How To: Homemade Green Juice Take 2!

In March I showed you how to make green juice with just a blender,
but since then I've acquired a pretty awesome juicer,
so today I'm going to show you how I make green juice with that!

While this method is a quicker process for making juice,
you don't really have the option of keeping the fiber in.
And you probably don't want to eat the pulp - but could compost it.

Now let's get to the juice making...

The Goods:

Kale

Spinach

Romaine

Apples

Lemons

Limes

Kiwi

Ginger

Get all your ingredients prepped before to make the process quicker.

My awesome Breville Juice Fountain set up and ready to go!

If you want to get the most out of your greens,

you have to layer your fruit and greens alternatively.

Once filled to the top, press down with the food pusher...

And watch your juice fill up the pitcher!

Keep filling up and juice the fruit...

Until your pitcher is full

(or all your fruit is juiced).

Mmmmmmmmmmmm foamy, delicious green juice!

Pour into a glass, add a cute paper straw and enjoy!!!

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How To: Homemade Green Juice

I'm a BIG fan of green juices,

but I'm not a fan of paying 7+ dollars for one.

Yes, I do so from time to time because it's easy,

but it's just as easy to make one at home if you plan ahead!

And since it's so easy, I figured I'd show you how to do it yourself today!

I've used both a blender and a juicer to make green juice,

but today I'm showing you how to use your blender.

You can use whatever fruits and vegetables you'd like,

but below is one of my FAVORITE green juices to date!

The Goods:

Kale

Romaine

Parsley

Green Apple

Pear

Kiwi

Ginger

Orange

Lemon

Lime

Squeeze your citrus juices, then add all the other ingredients to the blender.

I use the liquefy setting on my blender, because I want it as smooth as possible.

You can add a little water or some ice to thin it out if needed.

Once blended, you can either drink as is and get a TON of fiber...

Or you can use a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid from the pulp.

I just use a rubber spatula to help push the juices through.

And you're left with a delicious and refreshing glass of green juice!

And of course a TON of fiber that you can toss or use in a compost!

That's it folks!

Super easy.

Super yummy.

Super good for ya!

Homemade Soup: Vegetable Soup!

Now that it's practically Summer, it's pretty warm out

so I doubt many of you are in the mood for some soup.

That's a shame because I recently made an AMAZING Vegetable Soup.

I researched recipes online for awhile and I didn't find anything I loved.

So, I combined two recipes (here and here) and sorta just did my own thing!

So take a look below at how I made my Homemade Vegetable Soup.

The Goods:

Frozen Lima Beans 

Frozen Corn 

Frozen Peas 

Spinach 

Garlic 

Onion 

Leeks 

Broccoli 

Green Bean 

Carrots 

Tomatoes 

Potatoes 

Parsley 

Salt 

Pepper 

Vegetable Broth

Chop and measure everything out.

Cook the leeks, onion and garlic.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the potatoes, carrots, green beans and broccoli.

Season with salt and pepper again!

Cook for three or so minutes.

Add the broth.

Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes, corn, peas and lima beans.

Stir and then add the spinach and stir again!

Season with salt and pepper once more!!!

It made A LOT!!

It was so light and delicious.

And I cannot wait to make it again!!

If soup isn't your thing during the Spring and Summer, 

remember this recipe and make it when you are in the mood for soup! 

Quinoa Spinach Patties

I ran across this recipe awhile ago, and made it not too long after. 

I really liked them, but forgot all about them...that is until recently! 

Once I remembered them, 

I knew I wanted to make them as soon as possible and blog about them to share their deliciousness! 

And you know what? 

They were even better than I remembered them being and I seriously cannot wait to make them again! 

I love to eat them alone, but they're super tasty in a salad or with a fried or poached egg!

Oh and the best part - they are SUPER easy to make. 

I only make a half a batch, which is more than enough for myself.

Now take a look for yourself and then go make them!!

The Goods:

Uncooked Quinoa

Water

Eggs

Parmesan Cheese

Green Onions

Garlic

Salt

Spinach

Panko Breadcrumbs

Olive Oil

 Cook the quinoa according to package directions.

Add the cooked quinoa to everything else but the olive oil.

Form the patties and fry in the olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes per side. 

Cool slightly on paper towel lined plate.

