Orange Lemon Drink - Bendtec - Vita Mix recipe

Quick recipe for a refreshing low cost alternative to sodas.

Orange Lemon Drink - Bendtec - Vita Mix recipe

1 - Lemon - pealed (I include the seeds and white part of fruit and the Blendtec blends them with ease.)

1 - Orange - pealed (I include the seeds and white part of fruit and the Blendtec blends them with ease.)

4 cups water

Organic Coconut Sugar to taste (not much is needed) - I used the 'blonde' version
Ice - 1/2 - 1 cup ice
Blend until liquid (On the Blendtec I used Juice Button)

This Orange Lemon Drink is very satisfying after a hot day in the sun and a low cost alternative to sodas and expensive energy drinks.  The Coconut Sugar is loaded with nutrients - from their website -
Coconut Sugar offers a rich nutritional content that includes magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, B vitamins, and amino acids (including glutamine). Coconut Sugar is also naturally free from allergens including gluten, is vegan, GMO-free, and Kosher certified.

Yams - great tasting recipe - Low cost great nutrients!

Do you want to add more vegetables to your diet, to your families diet or have pounds of yams left over from a recent sale at the grocery store with no idea what to do with them?

Yams - great tasting recipe

Quick great tasting recipe for yams or sweet potatoes


2-3 yams
handful of raisins and/or a few chopped dates or figs
Agave
Pure maple syrup
1 cup water or apple cider
cinnamon

Cut up the yams into small pieces and put them into a pot.  Add the raisins and cinnamon and pour the water or apple cider over the ingredients.  Add a tablespoon of maple syrup and one of agave.  Cook slowly until the yams are tender.  Carefully pour the ingredients into a Blentec, Vitamix, food processor, or blender able to handle the contents.  Blend until very smooth and serve hot or cold depending on your families likes.  I enjoy this tasty treat cold or hot and as a great mid day energy boost.  


A variation to this recipe is blend 2/3 of the yams and pour over the other 1/3 and serve as part of the main meal.  

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Fun Tasty Mango Smoothie

Another fun summer recipe that is easy and fast to make.

2 Champagne mangos - pealed and cut
1-2 strips of pineaple
2-4 apricots
1 cup almond milk or coconut water
1-2 cups ice
additional if needed for extra sweet
1 banana
Agave syrup or Stevia

You can use precut mango and pineapples to save time and aggravation.  Use enough almond milk or coconut water to make the smoothie as thick or thin as you enjoy your summer treat.  I like mine thicker but others enjoy a 'thin' smooth treat.  I like lots of ice to enhance the flavor and usually when I make mine, it borders on a sorbet looking and tasting desert.  I find that champagne mangos are better tasting but if you cannot find them, regular mangos are excellent too. 


Put them in order in your Vita-Mix or Blentec and this will make a tremendous summer drink.  Pour this mix into Popsicle holders or something similar for a quick treat. 

Summer veggie smoothie recipie

You might know that I have been a “health nut” for over three decades (actually over 35 years).  Since my late teens, I have studied and researched nutrition and other health related items.  In fact, we (my wife and I) became a Certified Nutritional Health Professional (CNHP) many years ago in an effort to learn more about health related subjects.  Although we do not practice as counselors, a few tips a few times per month might be in order.

Today’s tip is my favorite veggie smoothie.  We own both the Vita-Mix and Blentec.  Each has advantages over the other but either machine in their own right are outstanding and I recommend you buy the one that you feel comfortable with after testing.  It comes down to a few differences.  I compared both machines on a previous post.

Summer – Veggie – Smoothie

Put the ingredients in the container in the order listed:

1-2 Roma Tomatoes

Handful of grape or cherry tomatoes

1-2 Stalks of celery

Handful of ‘baby’ carrots or 1 large carrot

3 small peppers (orange, red, and/or yellow) include the seeds

Baby spinach (as much as you can fit :-D)

Tex-Mex or South West spice to taste

1 Cup water

1 cup ice

If you want a different taste or do not like Tex Mex spices, try a vegetable bullion cube or use a spice combination that you enjoy.  I like lots of flavor but you might want to add an Italian spice.

If you are using the Blentec, use the juice setting.  If it isn’t smooth enough after blending then select smoothie after the juice cycle finishes.  Vita-Mix users, start on the slow then slowly increases to the highest speed.  Taste and share (maybe :-D).

If you want your veggie drinks to have more tomato taste then add more tomatoes, if you like more green, then add more spinach.  

For a different flavor and more kick, add a dash of hot pepper or small jalapeño. 

This is a tremendous drink for any meal.  This is similar to the warm you up soup version which I will share at a different date.

Enjoy!