Peachy Keen

If I had my little way, I'd eat peaches every day

FTC Affiliate Disclosure
Here we are smack in the heat of Summer, and for a lot of us, that means peach season ... Millions of peaches, peaches for me ... So how about cooling down with a little 'shake recipe?  Singing not required, but enthusiastically encouraged.

 

 

 

Peach Cobbler Smoothie

Here's what you need:
10 oz Peaches, frozen
2 Kiwifruits, peeled
1/2 Lime, juiced
1" Ginger knob, grated
3-4 Bananas, frozen + pre-chunked
Mango, frozen - fill remaining space in your blender
1/4 Cup Pure organic Maple syrup (or preferred sweetener)
1/2 Cup Full-fat canned coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1/2 Cup Water 

Here's what you do:
If you've been here before, you know the drill ... Dump everything into a 72 oz blender (I use this one), and blend the hell out of it!  If you prefer more of an ice cream texture, blend low & slow, with less liquid (adding as required), and remember you may have to scrape the sides of the pitcher a few times throughout.  Also, if you're using frozen bananas, don't forget to peel them, and break them into chunks before freezing ahead of time.  

Need more refreshments?  Go here!

Stay cool, Lovers!
xoxo

Image provided by The Graphics Fairy

Might Not Know It Now...

Baby, But I Are!

FTC Affiliate Disclosure
I haven't shared a recipe in a while, and with the Northern Hemisphere being in the full swing of Summer, I figured some refreshments were, maybe a bit, overdue.  

If You Like Piña Coladas

In my neck of the woods, there has been a steady Summer rain falling for the entirety of this balmy National Piña Colada Day, and I can't help but think, somewhere, Rupert Holmes is very pleased.  With that, I give you my personal piña colada smoothie recipe —

Here's what you need:

4 Cups frozen pineapple chunks

3-6 bananas chunked & frozen

1 Cup full-fat canned coconut milk

1 Cup filtered water

1/4 Cup pure, organic maple syrup

1/2 lime juiced

1" knob grated ginger root

1Tablespoon unsweetened organic shredded coconut

Here's what you do:
In a 72 oz sturdy blender place pineapple chunks around the bottom, and fill the pitcher the rest of the way with pieces of frozen banana (Tip: when you freeze bananas you'll want to peel them, and chunk or cut them up first, then bag and freeze).  Throw in the rest of your ingredients, and blend the hell out of it (you may need to stop a few times in order to scrape the sides of your blender's pitcher).  That's it!  If you'd like to enjoy this as a dairy-free "nice cream" option, transfer your mixture to a freezer-safe container, and freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

This is an incredibly easy, but delicious, and festive concoction to have at Summer gatherings, and is a perfect alcohol-free option that can accommodate a good swath of guests, and their needs without singling folks out, and excluding them from the fare.

Happy sipping!

Chilling Out

Or is that thawing out?  Well, if it's March in the PNW it's both, and everything in between, which inspired my latest batch of chia seed pudding.

Part One

Here's what you need:
3T dried peppermint leaves
2 c boiling water
Here's what you do:
Combine, and steep until cool.
Part Two
Here's what you need:
2 c full-fat coconut milk
2 c peppermint tea (above)
3/4 c coconut shreds
1/2 c chia seeds
2 1/2 T pure, organic maple syrup
1 tsp organic vanilla extract
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Here's what you do:
If using canned coconut milk, empty 2 cans into a small dish or glass measuring cup, and whisk to ensure the milk has not separated due to cool temperatures.  Once smooth, combine 2 cups of coconut milk with 1 cup peppermint tea, and shredded coconut in a blender, and whip on high until the mixture is fully incorporated.  Pour back into your glass measuring cup, and set aside.

In your newly freed up blender, pour in the other cup of peppermint tea, and add maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.  Mix until fully incorporated, and empty into a large mixing bowl, whisk in chia seeds, pour in coconut milk, and whisk once more.  Cover and place in the refrigerator for an hour (or overnight).  After the mixture is chilled, and all set up, whisk by hand one more time before spooning into dishes.  Serve immediately.

What I love about this treat aside from how fast it is to make (aside from the chilling part) is how it combines the warming flavors of summer like coconut, and vanilla with a whisper of winter with peppermint lingering in the background.  This is not a recipe that screams "PePpeRmInt!" It's delicate, and refreshing, and what's even better is that it can be frozen into a "nicecream" form if you prefer that texture to the more custard-like state of chia seed pudding.

Bon appétit!

Merry & Bright

As the year winds down, it seems we are bombarded with pumpkin or peppermint everything, and the hotter the better!  So, for anyone (like me) needing a recipe for something bright, crisp tasting, and a little bit different...

Here's what you need:

(All fruit is frozen) 

• Bananas 3
• Cranberries 2 cups
• Mango Chunks 3 cups
• Raspberries 2 cups
• Ginger Root 1" knob, grated
• Shredded Coconut 1 Tbsp (+ extra for garnish)
• Full-Fat Organic Canned Coconut Milk 2/3 cups
• Pure Organic Maple Syrup 1/4 cup
• Water 1 cup

Here's what you do:
Throw everything in a large blender, and blend the hell out of it.  Pour, sprinkle with a pinch of extra coconut shreds, serve & enjoy!

When using all frozen fruit like I am, you may need to give your blender intermittent rests, and add a little more water.  If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more water, or use fresh bananas rather than frozen.

This recipe makes about 64 ounces.