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 30

For my 30th Sunday Night Dinner post, I made something SO tasty and it's something I haven't made in a very long time. In fact, I've never made this exact version either! My friend Alison got to be a taste tester and I think she went home full and happy! 

So what did I make? 

LASAGNA!!!

Kale, Spinach and Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups to be exact! 

And I served them with a spring mix salad and fresh garlic bread. 

I was very happy with the outcome and will absolutely be making these again in the future. And this time I won't wait as long to make them again! In fact - this would make an excellent dish this Fall and I seriously CANNOT wait for it to get here. C'mon Fall!!!

Note: I used this recipe and used Kale, Spinach and Zucchini instead of the Prosciutto. I'm sure either would be fine, but this was all veggie and still incredibly delicious! 

Sunday Night Dinner: Take 19

I missed a few weeks - but I'm back with a Sunday Night Dinner post! And the wait was worth it because this dinner was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

I recently came across a chicken piccata recipe that I found and saved awhile ago, but never made. I decided I wanted chicken piccata for dinner tonight so I made it and boy was I glad I did! I served it with some buttered herbed pasta, roasted garlic broccoli and a little sauteed fresh spinach. The chicken was amazing, but everything together was just perfect! I think I'll make it again, but add a little fresh garlic to the lemon sauce. That's really the ONLY way this could get better!!!

Tortilla Roll Up: Veggies and Cheese!

One of my favorite go to meals recently is a simple tortilla roll up. I put pretty much whatever I have in my fridge and pantry in the tortilla, roll it up and enjoy. It's SO simple, SO tasty and SO convenient - you can even eat it on the go!

Like I said, what I put inside varies and really depends on what I have at the time. It almost always includes a bunch of yummy fresh veggies though and you really can't have too much of that!

Here's an example of one of my recent tortilla roll ups that was simply delicious!

The Goods:

Tortilla

Hummus

Cheese

Kidney Beans

Spinach

Radish Sprouts

Heirloom Tomato

Grab a tortilla...

And spread hummus ALLLLLL over it!

Add some cheese...

And some kidney beans too!

Don't forget all the yummy veggies!

Then roll it up like a burrito!

Take a bite and ENJOY!!!

Giant Salads for Lunch

I've always taken my lunch to work, but it wasn't until recently that I started making giant salad almost every day of the work week. Over the weekend I get and prep everything I'll need for the salads. It changes every week, but is usually pretty similar. I bring everything in little containers and assemble it in the office kitchen. This is a great lunch that is quite healthy and never fails to fill me up!

Start with lettuce - spring mix in this case.

Add some roasted potatoes. 

And a lil bit of roasted broccoli. 

Throw in some cherry tomatoes.

And some fresh corn off the cob!

Now some freshly roasted beets.

And don't forget those cucumbers!

Toss it alllll up with dressing of your choice.

I used a yogurt bleu cheese. 

YUM! YUM! YUM!

I can't wait for lunches this week to eat more tasty salads. 

Slow Cooked Spinach & Artichoke Dip

I've loved Spinach and Artichoke dip since the first time I tried it. 

I've had it prepared many different ways, but until recently I had only made a baked version of it one or two times. I knew you could make it in a slow cooker - I'd HAD it cooked in one before, but until a few weeks ago I had never really thought to do it. That is until I had tons of spinach I needed to use up!

So I took the spinach I needed to use up, cooked it and added it to a few other ingredients to make a tasty dip!

Here's What You'll Need...

Slow Cooker and Slow Cooker Liner

The Ingredients!

4 Cups Fresh (Or 2 Cups Frozen) Spinach

1 Can (14 ounces) quartered Artichoke Hearts, drained and chipped

1/2 Cup Alfredo Pasta Sauce

1/2 Non Fat Plain Yogurt

3/4 Teaspoon Garlic Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1 Cup Shredded Jack Cheese

And here's the VERY EASY process:

Put Spinach in BIG pot/pan with a tiny amount of water.

Cook over low heat until wilted.

Drain and squeeze out excess water.

Add spinach to remaining ingredients.

Put in slow cooker and cook over low heat for 1 to 2 hours.

ENJOY!

This could easily be doubled or even tripled and made for multiple people to enjoy at something like a Super Bowl or 4th of July Party.