Apple Carrot Juice

I got a juicer for my birthday last month and haven't always had time to try some delicious juice recipes. Sometimes simple is best though. My Dad and sister can't drink apple juice from the store because of the preservatives and the processing it's gone through, however, the real, fresh stuff they CAN! 

I can understand why too... it tastes so fresh. There's something about juicing your own fruit and veggies. I used to just add them into our Vitamix, blend them up with a little water and strain the pulp to make juice. This works just as well, but when you have a legit juicer on hand... it's even easier!

There's something about apple and carrot together. I can find fresh apple juice a little too sweet, so adding carrot is a nice way to tone it down and add a pretty orange colour :) Try this simple, delicious and refreshing juice to remind you of those summer days that are just around the corner. Or so I keep telling myself...

Apple Carrot Juice (serves ~ 1 - 4)

5 - 6 apples
2 carrots

Juice away (on the higher setting)! Serve cold or over ice.. yum :)

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

This morning I woke up, just craving a banana blueberry smoothie. Sometimes all you need is a couple ingredients in the blender to make something delicious. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a complicated recipe... but it was one I wanted to share.

I made a lot of smoothie, but if you were pairing this with something else for breakfast I would go by the recipe below. Just double or triple if you're serving more than yourself! Or want to drink more of this awesome smoothie....

Blueberry Banana Smoothie (serves ~ 1 - 2)

2 bananas
2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 - 2 cups of almond milk (depending on how thick you like it)
Cinnamon to taste

Blend! If you aren't using any frozen fruit, add in a couple ice cubes to keep it cool. Enjoy :)

Almond Coconut Granola

Last month I made a nutty chocolate granola that I baked at a temperature that was.... too toasty. It ended up a little crisp but I finished it off. This time, I wanted to make something with the leftover almond pulp I had from making almond milk last weekend.

I found a recipe and made a few substitutions and came up with this brilliant and golden GRANOLA!

Almond Coconut Granola (serves many :)

2 cups almond pulp
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 tbsp honey
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup slivered almonds
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp cinnamon

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, mix thoroughly and then combine with the wet. Mix until well combined and then lay on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 300F for 20 - 25 minutes - until golden!

**If your almond pulp isn't exactly dry, throw it on the baking sheet first and bake for about 10 minutes until slightly toasted and drier.

Serve by itself as a snack, or with almond milk and fruit for breakfast :)

Simple Mango Smoothie

All week I've had this craving for mango. Luckily we were able to buy some frozen in bulk. Naturally the first thing I do is throw it in a smoothie. A delicious smoothie.

I honestly just would have thawed it and eaten it as is, but I thought blending it with another simple ingredient would be just as good. That ingredient is..... coconut milk! If you want a tropical feel to your smoothies I suggest adding coconut milk. And who doesn't want that in the middle of a cold, snowy winter?

Yes I had this whole thing to myself (boy was it good) but it was a whole meal for me :)

Simple Mango Smoothie (serves ~ 1 - 3)

4 cups of frozen mango chunks
1 cup light coconut milk
2 cups cold water (add more if it isn't blending smoothly)

Blend with a high speed blender, making sure everything is fully combined and serve immediately!

Winter Roasted Vegetables

I was going to a friend's Christmas dinner and was asked to bring a vegetable or starch. To this I answered BOTH! I really wanted to make a roasted potato wedge recipe, as well as something else. I realized I had never roasted broccoli before and decided today was the day to change that.

Garlic Roasted Potato Wedges (serves ~ 6 - 8)

4 - 6 white potatoes
3 - 4 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Cut the potatoes into wedges and place in a mixing bowl.

Add all listed ingredients and mix well until all slices are coated evenly.

Lay the wedges evenly on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Roast for 35 - 45 minutes or until just browned. Serve immediately!


The next recipe was surprisingly delicious and the flavours complimented each other quite well. This will not be the last time I roast broccoli!

Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli (serves ~ 8)

2 large heads of broccoli, chopped into bite sized pieces
5 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic
3 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine broccoli, oil, basil and garlic in a bowl and toss. Lay on a cookie sheet (lined with parchment paper or foil). Roast for 20 - 25 minutes. After removing from oven sprinkle or toss in the lemon juice, zest and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately!

DIY Almond Butter

I've always wondered how easy it was to make your own almond butter. As I suspected, it was as easy as food processing a bunch of almonds! With a bit of smooshing of course...

We normally roast our almonds, so this wasn't technically raw, but you could definitely use raw almonds.

I used about 3 cups of almonds which yielded almost one full mason jar of butter.

I used the only blade we own which is an S-shaped blade. When you first begin processing it will be quite loud, however as the nuts are ground smaller it will reduce significantly. At first it will form almond meal, or almond flour. As the oils are released it will start to clump and form larger chunks.

Continue to use a spatula every few minutes along the sides to make sure everything is well combined.

Eventually (5 or 10 minutes later) it will become a smooth butter consistency. HOORAY! At this point you could add in spices like cinnamon, vanilla or cocoa powder and continue to blend for a few more minutes.

Pour into a glass jar and store in the fridge. Use in desserts, on toast or just with a simple banana for a great snack :) Almonds are less acidic than peanuts, which make them an interesting nut and more alkalizing for your body!

Classic Green Smoothie

In the past I have tried several green smoothie recipes (most of which were developed in my head) and none of them really blew me away.  I was always trying to just add greens into a smoothie I already knew I'd enjoy, and something about that just wasn't right.

Last night I YouTubed "Best Green Smoothie" and learned quite a bit.  Of course there are greens, but the fruit you choose is quite important.  A very ripe banana or pineapple will add enough sweetness to counteract the bitterness of the greens -  making it more palatable! 

I decided it was time to finally master a green smoothie. 

And it turned out GREAT! Way better than I had expected.  It tastes sweet, with a hint of greens, and the aftertaste is not bitter because of the banana.  I have a feeling this has changed the way I will think about smoothies.  YUM.

Classic Green Smoothie (serves ~ 1-2)

1 cup spinach

1 cup kale

1 ripe banana

1.5 cups chopped pineapple

2 tbsp. unsweetened coconut

2 cups water (feel free to use coconut water instead)

1/2 - 1 cup of ice

Blend away until completely smooth and serve in a mason jar :)  Enjoy!