Serves Two

Ingredients:

4- Frozen Bananas, cut into chunks
1/2 cup-3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
1-2 Tbs Almond Butter
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
2 Tbs Cacao Nibs

Directions:

Place bananas, 1/2 cup of almond milk, almond butter and cinnamon into a food processor. Process until creamy and smooth. You may need to add additional almond milk until desired consistency is reached. If you want it a little softer or if you want to enjoy it like a shake, you can add more almond milk.

Sprinkle with cacao nibs and serve immediately. This is something you want to eat fairly quickly after you make it. I wouldn't plan on refreezing it just because it doesn't hold up the best.

Tips from Shelly: As soon as your fresh banana's begin to freckle and are no longer desirable to eat fresh but are still relatively firm, peel them and place in a gallon size freezer bag and keep in the freezer.  You can also sometimes purchase them on discount at your local markets. They make awesome ice"cream" and are a nutrient rich addition to smoothies. 

The options for this recipe are endless once you have the main idea down. You can make Raspberry Cashew, Banana Peanut Butter, Blueberry Coconut and many other variation just by switching out the nut butter and leaving out the cinnamon, if desired. 

Enjoy!

--Shelly

It doesn't take people long to realize I am in the midst of a passionate love affair with Kale. Lacinato, Curly, Red Russian, Purple... it doesn't matter. I love it. It's great in smoothies, soups, stewed, sauteed and baked into kale chips. One of the most difficult ways to eat it is raw just because it can be quite tough.  Kale offers substantial amounts of Vitamin A, K, C and various trace minerals. It's even high in calcium (mooove over milk)! Kale, the king of the dark leafy greens, has also made the list of the top 30 Anti-Angiogenic foods. Anti-Angiogenic foods are foods that have been proven to help cut off blood supply to cancer cells and tumors. In essence this foods contain cancer fighting properties.

This recipe is inspired by the Kale-abration Salad from NuGenesis Farms in Delafield, WI. My husband and I prefer the 2-3 cloves of garlic because it tastes a little spicy. If you don't absolutely love garlic, I would suggest just using one clove.


8 cups chopped kale
2-3 cloves of garlic finely minced
2 Tbs. olive oil
3 Tbs. honey
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/3 cup currant, raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped walnuts or other nut of choice
2 apples, chopped

Place kale, oil, honey, garlic and salt into a large bowl. With clean hands, massage everything together. After a few moments you will see and feel the kale turning softer and more tender. You can stop massaging whenever the kale reaches the texture you enjoy. The more you massage, the softer it gets. The softer it gets, easier it is to chew. When the desired texture is reached, add all other ingredients and toss gently.

Don't be afraid to add other vegetables. In the recipe above, I added some finely sliced purple cabbage. Jicama, shredded carrots, avocado, sliced onions or any other vegetable of your choosing would most likely be delicious, as well.

Enjoy!
--Shelly

This is one of our favorite juices we make on a regular basis. It's simple, sweet and one of the most palatable ways to introduce fresh juices to your diet.

Makes 2 servings


4 whole apples
4 large carrots
2 medium beets
1 inch piece of fresh ginger
Juice from one lemon


Roughly chop the apple, carrots, beets and ginger into pieces small enough to run through your juicer. When juice is extracted, stir in the juice from one lemon. Occasionally, depending on my tastes, I will add some filtered water to the recipe afterward. Some days I can't handle super sweet flavors and prefer something a little more muted. Do what works for you. My husband has a sweet tooth and likes it as is.

Ginger is a digestive aid and is also beneficial for combating nausea. It can be a little spicy for some people so if you are not sure if you'll like it, just cut back on how much you add.


Warning: if you aren't used to eating beets on a regular basis, you may find that your pee and/or poop turn a lovely pinkish or reddish hue.  Try not to panic. :)

-Shelly