla wrap. Fold burrito style securing with a toothpick if necessary. This recipe makes enough filling for 12 to 14 burritos. It huge. Plan to freeze or give some away.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place burritos about 1 inch apart from each other and lightly coat the burritos with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, until the top of the burrito is toasted golden brown. Turn burritos over and coat again; then bake for 10 additional minutes until all the burrito is toasted and the filling inside is hot. Serve with avocado ranch dip and garnish with cilantro.

Wrap leftover burritos individually in aluminum foil. Reheat in oven set at 400 for 10 minutes.

Vegan Pecan Lettuce Wraps

Here is my take on a tofu-free, vegan lettuce wrap. I do have to say, my girls are too afraid to eat these still...but I am working on them. Brent and I love them.

Vegan Pecan Lettuce Wraps

2 1/2 c raw pecans, soaked overnight

1 head of Romaine lettuce (skip the iceberg it has zero nutritional value)

2 1/2 cups chopped shitake mushrooms

3 T fresh chopped garlic

2 T fresh chopped ginger root

red pepper flakes

tamari or braggs

real salt

pepper

peanut oil

Soak the pecans* in water for 24 hours. Rinse and change water several times. Roughly chop the pecans and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with real salt, pepper, tamari (or braggs) and red pepper flakes. Bake in oven at 170 degrees for several hours. (If you don't mind them not being raw bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.)

When the nuts are almost finished, saute ginger and garlic in a small amount of peanut oil (you can substitute, but this adds a great taste). When softened add mushrooms and a bit more salt, pepper, red pepper, and tamari to taste. Continue to cook until mushrooms are soft.

Serve in lettuce with brown rice and freshly squeezed lime.

*All nuts with a brown outer skin (think almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts etc) should be soaked prior to eating them. They have enzyme inhibitors which are toxic. Soaking deactivates the inhibitors and also increases vitamin absorption and aids in digestion.

Vitamin Cubes

This is a classic trick, but I thought I would post it anyways. Whenever I steam some spinach or asparagus or any vegetable, I save the water and turn them into ice cubes. Add the cubes to a morning smoothie for a little extra vitamin punch! Easy as can be, and you never have to pour those precious vitamins down the drain.

Fresh Salsa

Everyone has a favorite salsa recipe. This is ours. Straight from Mexico. When Brent and I were first married almost 11 years ago, we lived in the basement of a family from Mexico. It was always a special treat when Josephina made salsa for us. This is her recipe. I watched her many times to get it just right.

I was able to scrounge most of the ingredients from my garden, but it is time to replant cilantro.

Authentic Mexican Salsa

6-8 ripe roma tomatoes (or 1-2 cans)
1/2-1 yellow onion
pinch of garlic
1/2 jalepeno
1 large handful fresh cilantro
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 t sea salt
Juice from fresh squeezed lemon or lime

Blacken tomatoes and onion in a cast iron skillet*. Do this by adding no oil and allowing them to cook rather quickly with a slight blackening on the skin. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor, excluding the tomatoes. Process for a minute or two. Then add tomatoes and blend a few seconds. Enjoy!

Try serving your salsa as salad dressing or as fresh veggie dip. My favorite! Brent and Callista still opt for the fresh tortilla chips though.

*Remember cooking in cast iron, especially tomatoes is an excellent source of iron!

Anti-Oxidant Packed Spinach Salad

I don't think any of us can get enough of dark green vegetables and the power punches they pack. (How's that for alliteration?) Blackberries are an excellent source of vitamins and walnuts are full of the fats our bodies love...not the kind which tends to accumulate around the middle...uck!

Anti-oxidant Packed Spinach Salad

Wild greens
Spinach
Feta Cheese
Blackberries
Maple-candied Walnuts
Granny Smith Apple
Broccoli Florets
Balsamic Vinegar

Slice apple and broccoli into bite size pieces. Toss all ingredients together and enjoy as a meal or a complement to any meal.

Because the nuts and cheese add fat and calories, I just put plain balsamic vinegar on this salad and it is delicious. But if it is too strong just use any balsamic based dressing.

