California Power Pomegranate Smoothie

After a relatively healthy 2013, the last few days of the year and the first few weeks of this year have been filled with "issues".  Everyone is currently as healthy as can be expected, but we've had hospital visits, rest home visits, veterinarian visits, along with twisted ankles and a few sniffles.  Hence, our eating habits have worked their way up to some of the healthiest we've ever enjoyed, and along with a lovely dose of California sunshine and a few of Dad's fresh from the tree oranges we're hoping to get everyone back on track.

Liv and her brother have always loved smoothies, but they have been known to be picky on occasion as they see me adding certain ingredients.  Both have different areas in their diet where they need a little boost, and as such I try to push those ingredients into smoothies.

But you should see the face of my nearly 18-year old boy as I reach for a handful of spinach to pop into his smoothie.  "No way!" he exclaims,  "I'm not drinking spinach in a smoothie!".  His face drops even further as I let him know I've been adding spinach to his smoothies since he was a baby and he never knew it.

Liv, on the other hand, pulled a face of her own as I dumped a few tablespoons of oatmeal into her sweet concoction.  "Seriously??  You're putting oatmeal into a drink?".  Yep... been doing that for years too.

So today we bring you our current favorite power smoothie... one filled with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and some fiber thrown in for good measure.  Here's hoping this beauty keeps you on the healthy track too.

Coconut Lime Detox Drink and a Caterpillar Invasion

From my morning Coconut Lime Detox drink to the brilliant green and orange caterpillars who have single handedly demolished my year old parsley plant, life here in San Diego has been all shades of green the last few days.

Parsley is an herb I use infrequently, hence I have (had) a gorgeous plant that has been left to grow somewhat untamed over the last year or so.  Needing a sprig or two the other day I sent Liv out to pick and moments later heard a not so happy yelp followed by, "Mom!!  Your parsley plant!!  It's been invaded!!!".

I have to preface this with the fact that Liv also has claimed tarantulas were crawling in her room one night, however what I found was a pencil eraser-sized, teeny tiny, spider on her screen... outside.  As such, I didn't really rush to her rescue regarding the invasion of my parsley plant.

In this case though, she was right.  An army of various sized green caterpillars, brilliantly marked with brilliant orange dots, has indeed invaded my parsley plant.   An internet search informed us that these beauties will become even more beautiful as they transform into Black Swallowtail Butterflies sometime in the near future.

I have no idea how long the caterpillars have been there, but we've been watching them closely over the last few days, and I'm positively amazed at the amount of parsley they are able eat.  Apparently they enjoy host plants in the carrot family, including carrots, dill, parsley, fennel and a few others.

Eggs laid by an adult female hatch into the caterpillars who take a few forms before entering the chrysalis stage, and my first hand experience tells me that they can eat an incredible amount of parsley as they grow.

Today one of our caterpillars seems to be entering that chrysalis stage, and we are eager to watch what happens!  I only hope we get so see one of the butterflies before they all fly away.  We'll keep the photos coming over the next few days/weeks.  

In the meantime, how about a lovely green detox drink?  Featuring some of my favorite flavors, lime and coconut, I'm joining Eat. Drink. Be Skinny's 30-Day Juice Challenge.  Teresa, a local San Diego Girl like me,  suggests substituting a nutritious juice or smoothie for one meal a day, which I can see valuably increasing the veggies and fruits that I'm sorely in need of.  Want to join me in the challenge?  Check out her Facebook page for more info.

Perusing the counter my fruit stock proved fairly low this morning, but a bowl of limes called to me.  Working with our Lemon and Kale Ice as a guide, coconut water became our base enhanced with freshly squeezed lime juice and a squeeze of lemon.  Spinach added the rich green color and a dash of pure maple syrup brought a delightful sweetness to balance the sour.

So, joining our hungry caterpillars, here's to a green start to the day... Enjoy!

Spinach Salad with Orange Vinaigrette and Prosciutto

As spring unfolds her wings here in San Diego my yard is stretching its chilly limbs towards the warming sun.  Rose bushes are bursting with new growth, bulbs are nearly ready to bloom, and my orange tree is sending off scents of heaven with its fresh, new blossoms.  We haven't, however, finished the sweet crop of oranges from last season and these beauties need to come off the tree.   As such, most of our meals of late include orange in some sort of fashion and this fresh, flavorful spinach salad has recently become a favorite.

Simply filled with baby spinach, oranges and onion, the salad is dressed with a bright orange vinaigrette that whips together in a flash.  Using fresh squeezed orange juice is always a treat, and combining balsamic, honey and garlic brings a sweet yet savory complement to the spinach.  Prosciutto sprinkled on top adds that salty "pow" that keeps you heading back for more and chopped fresh orange segments bring you right back to the bright sweetness.

