Category: Smoothie

Monday Meditation: Indulgent No-Banana Cherry & Chocolate Smoothie

29935776_UnknownA different Monday Meditation this week. This is an indulge-yourself post. A spend-some-time-on-yourself post. A take-a-break-from-the-world post.

(Look out at the end of the post for a link to a FREE Moby download of relaxation music).

This is the smoothie I made on my  Much-Needed Day Off. I really needed some me time after a busy and stressful few weeks taking care of Mum’s affairs, so-to-speak (she isn’t really having affairs, I mean accounts, housing application, optician, etc.!)

Chocolatey and indulgent – bet that’s got your attention – a bit chilly for an autumn morning with Storm Brian currently battering at the windows, but if you warm up your insides first with some green or herbal tea, it’s worth it! Or save the recipe to celebrate the first day of Spring. Of course, if you’re in the southern hemisphere, you can just ignore that!

Full of nutritional goodies but still feels like a treat! Raw cacao is mood-enhancing and rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fats. Go on, indulge yourself, you know you want to 😉

Ingredients

(Vegan, Gluten-free, Organic where possible, Can be Nutfree if you use a different plant milk)

1 heaped Cup Frozen Cherries

1 Cup Homemade Almond Milk*

1/3 Cup Raw Dried Mulberries**

1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder**

2 Tbsps Live Plain Yogurt

Raw Chocolate Mulberry Chips to serve**

Blend all on high (except the Mulberry Chips) for 40 seconds.

Serve with Raw Chocolate Mulberry Chips or any other raw chocolate treat, eg grated chocolate, raw cacao nibs, raw chocolate covered raisins.

Play some relaxing music, sit back and enjoy.

*Nut & Seed Milks & Smoothie Recipes

**From The Raw Chocolate Company – they have some amazing healthy raw chocolate recipes on their website too.

Ps Here is the link to a FREE Moby download of ambient music on his website: it is 4 HOURS long, and can be used for relaxation, meditation, yoga or sleep. You can download it for free or pay to stream it. It is wonderfully relaxing and calming. Perfect start or end to the day.

Moby: Long Ambients1

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 Copyright: Chris McGowan

Monday Meditation: A Much-Needed Day Off

I find coming up with a suitably interesting title the most difficult part of writing a blogpost and today’s is no exception because I’m actually writing it on Sunday and it’s about *my* Sunday, which I’ve grabbed hold of with both hands and declared My Day Off!

imageI am sitting at my dining table, drinking my Morning Glory juice* and with Agnes Obel playing gently in the background. It is 10.30 in the morning and I have the house to myself. For an hour, I have just been sitting, doing nothing. Watching the carefree clouds careering across a balmy blue sky, the trees bending in the wind. My husband is on an extended bike-ride with the club (Storm Brian is about to hit with full force in about an hour, but nothing gets in the way of a planned bike ride!) Apart from Agnes’ dulcet tones and gentle piano, I can hear a pin drop and I love it. Recent weeks have been filled with activity, phonecalls and visits, this peace is so welcome and I am going to make the most of it.

Some of you will know that I’ve been spending a lot of time taking over my 87 year old mum’s affairs and every day of the last 3 weeks has been spent doing things on her behalf: sorting out her files (years of them), talking to energy, phone and water companies – I was especially pleased with myself for getting £160 off her energy bill by switching to a diferent tariff; registering Power of Attorney with her bank, which required two visits of two hours each on very cold windy days to a branch half an hour’s drive away. Most of my time, however, has been spent finding sheltered accommodation nearby and persuading the authorities to put her on their waiting list, providing relevant documentation, making many phonecalls and bringing her to our house to look at the housing scheme, a major feat as she has always refused to discuss moving anywhere. Her intention has always been to remain in her bungalow 2 hours’ drive away until she no longer has breath in her body.

I have made Skype calls to my brothers to keep them up to date and yesterday my sister-in-law paid a visit on her way back from cleaning and clearing Mum’s house in preparation for her eventual move. We spent time bringing each other up to date and we took her to see the houses, which, reassuringly, she thought were perfect for Mum. Both my brothers and my other sister-in-law are on board with my plans and that is such a relief.

