Strawberry Milk

"Momma, can you make me pink milk??...or maybe a strawberry smoothie, or wait, how about strawberry milk!" 

Hmmm, I barely EVER say NO when my kids ask me for good food...Yep, that's alway a YES for sure! 

I have to admit, strawberries and creamy milk sounded divine to me too, and with the last bag of frozen strawberries from last summer it was even more special. How many more weeks till strawberry picking?!? The special-ness of those last berries were not lost on us- we made sure to really savor them. And this was a sweet and fabulous way to enjoy summer goodness months after. And even now, enjoying them gives us that last push to make it to spring!

This recipe is super simple and basic, but I added a few things to make sure that it was nutritious and protein packed as well. So because we are a strict dairy-free house because of severe allergies this milk is most definitely not cow milk, instead we added full-fat coconut milk for the fats, nutrition and creaminess! Also, an added scoop or two of gelatin makes this milk still full of protein, a 12 grams per TB is what gelatin offers, also countless amounts of goodness. So whip this one up, impress your kids, or heck, bring back your inner-child for just a moment and sit and enjoy yourself some pink strawberry milk!

Strawberry Milk Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, seed and sugar-free}

2 cups of frozen or thawed strawberries [can be chopped or wholes]

1/2 cup of juice [or water] of choice

1-2 TB of fresh lime juice

sprinkle of quality sea salt

1/4 cup of maple syrup drizzled (more or less depending on tastes, can sub in dates too!]

1/2 cup of plant-based milk beverage (coconut, rice, ect...)

2 TB of pure gelatin

1 can of full-fat coconut milk

In a small pan, warm up the strawberries in the liquid and let it simmer and bubble and release it's colors and sweetness. Then turn off heat. In a small bowl whisk together milk and gelatin until bloomed. Then in your blender add the whole can of coconut milk, strawberries from pan, and the bloomed gelatin. Blend on high and then when its all creamy and frothy, pour into glasses and and instantly enjoy! It will be warm from the strawberries if you consume right away and...

...you can chill it too and also it will become a panna cotta type treat if you have in the fridge for more than 30-60 minutes. It will start to turn into a yogurt-like subsatnce as the gelitan cools down. So you may even enjoy it as it cools more. 

Top with thawed or fresh strawberrie pieces for extra goodness and texture :)

ENJOY and much love!!!

Warm Blueberry Ginger Smoothie A.K.A Divine Immunity Boost Shots

It's been a dark, cold, wet and gloomy day here. It seems like the sun didn't come up at all! I've also been feeling like my body has been struggling to resist the germs going around and it's fighting to stand it's ground from the sickness. Or maybe it's just because the sun has been missing too. Don't they call this seasonal sadness or something?!? If you live in an almost sub-Arctic climate in the winter months like I do then I think you probably understand :) So I brought a little TLC to my body [and my whole life!] with some fresh ginger as my little sunshine friend in the kitchen.

You cannot simmer, blend and drink this smoothie with a frown on your face. It just brings so much happiness and love. [Anther favorite warm smoothie from last fall...Cranberry Pear Ginger.... and a summer version of this smoothie...well a tonic really :)]

I know I'm a crazy lady that likes to think as foods as my friends and blueberries and ginger are some of my besties. We do not go through life alone people! :) But seriously- if you follow my recipes at all you know all about me and blueberries. I still have [I'm hoping!] about 40 pounds left so maybe it will get me to spring/summer to pick some more. I'm going to start having to ration them- especially after this divine goodness!

Warm Blueberry Ginger Smoothie Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, seed, and sugar-free}

2 cups of frozen blueberries
2 cups of 100% fruit juice or tea of choice [I used a combo of orange, pear and elderberry tea]
1/4-1/3 cup of grated or pealed and chopped fresh ginger chunks
1-2 slices of fresh organic lemon or orange and it's juices

optional: add 1 TB of pure honey after you simmer/before you blend so as to keep as many beneficial enzymes for your immunity- but also adds some extra sweetness if the ginger is too much!