Spinach Salad with Chicken and Caramelized Onion Dressing

I used to struggle finding the perfect gift for a friend. Until two months ago, an older and wiser friend of mine gave me a brilliant idea. A delicious, home-cooked, nutritious, whole foods meal (a lot of caveats there). Something I would love. Hint, hint to the husband. If he could cook. He is a man of so many gifts. But none in the culinary school. Ah well. So tonight, one of my friends is celebrating her anniversary, couldn't get out, and so we are bringing it in. A Spinach Salad with Chicken and Caramelized Onion Dressing.

Sometimes I find the best recipes in the newspaper. Odd, but true. I found this one a couple years ago and it is a favorite.

Slowly cooking the onions caramelizes them, and brings out the natural sugars. Pureeing allows the onions to emulsify and bind the ingredients together, reducing the amount of fat you need.

Spinach Salad with Chicken
and Caramelized Onion Dressing

2 T whole grain flour
1 t salt, divided
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lb thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast*
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 large oranges
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced (about 3/4 c)
2 T finely chopped fresh ginger
2 T frozen oj concentrate
1/2 c water
1 T balsamic vinegar.
12 c spinach

*I substitute wild salmon or halibut for the chicken when cooking for myself.

In shallow dish, combine flour, 1/2 t salt and pepper. Lightly coat breasts. Set aside. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned on both sides. Transfer to cutting board and slice into thin strips. Cover to keep warm. Do not clean skillet.

Remove skin and pith from oranges. Cut into segments. Set aside.
Return skillet to burner over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute until softened and lightly browned. About 5 minutes. Add the ginger and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the oj concentrate and water and cook for 2 minutes or until slightly reduced.

Pour onion mixture into a blender. Add vinegar and 1/2 t of salt.
Process until smooth.

Arrange spinach in a large shallow bowl. Add the dressing and toss until the spinach is well coated. Arrange chicken and orange slices on top.
Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Make Your own Maple Candied Nuts: No Refined Sugar

Some salads are so delicious they beg to be recreated. Recreated often. For me that means a full dinner multiple times a week. This Pomegranate and Blue Cheese Salad is one of those. Covered in candied pecans, however, this recipe needed a little healthy love to eliminate the high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and preservatives. I decided to make my own candied nuts. Simple and delicious.

Take note of the yummy simmering potpourri on my stove. The fragrance enticed us all day long today. I repeat. Great idea. I went to another neighbor and she had hers going as well!

Maple Candied Pecans

2 cups raw pecans
1/4-1/2 c pure maple syrup

Blend pecans for a few seconds in a blender or food processor.
Pour into a cast iron frying pan. Cover with pure maple syrup.
Toast over med/high heat. Stirring occasionally so they don't burn.

This salad probably has an official name but I don't know it. It is so pretty and delicious. Since berries are out of season and pomegranates are in, it is perfect.

Pomegranate Holiday Salad
Mixed Greens
Pomegranate
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Candied Pecans
Sliced Pears
Balsamic Vinaigrette

Toss all ingredients.

The blue cheese, vinegar, and tart pomegranate balance the sweet maple candied pecans and pears perfectly. I just add balsamic vinegar plain and I love it.

A New Favorite Vegetable, Cookie, and a Not-so-favorite

Here is a eclectic blog on everything from sprouts to cookies to drug store Christmas trees.

Brussel Sprouts have now been added to my "Vegetables I Love" list. I have to admit I have never eaten them before. It is embarrassing, being the veggie connoisseur that I am...But it is never to late to change.
I love them. And my children ate them. Admittedly a bit begrudgingly, but it was definitely not a battle....just some gentle coaxing and (here comes a confession) spray butter.

I know. I am so natural, and I shun with a passion almost every unnatural processed thing, but I found spray butter to be an acceptable evil. It has fewer than 10 ingredients (a good thing) and if I put a bit on vegetables my children will gobble them up. They don't like the real butter on them. So...for the sake of high, desirable veggie consumption we use "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray. I did find this brand to be the most "natural" (I feel awkward even using that word when speaking of butter in a bottle) of the varieties.