After decades of receiving care for my own health problems** I am gradually becoming a caregiver for my mum, and I can already feel myself slipping slowly away in the process. Every waking – and often sleeping – moment is taken up thinking about her needs and wondering if I’m doing the right thing, if we’re going to get her moved in time, while she’s still able to have some independence and mobility – her greatest fear is being placed in a care home.

29935696_UnknownBut for now, I can breathe again, for a little while. I can be me again, for a little while. I can play relaxing music that only I enjoy. Later, if I feel so inclined, I can play loud, raucous music that I can sing along to at the top of my voice.  I can write, uninterrupted by requests to find keys, wallet, phone, sort out a social media issue (husband) and so far the phone hasn’t rung – Mum can ring up to 5 times a day if she is stressed, asking the same questions. I can do some painting. I can go for a walk.  I can make an indulgent raw chocolate smoothie (recipe next week). I don’t have to shout to be heard (Mum is very deaf). I don’t have to repeat myself over and over. I don’t have to use my voice at all.

For now, the sun is shining. It gives me energy. It gives me hope. It gives me warmth.

I am grateful to still have my mum. She helped us so much when the children were young and I had serious health problems. I am trying to repay all that time she gave up when we needed it. My dad died 31 years ago and left a huge hole in my life, she is alone with no family around her and all her friends gone. But I am also grateful to have this time to be myself. I know others who are further along in their elder care journey and I know how exhausting it will be once she’s here. My husband especially will be kept busy. So, for now we are making the most of our available free time. Because we will need to keep ourselves fit and healthy so that we can make her life easier and ensure that she has a longer, healthier and happier life here than she would isolated and bored where she is. Because that’s what we’ve promised her. And I always keep my promises.

*7 Juice Recipes

**Invisible Disabilities Week – My Story

**Monday Meditation: Osteopathy, Rest & Recuperation in Nature

Copyright: Chris McGowan

The Mood Booster: Raw Chocolate Mulberry, Banana & Walnut Smoothie

29666928_UnknownI was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I came downstairs, suffering horrible back pain, no sleep, gloomy sky, prospect of rain, drop in temperatures. I was also very hungry, having gone to bed early evening and not getting up until 14 hours later. That did it, I needed chocolate and I needed it fast. Chocolate? For breakfast? Absolutely!

Let me emphasise, we’re talking raw chocolate, not commercial sugar-laden, highly-processed chocolate.

Raw cacao is naturally mood-enhancing, anti-inflammatory, contains 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries, more absorbable calcium than cow’s milk, iron, zinc and heart-healthy magnesium, needed to prevent muscle cramps and depression, and for gut health – see link below.

I had recently bought a whole kilo, yes a KILO! of The Raw Chocolate Company raw chocolate mulberry chips and this was a good excuse to use some. These are tiny bits of dried mulberries covered in raw chocolate, great for sprinkling on desserts, making raw treats or in this case smoothies. They are vegan, gluten-free, dairyfree, organic.

The rest of the ingredients are also nutrient-dense: mineral-rich, B vitamins, omega oils, protein, Vitamin E, fibre, anti-inflammatory. The cinnamon helps control blood sugar spikes. All in all, a healthy, tasty breakfast or dessert.

Ingredients

(All amounts very approximate, I just chucked in a few of this and a handful of that, so I’m basically guessing!)

1 Banana

Small handful Walnut Pieces

2 Dried Figs, stem removed, chopped

2 Tbsps Raw Chocolate Mulberry Chips + A sprinkling for serving

2 Tbsps freshly ground Golden Linseeds

1 Heaped Tbsp Hemp Protein Powder

A good shake of ground Cinnamon.

Glass of homemade and chilled Almond Milk* or other nut milk/ Tiger Nut Milk**

*

Blend on fast for 40-60 seconds. Add more milk if you want it a little thinner.

Serve chilled. With a spoon!

Gorgeous.

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*Nut & Seed Milks & Smoothie Recipes

How to Make Cashew Nut Milk & Why You Should!

Horchata (aka Tiger Nut Milk)

Magnesium: Are You Getting Enough?

Copyright: Chris McGowan

 

Frozen Mango & Passionfruit Smoothie – yum!