Put all of the above in a saucepan and simmer until blueberries are bursting and the smells and colors are divine. Then let cool for a minute and slowly pour into your blender or Vitamix and blend slow and then on high for a minute and then pour into your shot glasses or mason jars and drink up!

This recipes makes about 2 pint- sized ball jars or 4 half-pint jars, so you may want to double it if you are making for a crowd or want to have extras to warm up and enjoy for a few days.

I hope you are finding ways to stay warm, full of light and love, and even add in an immunity boost to keep those germs at bay. Much love, friends xoxo

Pineapple Kale Lime Smoothie

Well it's been about a month now since I got a Vitamix and it's been a pretty great month of smoothies. My quote for this one off of my instagram was "those that 'green' together stay together" and me and my hubs have been enjoying the green together and I would have to say from personal experience that our love goes strong...:)

My favorite one is continually this green smoothie combo of frozen pineapple, kale, cilantro, and LIME. It makes it so fresh and sweet and great every damn time! So in effort to share with you my most favorite combo {for now ;)} I tried to write down estimates so that you can create it for yourself. And here's what I got...

Pineapple Kale Lime Smoothie Recipe

{gluten, dairy, nut, seed, egg, sugar-free, vegan}

1-2 cups of frozen pineapple

1-2 frozen bananas 

1 small organic lime, washed and diced (or you can use 1/4 cup pure lime juice)

1-2 cups of pineapple juice

1-2 cups of coconut milk beverage

2-3 cups of washed and roughly chopped FRESH kale leaves and stalks

1 cup of FRESH cilantro leaves and stalks

optional addition: protein powder of choice 

(my go-to's are vital protein collagen powder or rice protein powder)

Blend in a high powered blender... this serves our family of four actually, but could be for 2 grown adults with big kid cups too :)

I have been enjoying this combo for breakfast this week and I've been waiting for it to get old and it hasn't yet- so until that happens I will be enjoying this combo on the back deck in the sunshine... :)

Hope you are well and finding balance this week.
Much love as always, xoxo

Fresh Strawberry Pie (gluten, dairy and nut-free)

Did I mention I picked 40 pounds of fresh strawberries this week? Well, I did, I'm crazy! And I will freeze most of them. But I also have been making honey sweetened jam, jello and jam, and smoothies with many of the adorable heart-shaped lovelies too. When it is the season for a fresh fruit I really try and make the most of it. There really is no better way to eat fruit than fresh-in-season and right from the vine, plant or tree!

And, I just couldn't wait another minute to share this recipe. It is a revised "healthy" version to the traditional fresh strawberry pie that you can see advertised in the ol' ma and pop diners in the US. A traditional summer treat. I went to researching what was made in those pies and some were made with a lot of sugar, butter and cream. And, some were also made with strawberry flavorings and red dye. I was in shock! Why on earth would you need to add flavor and dye to fresh strawberries?! They are glorious and divine just by themselves and I would be super happy to just eat them as is right off the plant. 

So, yeah, I did my researching and came up with using some healthy alternative ingredients to make this treat. I used agar powder to help gel the fresh strawberries with a nice honey-sweet sauce. Agar powder is derived from an algae seaweed that offers lots of nutritional value and fiber too. And it may look like you are indulging in some super sweet treat, but this pie just brings out the already amazing flavors of fresh berries, coconut and honey. It can also be made with Grass-Fed Gelatin, which is a great health supplement as well, read here to learn more.  This pie is my take on what a fresh strawberry pie should taste like and if you can get your hands on some fresh ripe strawberries- then don't think twice on making this summer treat! And, after you make it once, you'll see why I almost double this recipe every time I make it :)

Fresh Strawberry Pie Recipe 

(gluten, dairy, soy and nut-free)

Crust:

1/2 cup gluten-free oats

1/2 cup of shredded unsweetened coconut

1 1/4 cup of gluten-free oat flour ground (1 cup of oats in ground in high power blender to make 1 1/4 cup of flour)

2 TB of honey or maple syrup

dash of sea salt

1/3 cup of organic extra virgin coconut oil

In a mixing bowl, mix the oats, coconut, salt and flour all together well and then add the honey and coconut oil and mix with a fork. You should get a sticking pie crust batter that you will use your hands to press into a 9 inch glass pie pan. You will have to pressed firmly up to the tops of the pan and press firmly along the bottom. It doesn't have to be perfect looking, but do try and make the crust spread evenly over the pan. Then bake the crust in a preheated 350 degree oven for 16-18 minutes until golden brown. You may need to press a fork up to the sides again after you pull from the oven while it is still hot if the crust slide down a touch while baking. Then, let the crust cool on the counter until it is cold.