If you want to stop reading go ahead. We all have our vices. Spray butter and chocolate chips happen to be ours. Here is the recipe for the Brussel Sprouts. These recipes are courtesy of my sister's friend Candice. We did a recipe exchange, it has been so fun. I love sharing yummy recipes...hint, hint, to any of you friends out there with delicious recipes...do share!

Sautéed Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts (quartered, with ends removed)

Fresh pressed garlic (be generous 4-6 cloves)

Lemon peel (full lemon grated)

Sauté Garlic in olive oil. Add Brussel sprouts, olive oil and lemon peel. May need to add a bit of water or broth. Cook (covered some of the time) until desired tenderness. Sprinkle with sea salt and parsley.

I had some left over uncooked sprouts and sauteed them the next day and added them to a great Thai dish.

Speaking of chocolate chips...Candice also had a new recipe for refined sugar-free chocolate chip cookies I actually like. They are vegan too. My girls and I can mix these up in under 10 minutes.

Refined Sugar Free Choco-Oat Cookies

1 ½ cup rolled or quick oats

1 ½ cups whole grain flour

1 ½ t baking powder

½ t sea salt

1 cup unsweetened coconut (don’t leave this out it makes the cookie they are not nearly as good without)

½ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped (opt. I leave out b/c my kids won’t eat)

½ cup agave nectar or maple syrup (I use agave)

½ cup olive or coconut oil (olive oil gives a nicer texture)

½ cup milk (I use 2 T powdered milk and a few T of water)

½-1 cup dark chocolate chips (1 cup is alot, watch out)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients. Drop spoonfuls onto baking sheet. Flatten. You may want to flatten 1/2 way through cooking as well (These cookies will not spread by themselves. Refined sugar gives cookies that nice spread) and bake 15-18 min.

A few tips...these are not the greatest warm, much better cool and dipped in milk. If you are eager to try them, restrain yourself until they are cool. But feel free to indulge on the batter...it is egg free and delicious!

...Not so delicious...the Harmon's grocery store decorating cookies. These little nasties were pure hydrogenated shortening I am certain. I think we were able to have them "accidentally" get covered in pine needles from the Christmas tree in the back of the truck, on the way home, only a few deathly bites into them.

The cookie decorating came during our traditional outing to"cut" the Christmas tree (we found the prettiest one in the Rite Aid lot), and visit Santa and get a picture (free, not the price gouged ones from the mall) at the grocery store.
BTW...my camera is finally en route back to me. No more grainy madness!

It's Turkey Time! (The Vegetarian Way)

Turkey, turkey, turkey. Is that all Thanksgiving is about? Come on. We vegetarians must compensate somehow. So I compensate in cuteness and creativity. We have had a lot of turkeys around here this Thanksgiving. Starting with our Halloween Candy Turkeys. Followed by our kid friendly "Appletizer" Turkeys. Finally, these Turkey Rolls.
These turkey rolls are a time commitment. I admit it up front. But the presentation is amazing. I saw this idea in the newspaper a couple years ago. It has now become a tradition demanded by the family.
The real plus... Make them now and freeze them uncooked with some greased plastic wrap on top. Just take them out a few hours before and cook to perfection. The photo below is the uncooked version. They rise beautifully.

Turkey Rolls...Really Not as Hard as they are Cute...

Favorite roll recipe
(White doesn't seem earthy enough for these. But if your family insists I suppose you could make them white. Sigh.... If you are not into making rolls the lady in the newspaper used Rhodes Rolls. Cheater :)
Assorted Seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy, flax)
Slivered Almonds
Pretzel Sticks
Peppercorns
1 egg (beaten)

Flatten and place one roll on a large greased baking sheet. This will be the body. Cut a narrow piece out of the remaining roll to be used as a head and neck.
Flatten large piece slightly and cut about 10 long slits to form feathers. Place next to body. Roll narrow piece into a rope shape and place on the other side forming a slight curve.
Brush with egg. Place peppercorn on head for eye and use a slivered almond for a beak. Decorate body and tail with seeds and nuts.

Let rise 15 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown. After baking, insert pretzels for legs.