29401088_UnknownI love mango, all smooth, exotic and tangy with a delicate aroma, and I adore passionfruit. It doesn’t look up to much, all wrinkly, dark and swarthy, and when you slice it open, what do you get? No juicy flesh, just a spoonful of less-than-appetising crunchy seeds covered in what looks like yellow frogspawn! But the smell and the flavour are gorgeous, and they are so good for you, so putting them together in a breakfast smoothie was a no-brainer, why hadn’t I thought of it before? This particular week we’d found a pack of four in the supermarket greatly reduced as they were close to their use-by date, so I used two of them in this smoothie.

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It was a sunny morning and looked like it was going to be a hot day, I wanted something fruity and refreshing for breakfast, but that would fill me up as well.

This smoothie ticks all the boxes (that one’s for my husband who hates buzzwords and phrases!), plus it’s lovely and creamy and smells wonderful too.  It has lots of nutrients: vitamin A, magnesium, calcium, protein, healthy fats (omega oils), vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin E, dietary fibre and lots lots more. The baobab powder has a lightly citrusy taste and adds more vitamins and minerals – it has 6x more Vitamin C than an orange. It promotes a strong immune system, healthy skin and a healthy gut. The Aduna brand supports small African businesses harvesting and exporting baobab, many of them run by women.

Ingredients

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, can be nutfree if you use seed, rice or soya milk but it will taste a little different.

Organic where possible.

All amounts are very approximate.

2 Tbsps Oats

1 Small Mango, chopped and frozen

2 Passionfruit, scooped out, but save half of one for serving

1 Tbsp freshly-ground Golden Linseeds

Glass of chilled Homemade Almond Milk*, more or less depending on how thick you want it

1 Tbsp freshly Ground Almonds

1 Tsp Baobab Powder **

 Blend everything except one half of a passionfruit, pour into a glass and top with remaining passionfruit seeds.

Serve and enjoy 😊

*Nut & Seed Milks & Smoothie Recipes

**Aduna

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Powergreen Plum & Banana Smoothie

We are getting a lot of plums in our Abel & Cole organic veg box delivery at the moment, so some are going into smoothies. The one used was a little under ripe, so a date was added for a little sweetness.

29133056_UnknownPlums are a good source of minerals and Vitamins A, C and K, which is needed for good bone health and blood clotting. (See also Vegan, Gluten-Free Plum Crumble – Nice, But Not Too Naughty!)

Our neighbour’s plum tree is so heavily laden with fruit at the moment, the branches look like they are going to collapse under the weight of them all. Must be all the rain followed by such hot sun.

Chia seeds are little powerhouses, full of useful nutrients:

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(See also Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included)

Tahini is sesame seed paste, a vegan source of calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium.

Ingredients

1 Small Banana

1 Plum

3 Tbsp Oats

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds

1 Tbsp Tahini

1 Tbsp Juicemaster Powergreens

1 Medjool Date, pitted and chopped

Small to Medium Glass Coconut Water – more or less, depending how thick or thin you like your smoothie

Allow the oats and chia seeds to soak in the coconut water for 15 minutes to aid digestion, then blend with all the other ingredients.

Mine’s a thickie, so I ate it with a spoon!

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Post-Election Wake-Up Nectarine Smoothie/ Dessert

28863056_UnknownThis lovely smooth nectarine chia pudding was just what I needed the morning after the General Election when I felt exhausted and strung out after all the highs and lows of the long night before. I needed energy, but most of all something to give me a lift. Like the rest of the country, I didn’t know which end was up and needed the certainty and stability (sic*) of a reliably healthy, and refreshing breakfast to keep me going through the inevitable long drawn-out hours of bemused debate and analysis to come, while everyone figured out who was running the country (we’re still not sure!).

It can be served in a glass as a smoothie for breakfast or with slightly thicker consistency in a dish for dessert.

I’m not sure why I’m publishing it so long after the election, I think I thought there were rather too many smoothies stacked up together or it may be because the weather got so cold I thought soup was more appropriate!

Anyway, here it is:

If you use frozen fruit it will be thicker and chilled, lovely for a warm day or to perk you up in the morning, or just use more or less coconut water for the desired consistency.

