Smoothie

I love getting a big carton of blueberries every time I go to Costco. I always have this idea that I am going to make muffins and add them to salads and find many other great uses my big carton of blueberries. The only problem is that with just D and me it is really hard to go through an entire package of blueberries no matter how hard I try they inevitably go bad before I have had a chance to use them all, until now... This time when I could see my blueberries were getting close to their expiration I washed them, let them air dry and then I put them in a freezer bag and placed them in the freezer. I added a few hand fulls of frozen blueberries to my smoothie this morning and it was delicious, blueberry problem solved. 

Blueberry Smoothie

2 cups Almond Milk

4 cups Spinach

1 Frozen Banana

2 cups Frozen Blueberries 

2 tablespoons Flaxseed Meal 

First pour the almond milk into the blender then add the spinach and blend until smooth, next add the banana and blend, then add the frozen blueberries and flaxseed meal and blend until smooth. You could probably add all the ingredients at once especially if you have a really powerful blender, but I like to add the ingredients in stages because I find it helps keep my blender from getting all jammed up. 

Makes 2 Smoothies 

Granola

With so many people this time of year, myself included, watching what they eat, I wanted to share with you some of the healthy recipes I enjoy. First up, granola. This recipe was adapted from one of my favorite new cookbooks, Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson. I think what really makes this granola stand out is the orange zest so be sure not to skip it when making this recipe. This granola is delicious with milk, yogurt or just on its own.

Granola
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces
1 cup unsweetened shredded large-flake coconut
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
2/3 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
zest of 2 oranges
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup

Arrange racks so that one rack is in the top third and the other rack is in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with foil, set aside till needed. In a large bowl mix together the oats, walnuts, coconut, sea salt, golden raisins, flaxseed meal, and orange zest. Then in a small sauce pan over low heat melt the butter then add the the maple syrup and whisk until combined. Pour mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until coated. Divide and spread out mixture among baking sheet. Bake for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Allow granola to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.