Because these are an intense project, I just make one per person.

The rest of the rolls I make into crescents. Easy and pretty. Roll your dough into a big circle and brush with butter.

Use a pizza cutter to cut as shown below. Roll into crescents. Let rise.

I cook these ahead of time and then freeze. When feast time arrives we place the turkey rolls on everyone's plates, and then fill a basket to brimming to pass with the crescents.

Apple "Pancakes"

My friend is seeing a nutritionist to lose a bit of the "baby fat" we all unavoidably struggle with. She gave me this recipe I love.

Apple "Pancakes"

4 egg whites
1/3 c rolled oats
1 apple (banana is great too)
dash of cinnamon

Throw it all in the blender and mix well. Pour into a pan and cook as you would a pancake.

You can either make one really big one, or a few smaller. If in the mood, put a teaspoon of pure maple syrup. I don't recommend sugar or "sugar free" syrups. Go natural. Delicious. High in protein and fiber. As a vegetarian I need all the protein I can get. I also have begun to cook with cast iron. It is heavy, and a little less convenient but you can actually pick up trace minerals like iron. A mineral crucial for runners and veggers like myself.

Enjoy!

What to do with Halloween Candy: Think Turkeys

What to do with all that HALLOWEEN CANDY? Isn't this the question plaguing good mothers all over America? Here is my answer. Ring in the Thanksgiving season with these festive candy turkeys.
This had to be a stroke of brilliance on my part. Usually a couple weeks before Thanksgiving I buy some gum drops or colored mini marshmallows and we make these fun turkeys. But this morning while pondering what to do with all the Halloween candy, I thought why buy candy in a week or so, when we have candy coming out of our ears right now. The girls loved cutting up the candy bars and squishing them on toothpicks to make feathers. We also used the skittles, dots, licorice, suckers, airheads...anything we could squish and maneuver onto a toothpick or stick to the apple. Girls had a great time. The vast majority of the candy is gone.
Because I am such a nice mom, they get to eat a feather a day. Snicker, snicker. Three skittles is a whole lot better than a whole bag full.

Vitamin Packed Smoothie

I just realized this never posted. Sorry....I did it forever ago...back on the October 8th.

Vitamin Packed Smoothie

kale
spinach
parsley
banana
carrots
oranges
peaches
mixed berries
flaxmeal
water/orange juice

By popular demand I am posting my recipe for "Salad in a Bottle" as my husband so lovingly describes our smoothies. I swear by these to stay healthy. They kept my cold to a minimum before the marathon. A much better alternative than "Airborne" and the likes.
The first 2 staple ingredients kale and parsley. I love just snipping these in my garden all summer long. Kale is super hardy. The plant you see above actually came back from last summer. Both are very high in vitamins and minerals.Take a couple handfuls of each and wash well. Especially watch out for the little bugs on Kale. They love to hide in all the crevices of the leaves. A fresh bunch of parsley. YUM.Next I added a couple handfuls of carrots and a banana.If you are having trouble getting it to blend, add a bit of water, or OJ if you prefer.
Next I put in a bunch of peaches I froze from my tree, and 3 apples from my tree.

I blend 2 cupfuls of flaxseed in my coffee grinder. We like to call it the "Spice Grinder." It ends up being about 3/4 c of meal. I put it directly in and blend it up!
At this point, my refreshing green smoothie is complete. But of course, it needs a little doctoring for the rest of the family. I encourage you to try it green though. It is delicious. Many times I add whatever veggies I have on hand. Including lots of spinach and broccoli.Add the magic pill.
The magic "purple ingredient." I wonder how the smoothie is "Disgusting. Don't like it Mom. No." when it is green. Add a few frozen berries (I get those big bags from Costco) the smoothie is purple and all of sudden "Yummy. Mmmm Mom can I have more purple smoothie?"I also sometimes add pineapple or orange juice. In the winter, I add tons of fresh oranges or clementines. My family also likes it a bit thinner than I do. The juice helps to thin it out.

The finished smoothies. This particular batch made must enough for our family. Enjoy. Healthy Living to all!