From San Diego to you... Happy Spring!

Pasta with Prosciutto and Parmesan

Nothing says comfort like pasta, beautiful carb-loaded pasta.  As a teen, pasta was my ingredient of choice making its way into my meals nearly every day.  Drenched in tomatoes or a cheesy, creamy sauce, it didn't matter, just so long as the base was my beloved pasta.

As some of you may know though, entering your 40's causes the body to process ingredients, shall we say, differently.  Where I could eat pasta all day, every day (even tossing in a glorious side of butter drenched garlic bread) and not gain a pound in my 20's, that same load of carbs now tends to hang around my not so bikini ready middle.

As such, pasta and I have not remained as close as we once were.  Now an occasional treat in place of an everyday ingredient, I choose my pasta dishes with care.  But once in a while nothing will do other than a bowl full of fresh pasta simply adorned with cheese.  To make myself feel less guilty I add spinach, or sometimes mushrooms and sautéed onions to justify an extra scoop.

Whichever way you choose, sometimes beautiful Parmesan Pasta is just a necessary part of your day.

Secret Ingredient Mixed Berry Smoothie

For the last few weeks my life has been that of a Dance Mom.  Lucky for me, my Dance Mom world is unlike the popular reality show and fills my days with love and the most amazing support as all of us moms work together to get our girls on stage.

Hours have been spent applying glittery rhinestones, sewing elastic bands and embellishments on hats, shopping for the perfect color socks and hair pieces, and planning menus that will fuel the girls for their moments in the spotlight.

While shopping for and creating the costume items is indeed time consuming, I know the job will get done.  It's getting the proper foods into the girls that requires actual skill.  The intense rehearsals and competitions that these talented girls participate in place them firmly into the athlete category, and their bodies need to be fed as such.

As the girls come off the stage, moms can be heard coaxing water, fruits, and proteins.  Dehydration causes cramping and with the energy exerted the girls can quickly find themselves short on water and fuel.  However, Liv tells me that eating after just getting off the stage and getting ready to go right back on leaves her stomach a bit off, but sipping something seems to work well.

Our girls in action!

Enter the smoothie.  Care needs to be taken though, that the chosen smoothie is filled with healthy ingredients and not topped off with ice creams and/or refined sugars.  Hence we frequently make our own so we can control the ingredients.

With an invitation from DailyBuzz Food to try and review Ocean Spray's Diet Cranberry Juice coinciding with last weekend's Competition Showcase, I took the opportunity to bring a version of Ocean Spray's Mixed Berry Smoothie to the performance.  Cranberry has been a favorite of my kids since they were little, and with 1 cup bringing 100% of the recommended daily value for Vitamin C, it has earned a spot in our smoothie ingredient list, however the full juice version can pack a caloric punch.

Using the Diet version, Liv's smoothie brings fewer sugars, and filling in with protein filled, low fat vanilla bean yogurt and a rainbow of frozen mixed berries and mango even more vitamins are added to the mix.  Missing in my rainbow though was the color green.  But that was an easy fix!

Adding the spinach can be your little secret...

Long ago I discovered that my kids don't really care for green foods.  I'm not sure if it's the taste, or simply the color, but more often than not any green foods served on the plate stayed right there... on the plate.  However, sneaky mom that I am, I've tried angle after angle to get the green in and I've discovered that spinach in a smoothie is nearly undetectable if blended properly.  Adding a simple handful of organic baby spinach to a smoothie brings a multitude of vitamins and minerals including a decent dose of calcium which the bones in each of these strong dancers can use.

Packing our smoothie on ice did the trick for Liv's 12 hour dance-filled Sunday.  She sipped her fruits and spinach while chomping on a few almonds, and her energy-filled performance brought tears to my proud eyes.  Together with her teammates, the girls put on a dazzling show showcasing their skill and talent leaving us Dance Moms beaming with pride.
 

Liv's Power Frittata with Quinoa and Veggies

Sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing.  Like I mentioned in the last post, Liv secured a green food aversion from an early age, and it wasn't until the last year or so that she has entertained the thought that green veggies might actually taste good.

Dancing on her competitive team has her spending time with girls years older than she is.  Girls, who as they enter adolescence, tend to work on healthier diets as the teenage years tend bring hordes of "teenager" issues including acne and extra weight.  As such, many of these girls have been found snacking on broccoli and hummus, lunching on spinach salads topped with chicken, and filling breakfast omelets with zucchini.

Ever the picky eater, Liv made the comment, "Eeeww!  You really like spinach?", only once or twice before she discovered that, yes, many of her friends do eat green.  It was about that time that I snuck a handful of spinach into her smoothie without her noticing and then told her about it.  On our next car pool day I had her usual smoothie, and she made a point of asking in front of the other girls, "Mom, you did put the spinach in the smoothie... right?".