We had some lovely juicy nectarines in our organic veg box recently and whilst I normally prefer to eat them as is (despite the juice inevitably dribbling down my top!), a couple were becoming over-ripe in the fruit bowl and were sliced up & frozen, so I decided to put one in this smoothie. They were small, so we used just half a medium banana to go with it.

This pudding has lots of healthy ingredients and beneficial nutrients: protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, Vitamins A, B, C, E, omega oils, probiotics, fibre to name but a few.

Ingredients – Serves 1

(Vegan, Glutenfree, Organic)

1 Nectarine (fresh or frozen)

Half Medium Banana (fresh or frozen)

2 Tbsps Plain Live Yogurt of your choice

1 Heaped Tbsp Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp Chia Seeds**

1 Tbsp Buckwheat Flakes

1 Tbsp ground Golden Linseeds**

Small to Medium Glass Unsweetened Coconut Water

1/2 Tbsp Baobab Powder**

Blend for about 40 seconds and serve, sprinkled with a few chia seeds or a slice of nectarine.

*For the non-Brits, ‘Strong and Stable’ was the Tories’ campaign mantra.

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**See also: Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included

Golden Linseeds (aka Flax Seeds): The Original Superfood?

The Benefits of Baobab, a Fruity Protein Smoothie + Review of Aduna Bars.

 

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Kumquat & Cacao Protein Smoothie

28596160_UnknownNo, that’s not a slice of tomato on top, it’s a kumquat!

Kumquats have a two-tone flavour: sweet peel, tart juice and are so full of a variety of beneficial nutrients including essential oils.

We had some in our Abel & Cole veg box recently and have used them in salad, a juice and today a smoothie.

This delicately chocolate-orange flavoured smoothie is so yummy and is vegan, gluten-free, nutfree, organic and dairy-free.

It contains protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, Vitamin A and C, calcium, omega oils, probiotics and fibre. Cacao is nutrient-heavy, including iron and anti-oxidants, and is reputed to be mood-enhancing. What more could you ask for?

(You eat the whole fruit, but be sure to remove the pips first and give the skin a good rinse),

Ingredients

2 Kumquats

1 Small Ripe Banana

1 Heaped Tsp Raw Cacao Powder*

1 Heaped Tbsp Chia Seeds*

1 Heaped Tbsp Hemp Seeds*

2 Tbsps CoYo Live Plain Coconut Yogurt

1 Heaped Tbsp Buckwheat Flakes

Unsweetened Coconut Water, according to how thick or thin you like your smoothie

Deseed and rinse the kumquats, add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend on fast for approximately 40 seconds.

(We used the Retro Superblend, see here for my review).

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* The Raw Chocolate Company

See also Three Cheers for Chias! What Are Chia Seeds & How Do I Use Them? Recipes included

Shelled Hemp Seeds: Superfood or Psychogenic?!

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Frozen Mango Chia Pudding – Breakfast or Dessert

28597984_UnknownIn my previous post How to Make Cashew Nut Milk, I promised the recipe for this delicious and nutritious Frozen Mango Chia Pudding – which, despite the name, makes a wonderfully light breakfast too.

As I am a woman of my word, here it is!

But first, the science bit:

Mangoes are not only juicily refreshing and tasty, they contain loads of healthy nutrients too. Here are just a few of the benefits of eating mangoes regularly:

They contain antioxidants that have been shown to prevent certain cancers; they are a good source of Vitamins A, B6, C, K, Folate and Potassium, contain dietary fibre and are good for your skin, eyes and digestion.

They are one of my favourite fruits, they feel indulgent and I love the fragrance as well as the juicy flavour.

Mangoes can be a handful to peel and slice, the best way we have found is to slice off both ends thinly to provide a flat base, stand it on one end, slice the peel downwards while turning, then slice the flesh.

And always lick your fingers afterwards!