Currant Affair

Summer is more than simply winding down in my neck of the woods.  In the span of a week I've gone from nauseating heat + socked-in smoke filled Puget Sound from the BC fires to bundling up in my amazing technicolor dream-sweatsuit.  And that can only mean one thing: Baking season has arrived!

So Mushroom in My Heart for You

Used medicinally for centuries, Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) are finding a renewed popularity among the gardening, fungi, and natural health set, and if it lives up to the hype, it's little wonder why!

What began as a random, cryptic text from my brother, the hobbyist-forager, bringing a local, family-owned, fungi-cultivating company (Fungi Perfecti) to my attention, ended with me ordering, and growing several of my own patches.  After some trials, and a few errors on my end of things, I had my first harvest!  The search was on!  I needed to find something to do with my newly acquired Antler Reishi, or Rokkaku-Reishi Mushrooms, and since they're incredibly difficult to grind into a powder without the help of industrial equipment (just ask my poor food processor!) I decided a hot beverage would be the best way to put them to use.  Without further ado...

Reishi "Tea"

Here's what you need:
4 cups Water
2 heaping Tablespoons of Antler Reishi Mushroom.  You want to keep the ratio as 4-5 cups of water to 3-5 grams of mushroom.

Here's what you do:
In an uncoated, or enamel pot, combine 4 cups of water with mushroom chunks and heat to just below boiling.  Reduce heat and cover, making sure to keep your liquid below a simmer.  Steep for 2-4 hours.

Now that you've got your Reishi Tea prepared you can either continue with the recipe, or strain, bottle, and refrigerate the liquid until you are ready to use it.

Mushroom FoMo (faux-mocha) Latte

Here's what you need:

6 whole Cloves
6 pods Cardamom
1/4 tsp ground Allspice
1/4 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground Ginger
4 tsp powdered Chicory
4 Tbsp powdered Carob
4 Tbsp pure, organic Maple Syrup
2 cups full-fat, organic, canned Coconut Milk

Here's what you do:

If you've stored your Reishi Tea, warm it up in an uncoated or enamel pot, if you're continuing without pause from the previous steps add clove, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, and steep on very low heat for 20 minutes.  Strain, and in your 4 cups of liquid stir in 4 Tbsp of powdered Carob, and 4 tsp of powdered Chicory until dissolved, and 4 Tbsp pure, organic Maple Syrup (or Honey), adding 2 cups of room temperature full-fat, organic, canned Coconut Milk at the end.  Serve, sprinkle with nutmeg, and enjoy!

What I've learned:
If you're growing your own Antler Reishi Mushrooms try to break them or cut them up closer to harvesting them.  I thought I'd dry them out, and they'd just grind right up, instead they hardened to a wood-like state, and scratched the hell out of my food processor, which means extra careful cleaning after each use from now on, since food particles hiding in deep grooves in cookware is a great place for foodborne illnesses to get their start in life!  Those of you with counter top grain mills may have better luck in this area than I did.  When making the Mushroom FoMo Latte, I pop the cardamom pods before throwing them in the pot to steep.  I don't go so far as to dig out all the little seeds, I just give them a good crack, and toss them in.  If you want to get fancy, and top your beverage off with a dollop of whipped coconut cream, check out this post at Tasty Yummies for instructions, and a handy little index for which brands whip up the best.

Berried in Bliss

Here's what you need:

• Ice cubes 6-8
• Bananas 4
• Blackberries (frozen) 2 cups
• Raspberries (frozen) 1 cup 
• Ginger Root 1" knob, grated
• Açaí Powder 1 teaspoon
• Carob Powder 1 tablespoon
• Shredded Coconut 2 tablespoons
• Full-Fat Organic Canned Coconut Milk 2/3 cup
• Pure Organic Maple Syrup 1/4 cup
• Water 1 cup

Here's what you do:
Throw everything in a large blender (ice in first!), and blend the hell out of it.  Pour, sprinkle with a pinch of extra coconut shreds, serve & enjoy!  Remember, if you like a thicker consistency, peel, break into chunks, and freeze your bananas first (I like to keep a bag of them on hand for when the mood strikes).

When February rolls around, it seems, we're bombarded with decadent desserts, and chocolate everything at every turn.  For those of us who can't participate in the month long cacao-love-in, I've created a faux-chocolate treat we can spoil ourselves with.  Make a batch for you and your sweetheart, and help them warm up afterwards!

xoxo

Still Waiting for the Out Like a Lamb Part...

*Looks outside* 

Well here we are in April (already?) and for all you faithful readers I regret to inform you I'm still waiting for my monthly prank call from my mother - she didn't even leave me any instant messenger bombs!- if nothing happens in the next couple of hours I'll have to file a missing persons report. 

I figure today's as good as any to share a couple of recipes.  Yay you!  Ok, so you're looking at the picture and asking, "Girl, do you really drink your breakfast from a champagne flute with a heart shaped fun-straw, and eat strawberries from a crystal bowl all served on a little silver platter?"  Not every breakfast.  Thing is, my 7/11 big gulp cup with a female wrestler on it didn't exactly visually translate.  I do, however, make a fruit smoothie most days for my breakfast, and not one of those icky ones with wacky junk that tastes like it should be served in a feed bag.  No dear, mine taste like they could be served at a beach resort, and if you close your eyes you can almost make out the faint tinkling of a friendly little steel drum.  The point, while it may not be drink your breakfast from a champagne flute, is most definitely to take a moment to spoil yourself, and do special things to make your day a little more magical.  Besides, who doesn't want an excuse to sing about putting limes in coconuts?  So, get out your blender - here we go!