Green Smoothie That Even the Kids Love!

Olivia will eat anything...except things she can't chew or has a hard time swallowing. Greens are something that tend to make her cough and sputter. In this yummy smoothie though they go right down!
These are the directions for use with a magic bullet which makes one serving. If you are using a regular blender double or triple the recipe accordingly.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup to 3/4 of a cup of the Milk of your choice. I used chocolate almond milk
Handful of organic spinach
1/8 cup of organic frozen or fresh berries
1/8 to 1/4 of a cup of frozen or fresh strawberries
2 Tablespoons of organic creamy peanut butter

Place everything in blender and blend! Serve.

 Had to filter out the chunks for one of the sippy cups, the other one I didn't.! They drank it right up, well so did I!(0:

Hosting a Budget Friendly Organic Party

My sister is getting married in a month!!! I am so excited. She is marrying one of my husband's best friends. This coming Sunday my cousin and I are hosting a household/kitchen shower. Eating healthy and organic have become such a part of me that it doesn't even occur to me to "skimp" on the organics at a party. So how do you host a party for 30 people on a budget and serve healthy organic homemade food?

1. First take an inventory of your pantry staples. For the shower we noted I have an abundance of quinoa, brown rice pasta, coffee, garbanzo beans, tea and fresh veggies every week. This had a huge influence on our menu of choice.
2. Second use china dishes, real napkins, real cups, mugs and tea cups. I have been collecting enough china and silverware for parties since we got married.
3. Third  instead of separate gifts and decorations for the party game winners, the decorations are the gifts! I won't say what or I will be giving away too much of the upcoming party!
4. Fourth make practically everything from scratch (as you can see I am buying the cake and my mom is bringing cupcakes)

Here is the menu Elizabeth and I have planned:

•  Chicken brown rice pasta dish
•  quinoa tabouli salad ( a PCC recipe)
•  organic coffee and tea
• a veggie platter with homemade hummus
• pea salad (peas bought at Costco in the frozen section)
• Strawberry Lemon Soda Punch (ingredients will be purchased at Trader Joe's)
• Splurge is an organic coconut cake from PCC and Cupcakes from Bite me in Snohomish

We are looking forward to a lovely day celebrating my little sister. I can't wait to see everyone there!

Flowers done by Bloom Bridal Designs

Recipe Garlic Roasted Organic Salsa

This week I had a hankering for home made salsa. I have made it in the past but used canned tomatoes, and canned rotel. In the past eight months I have lost my taste for items not canned at home, due to the BPA  lining in cans and their factory processing. I viewed multiple recipes for salsa on the web. This is the result of taking ideas from multiple recipes at allrecipes.com. My homemade organic roasted salsa. It is yummy and very garlicky!First Step...occupy baby!

Ingredients: 

12 medium size tomatoes, halved ( I used organic "on the vine" tomatoes from Fred Meyers)

6 cloves of garlic peeled

1 medium organic yellow onion, quartered

3 fresh jalepeno peppers, cut in half lengthwise (this makes medium salsa. For mild use 1 or 2. For spicy 4 or 5)

1/4 cup of olive oil for drizzling

2 tsp of cumin, ground

1 juice from whole lime

1 cup of fresh diced cilantro

salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 450. Place tomatoes and other vegetables in pans cut as directed above. Drizzle with olive oil, and a few shakes of pepper
 

Place in oven on middle rack. Roast until the edges of the vegetables start to blacken. Remove from oven and let cool. (Takes approx 20-25 minutes)

After vegetables have cooled to warm place them and the following in your blender/ food processor, cumin, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until desired consistency.

Place in container in fridge to cool completly. Serve with tortilla chips. Warning. Lots of garlic taste!

The accountant loved the salsa and has expressed his desire for more of the same.