To which the other girls said, "Eeeww!  You put spinach in a smoothie?"

And her quick response sounding so grown up included, "Oh, yes... it so good for you and you can't even taste it!"

Since then she has become an olive oil and age white balsamic connoisseur (favoring the 35 year aged balsamic... I hope she gets a good job when she grows up!), a Ceasar Salad lover (with chicken preferably), and a veggie omelet requester.

Working hard last weekend on a Broadcasting Competition Project (some 20 hours in 3 days!), she found herself pretty darn exhausted and we concurred that today would be a nice day for her to be "sick" from school.  With our day filled with plans of cookie baking and caramel apple dipping, getting a healthy meal in first seemed to be a good idea.

Ever trying to get her to expand her food repertoire, today's surprise addition was quinoa - once again something she has not cared to try.  As we had more time on our day together, we decided a fritatta might be more fun than the usual veggie scramble, and she set to helping me chop onions, broccoli and her now favorite spinach.  Slipping about 1/2 a cup of cooked quinoa into the eggs, she didn't even notice.

She loved the triangle cut pieces in place of the usual scramble, and had at least 3 bites before she asked what those "little things" were in the fritatta.  "Quinoa, I told her.  It adds tons of protein and vitamins.  Believe it or not, it used to be called The Gold of the Incas, and has been around for 9,000 years, and it's actually a seed, though many people refer to it as a grain."

She nodded as she took another bite, then proceeded to clean her plate.  My girl is growing up.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata from Epicurious

Ahhh... eggs.  I think I could live on nearly eggs alone, however my heart would most likely not approve.  As such, I serve the organic, protein-rich food to my family in moderation and enjoy the additional health benefits including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and lutein along with a serving of whole grains and fruits and/or vegetables.  In the past eggs have been avoided due to cholesterol issues, however recent studies are now claiming that not only will the egg (in moderation) not increase most cholesterol levels, but it may actually help improve one's blood lipids profile.  With that info, I say, sign me up!

According to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, lutein is "best absorbed from the egg yolk - not lutein supplements or even spinach".  With a history of Macular Degeneration and cataracts in our family, I welcome the lutein-laden egg yolks and often try to pair them with additional lutein filled foods such as spinach with hopes of providing additional nutritional support to our precious eyes (and skin).  With such health benefits in these two foods, the pairing in Epicurious' Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata, by Golden Door executive chef Dean Rucker, was a match made in heaven.

With the kids at school and my husband on a day off from work I set to preparing a nice lunch for the two of us.  It was the photo of the frittatas on Epicurious, each in individual ramekins, that drew my lutein supported eye and shortly had me chopping onions, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach for our meal.  Easily put together with whole eggs as well as egg whites and then baked in the oven, these little individual (my husband called them cute) frittatas were a real step up for the plain PB&J.  Served with melons from the farmer's market and a slice of whole grain bread our bodies were fueled and ready for the after school chauffeur duties to begin.

Arugula Cucumber Salad

Someone throw me a life-vest!  Whew.... this last week has been one of "those" weeks.  You know, the one where you just can't seem to get a handle on things, where nothing goes as planned and no matter how hard you try you just can't seem to get it together.  Sleep deprivation, two sick pups, dishpan hands and hundreds of miles on the car have all combined to leave me very little time for myself and even less for cooking.  I haven't baked in over a week, and with a deep yearning for my whisk I feel a bit out of sorts.

A visit to the vet today will hopefully "plug" up the puppy issues with a round of antibiotics.  I've done more laundry in the last 5 days than I did when my kids were babies, thank goodness we opted for the larger washing machine when we replaced it a few years back!  That washer has been a trooper.

A quick note about Becky, from Baking and Cooking a Tale of Two Loves and her Online Bakesale which will be taking place on May 2nd.  Becky invited us to participate and we will be sending one lucky bidder a bottle of our homemade Limoncello along with a bag of our favorite Limoncello Lemon Biscotti and a few recipe cards.  The proceeds to the sale will all go to Becky's Relay for Life efforts benefiting the American Cancer Society.   Thanks Becky for your efforts in this event!!  (Time is still available if you would like to become a baker - simply contact Becky here)

Back to my busy week, my helpful husband offered to take over some of the kid activity driving this evening giving me a much needed opportunity to return to the kitchen and play with food.  Finding fresh salad ingredients in the fridge and remembering a recipe I'd seen in a Food Everyday Magazine from 2007 that I recently borrowed from my mom I adapted what I had on hand into a zesty yet simple salad.  Filled with spicy arugula (my new passion!) and spinach then cooled with cucumber, this vibrant salad is packed with Vitamins C, A and K bringing a healthy side to any meal.