Rainbow Smoothie

You've heard about the importance of eating a rainbow, right?  You want to make sure to eat a variety of colorful fruits and veggies every day.  Well I decided to combine a rainbow into a single smoothie!  This concoction is filled to the brim with veggies, and I tried to keep the fruit to a minimum.  I wanted to have the drink sweet enough to be tasty, but not overflowing with unnecessary sugars.  I really think I found the perfect balance.  I drink this almost every day as my main lunch.  Well, I get as much as I can because my 4 year old and 20 month old LOVE it too and insist I share it with them.  With so much healthy goodness inside, how can I not share with my babies?  :)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp ground flaxseed

2 C spinach

1 C kale 

1 banana

1 medium carrot, cut into large pieces

1/4 C frozen mango

1/4 C frozen pineapple

1/4 C frozen blueberries

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 C juice (I use Trader Joe's Green Juice)

3/4 C water

3 ice cubes

Directions

1. Place ingredients in a blender in order listed above (the weight of the fruit helps push the greens down to make for easier blending).  Blend thoroughly until no frozen fruit chunks remain.  Enjoy!!

Classic Ranch Dressing

OK.  So this may not a health food post, but this dressing is perfect.  It is that delicious, thick, creamy ranch dressing you are craving, but without any additives or preservatives   This dressing is perfect for a side salad or as a dip for your favorite veggies.  It only takes a few ingredients, most of which I would bet are in your kitchen already.  This is a treat for us because it isn't the healthiest way to dress a salad, but boy do we enjoy it when we have a fresh batch in the fridge.  :)

Ingredients

1 C mayo
1/2 C sour cream
1 tsp dried chives
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients into a bowl and whisk to combine.  Cover and chill at least 30 minutes before using.

Weekly Menu

Happy Monday and Happy Birthday to my Dad!  :)  I hope you all had a great weekend.  Did you do anything to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?  We spent the morning at Disneyland, but I made sure to have a little tequila in the afternoon.  You have to be festive, right?  We picked up SO MANY things at the farm for this week.  We have spinach, kale, romaine, Swiss chard, carrots, beets, sugar snap peas, broccoli, sweet Maui onion, zucchini, and strawberries.  Here is how we will be enjoying this delicious selection:

• Gardein Beef and Broccoli over Rice
• using the broccoli and sweet Maui onion

• Spinach and Cheese Ravioli with a Tomato Basil Cream Sauce, House Salad with Homemade Ranch, Baked Zucchini Fries, and Roasted Beets 
• using the romaine, carrots, zucchini, and beets

• Double Decker Mushroom Tacos with Mexican Roasted Chard
• using the chard, romaine, and sweet Maui onion

• I will be making smoothies using the spinach, kale, carrots, beets, and beet greens.  I will have the Massaged Kale Salad for lunches, sugar snap peas for snacks, and strawberries for dessert.