Fresh Strawberry Filling:

1 pound of fresh hulled whole strawberries 

        + 1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries

2 TB of fresh squeezed lemon juice

pinch of lemon zest

1/3-1/2 cup of local honey

1/2 cup of water

1 1/2 TB of agar powder or  use 1 1/2 TB of gmo-free plain gelitan (Great Lakes Brand)

When you crust is cooled, the you can place 1 pounds of fresh picked and hulled strawberries face down into the pie crust. Then set aside in the fridge or freezer to make the liquid sauce to pour over the berries in a small saucepan. 

First, put your chopped strawberries and lemon juice in the pan and let cook down for a few minutes on low heat, then add your honey and water and keep simmering. Lastly add the agar powder and stir quickly to keep from clumping. Let cook on low heat for up to 5 minutes until the strawberries are cooked down and the liquid is hot. 

 If you use gelatin then you must mix the gelatin with 1/4 cup of water in a separate bowl first for it to "bloom" then you can add it into the strawberry sauce after a few minutes and you will have to stir well with the heat off while it melts into the rest of the sauce. So it has one step more, but both can be used the same way.

Lastly pour the warm strawberry sauce over the fresh whole strawberries already in the pie crust. Use a spoon or brush to coat all the tops of the strawberries, and it make take up to 5 minutes to let cool and set and you will have to re-arrange the strawberry tops to be straight. Then place in the fridge and chill for 3 hours before serving. 

Coconut Whipped Topping:

1 can of full fat coconut milk (use the cream only)

2-3 TB of pure maple syrup

Chill the can of coconut milk for at least a few hours or speed up the process in the freezer. Then right before serving, open the can and scoop out the separated coconut cream on the top and pour all of the remaining coconut water in a separate container to keep and use for other baked goods or smoothies. After putting the coconut cream in a bowl with syrup, use an electric mixer and whip up the cream for at least 3 minutes until you get peaks and a thicker cream. Then you can top the pie with this cream however you like. I scooped the cream into a Wilton's pipping bag with a star tip and squeezed out some cream stars over the pie. But you can top however you like- it will taste superb no matter how you top it :)

You can sub 1-2 TB of honey for the maple syrup. And if you want, prefer or like dairy you can use just regular whipping cream whipped up to perfection. 

Then, slice big hearty slices and serve up! This pie is perfect for a hot summer day and will not last long. It will be best kept in the fridge for safe keeping and will only last a few hours or at the most a day ;) But if for some reason you have extras, it will taste best kept in the fridge no more than three days.But really, when I make this in the two weeks of June that we have fresh Michigan strawberries, we eat this for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I mean, because, well, we can! And it's so good, we look forward to the season and then before you know it, it's gone.

Each slice is the perfect combo if crust, fresh strawberry goodness and a little extra creamy goodness to top it all off. This pie is for sure one of the best ways to eat fresh strawberries, well at least I think so :)

But seriously, this is my new found way to use some fresh picked strawberries. You can only make this pie once (or maybe twice) during the few weeks a year when strawberries are fresh off the plant. Super delicious!

I think you know what I will be doing to enjoy this weekend. Lots of time out in the sun and after-dinner pie eatin'. Maybe even some more berry picking before the season escapes us. Summer hasn't even officially begun yet and I just know it is going to be a good one. I hope you find ways to enjoy this summery weekend and some berries to enjoy!

Much love as always!