Ingredients

 Vegan, Organic, Gluten-Free (can be nutfree if you want to use tiger nut milk or soya milk and seed butter, but it will alter the flavour)

1/2 Mango, chopped and frozen

Small Glass Homemade Cashew Milk (see above for link to recipe)

1 Heaped Tbsp Chia Seeds*, soaked in the cashew milk for a few minutes, with the oats & goji berries

1 Heaped Tbsp Oats

2 Heaped Tbsps Goji Berries*

1 Tbsp Cashew Nut Butter or Almond Butter**

2 Tbsps Plain Live Yogurt

1 Tbsp Baobab Powder***

Blend everything in a high-speed blender until thick and smooth

Serve in a chilled glass dish, sprinkle with goji berries and a little desiccated coconut.

This breakfast/dessert contains protein, calcium, magnesium, b vitamins, healthy oils, complex carbohydrate for slow-releasing energy, probiotics for a healthy gut and dietary fibre.  

Go on, what are you waiting for?

Ps Look out for my Morning After The Night Before Wake-Up Smoothie, another breakfast/dessert, coming soon!

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*We buy ours from The Raw Chocolate Company

**We use Meridian Foods organic nut butters because they are free from palm oil and sugar.

*** Baobab Powder is high in Vitamin C & fibre, contains potassium, magnesium, calcium, thiamin, manganese and protein. We use Aduna

Copyright: Chris McGowan

Election Day Special Fruity Beetroot Juice

With apologies to From Pyrenees to Pennines who also used this title today, I had this in mind when I got up this morning:

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Juice: Beetroot, Apple, Pear, Carrot, Lemon, Cucumber, Romaine Leaves and blend with Frozen Cherries, Mixed Berries, Banana & hemp seeds. And if that doesn’t cover the full gamut of the electoral spectrum, I don’t know what does!

Here in the UK, it’s General Election Day. Universal suffrage was a hard fought right, don’t waste it.

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Wherever your political loyalties lie

GO OUT & VOTE!!!

There are people waiting in polling stations to collect your vote, who have been up since 5am and won’t get home much before midnight – my husband is one of them – so don’t leave them sitting there twiddling their thumbs:

GO ON, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??!!

(Does this count as subliminal advertising?)

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Copyright: Chris McGowan

Typical Holiday Weekend: Planting Flowers Between the Showers

We had beautiful scorching weather recently, into the high 20s Celsius. After hb had forced his creaking knees to comply with a tidy up of the garden, revealing lots of spaces where the forgetmenots and bulbs had died off, we bought some plants. This is typical Bank Holiday behaviour in the UK, oh and decorating and DIY, all of which we planned for the weekend. Then -also typically – the weather forecast was weekend storms. The plants took refuge under the garden table. We waited for the downpour and the winds. All we got, however, was a freshening breeze, drop in temperature and a few light showers!

Not complaining, we needed some rain and it certainly made it more comfortable at night.

So here are some photos of the gardens after hb’s hard work and also of the irises in the front garden which are in full bloom now, they make me smile every year – oh and some avian visitors and the feline neighbour who not only scares them off but also usurps my place!

We had our first dinner of the year outside, too. For those of you of a curious nature, I had spiralised carrot, cucumber and courgette tossed in a lemon, avocado and pine nut dressing on a bed of watercress, rocket and babyleaf spinach with baby plum tomatoes. All vegan and organic. The photo looks sharper on Instagram, in fact all of them do, not sure why.

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The green smoothie in the photo of the irises I’m afraid I didn’t record, but from memory I think it was banana, blueberries, moringa powder, coconut water, chia seeds, live plain soya yogurt. There might have been some romaine in there too.

Now, a question for all you green-fingers out there: we foolishly allowed one wild aqualegia to take root at the back of the garden under the acer 2 years ago and now they are everywhere! They are growing in amongst the rocks, all over the patch to the left of the acer, in the cracks between the crazy paving up there at the back of the garden and under the forsythia near the house. They have made a lovely display at the top of the drive where nothing else will grow because the it’s choked by ground elder coming from our neighbour’s garden, but we don’t want our entire garden full of it. The roots are too hard to pull up from the stone once established and we don’t like using chemicals. Any ideas?

Here’s a better photo of the robin, this time paying an evening visit. I took it through the window with my iPhone after I’d written this post, but it’s sharper than the earlier one:

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Copyright: Chris McGowan