Very Berry Protein Smoothie (serves 1)

1 cup mixed berries
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or whole milk yogurt
2 tbsp hemp protein powder or ground flax seeds
1/2 packet stevia or a drizzle of maple syrup
5 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender, turn it on high and blend until smooth.

Berries are in season now so visit your farmer’s market to see what is fresh.  This smoothie makes a great breakfast drink for on the go or a fun treat for a late afternoon snack.   Be adventuresome and use different types of nut milks or sweeteners.  A dash of vanilla extract would be tasty too!

Recipe adapted from http://www.choosingraw.com/. This is a great raw food/vegan website with simple, healthy recipes.

Strawberry Rhubarb Soda

1 ½ cups chopped rhubarb
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
½ cup pureed fresh strawberries
Sparkling water

To make the syrup, bring rhubarb and water to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.  Stir in sugar, honey and strawberries, cooking until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Strain the syrup into a jar.  Add desired amount of syrup to sparkling water.  Serve over ice, with a squeeze of lemon.

Recipe from onebyonebyone.blogspot.com – Amanda Greco Holmes

Peach Infused Sun Tea

4 cups cold water
4 bags black tea or decaf tea of your choice
3-4 ripe peaches for peach nectar
Plenty of ice cubes
Extra peaches peeled, pitted, and sliced, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish

For Sun Tea:
Fill a large glass jar with four cups of water and add four tea bags then put on the lid. Place in a sunny spot outside for about 2-3 hours until the water turns a “tea” color.

For Brewed Tea:
Bring four cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add four tea bags, cover, and steep for 5 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.

Peach Nectar:
Peel and slice 3-4 ripe peaches and place in a blender or Cuisinart to blend. Add nectar mixture to the tea, stir and pour into a pitcher through a fine colander or cheesecloth.

Serving:
Serve tea in ice filled glasses garnished with peach slices and a sprig of mint.  


*Recipe provided by Katherine Sumner of Pure and Simple Health. www.pureandsimplehealth.org.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

½ gallon of apple cider
1” knob of fresh ginger
1 whole lemon cut in quarters
1 whole orange, cut in quarters
1 or 2 (2”) cinnamon sticks
Pinch of allspice
5 whole cloves

Combine ingredients in a non-aluminum saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Strain mixture and serve in hot mugs. Or place in a large punch bowl if having a party!

Notes:  you can substitute apple juice or the apple cider.  Organic apple juice or cider would be preferable.  Apples are a highly sprayed fruit.

Recipe from cooks.com

Ginger Mint Limonade

3 to 4 tablespoons honey (or to sweetness you prefer)
½ cup fresh mint leaves
1 cup lime/lemon juice (I did mostly lime with the juice of one lemon)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 cups water
Ice 

Mix above ingredients together in a large glass container.
Fill your serving glasses with ice and a few mint leaves. Add limonade and enjoy!

Notes:  I like to let this sit for a bit to intensify the ginger and mint flavors. However, the mint will turn black if left too long.  I usually scoop it out and add fresh mint to the glass before serving. 

Recipe from: thetastyalternative.com

Green Juice

1 medium-large cucumber (don’t peel it if it’s organic)
2-3 stalks celery
1 – 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach
1 broccoli stem (if you have it – save them for juicing!)
1 green apple
1 knob of fresh ginger (no need to peel it)

This is my favorite combination; however, I add or change things as I have them.  Sometimes I’ll add some fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley or use kale or romaine lettuce in place of the spinach.  I save broccoli stems since they are delicious in green juices and I love that I’m not wasting them!  I also save the tops of celery (the leaves) to juice along with the stalks.  Green apple is my favorite for juicing but sometimes I’ll use a pear.  Juicing is also a good way to use really large and seedy cucumbers.  We get some big cucumbers with our CSA later in the summer and they aren’t my favorite for salads or eating (I prefer them small & tender) but they make great juice!  Keep in mind that the herbs and the ginger can be really potent so don’t use too much or they will overwhelm your juice.

Cinnamon Nutmeg Cafe au Lait

8 oz cold milk (or milk alternative like almond or coconut milk)
1 rounded teaspoon of Dandy Blend (can use more if you want it stronger)
sprinkle of cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg
sweeten to taste (coconut sugar)
dash of vanilla extract (optional)

Whisk everything together in a small saucepan and heat gently over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and hot but not boiling. Makes 1 serving.

To make a Cafe Mocha - follow the instructions above but add 1-2 teaspoons of cocoa or carob powder and adjust sweetener. 

Notes:  If using coconut milk use ½ cup of full-fat coconut milk and ½ cup of water.  Start with 1 rounded teaspoon of the Dandy Blend and increase amount per taste.  Coconut sugar works well as a sweetener but honey or maple syrup are fine substitutes, although they might alter the “coffee” taste a bit.

Dandy Blend is an instant herbal beverage made with extracts of roasted barely, rye, chicory root, dandelion root and sugar beet.  It's caffeine free, has no acidity or bitterness and they claim that all the gluten from the barley and rye is eliminated in the extracting process so it can be labeled gluten-free.

 http://www.dandyblend.com/

Almond Milk

1 cup raw almonds, soaked 8 hours or overnight
4 cups filtered water
maple syrup or raw honey, to taste (optional)
pinch of sea salt 
a splash of vanilla and/or almond extract (optional)

In a Vita-Mix or high-speed blender, blend the nuts and water on high speed for about two minutes.  Make sure the nuts are thoroughly blended. Strain the milk through a nut milk bag or multiple layers of cheesecloth.  Rinse the blender cup and place the strained milk back in it with the remaining ingredients.  Blend to combine thoroughly and taste for sweetness.

Recipe adapted from Raw Food/Real World by arma Melngailis, owner of Pure Food & Wine in NYC. http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/

Try this recipe using different nuts.  Almond milk is my favorite and I think the most versatile, but I also love cashew milk, especially for smoothies.  You can use almond milk as a substitute for milk in many recipes, to make hot cocoa, to pour over granola, etc.  It’s great for people with a dairy intolerance!

Nut milk bags can be purchased at a kitchen supply store or on-line.  http://www.naturalzing.com/ has them.