Hemp Protein Berry Breakfast Shake (vegan)

Hello Friends- It's been a busy few weeks. I hope you are enjoying summer and all of it's benefits. I can't believe that 4th of July has come and gone. For some reason the 4th is always a day I remember...I get all nostalgic and remember the past years events and where we were living and what we were doing. And, what we were eating :) It seems like strawberries, blueberries and cherries are always filling my mind in the summer. I'm infatuated.

The local strawberries have been so red and yummy this year. I went to a friend's farm to pick, plus have bought my fair share at the farmer's market, and even was given a quart from a client's backyard. How sweet! The strawberry season is so fast, and so I love to enjoy while I can, and then freeze as much as I can to enjoy for months to come. Here are a few thoughts to freezing fresh berries and having these lovely sweet treats on hand for months...

1.) I prefer to wash and pick off the green tops to strawberries before freezing. But this means you must make sure they dry really well before you put in the freezer. Some say to freeze on a cookie sheet before putting into a zip lock bag, but I have found (because of lack of freezer space) that if you wash and dry them on the counter for a few hours you can put them in a freezer bag from the counter and then freeze. You may get a few frozen berry clumps in your bag, but usually with a little force they break easily. And frozen berries are usually being made in smoothies, pies and baked goods and it's ok for them to have a few clumps if it happens.

2.) Don't let any ripe berries go to waste in season! If you date the bags of berries when you freeze them you can eat accordingly as well. This also helps with knowing what is freshest in the freezer if you have many bags like me. Plus, measuring out berries in {2 0r 4 cup measurements} may help before freezing if you plan to make pies, sauces, or jams with frozen berries throughout the year. Freeze as many as you can since they are not cheap, and enjoy the perks of fresh/frozen berries in October, or December. :) Some people wonder why I always seem to have berries on hand, and this is why....I have them in my freezer ready to use! Picking and freezing your own berries is the most frugal way.

3.) My favorite way to use these frozen berries is in smoothies. They are frozen so that add to the thickening part of the smoothie and of course color, sweetness and "freshness". My husband likes to make a blueberry protein shake almost every morning, so I try to make sure I have lots of blueberries in the freezer by the end of the summer. I am sure once blueberry picking season is underway in the next month I may be MIA for a while....:) The good news is, you will know where to find me.

4.) If you do not have a way to pick berries locally, I suggest you try and find farmers in your area that may just sell them at a local market. Looking for a no-spray farmer is always best because that saves your body from extra digested chemicals as well. I have a few favorite orchard/farms in west Michigan (if you are local and interested, let me know!)

Living in Michigan has it's perks (best beaches, perfect sunsets and gorgeous weather) and I think having fresh berries to pick is one of the top reasons. Plus, making a berry protein shake for breakfast is a perfect way to start a hot summer day. I use hemp milk and protein often because it is full of good fats (omega 3's and 6's), and it has good flavor, fiber and creaminess. If you are making a protein shake in the mornings, I would definitely suggest to stay away from whey and soy protein. Stick with plant based proteins like hemp, rice, pea... these proteins are cleaner, and will most likely not cause reactions in your body. It is good-nutrition in a cup.

Hemp Berry Breakfast Shake (vegan)

1 cup of vanilla hemp milk (or other non-dairy milk)

1/2 cup of frozen strawberries

1/2 cup of frozen blueberries

1 TB of chia seed meal (or flaxmeal)

1 heaping spoonful of hemp protein powder

1 TB of cod liver oil

1 TB of chrolophyll

a touch of organic apple juice to make it smooth and drinkable

Blend for 1 minute all of the above ingredients in a blender or magic bullet and you will have your morning smoothie ready to go. Add as little or as much apple juice as you like to get the thickness or smoothness you desire for your smoothie. Then viola- breakfast is ready! It is an easy breakfast on the go (out the door) if you have a nifty carry-along cup with straw. Plus, it is a great way to start your day off with fiber and protein. Just make sure you check your teeth in the mirror before your morning meeting....you may just have a blueberry seed in your teeth :)

Well, friends, that is my way to start the day today. A smoothie, and some moments of quiet. I hope you have a beautiful day.

Next berry to pick and freeze: Cherries!!!! :) hmmm ummm good!