Berry Immunity Smoothie

I am really excited to share something special with you today! With my recent move and being sick this week, my friend Leanne from Healthful Pursuit is doing a guest post today. I've been following Leanne's blog for awhile and I know you will love her style as much as I do. Leanne is a holistic nutritionist with incredible creativity when it comes to making allergen-free recipes and treats! Some of my favorites include her (vegan) california rolls with edamame pate, bombay banana smoothie, and her raw and vegan nanaimo bars. Leanne made a beautiful smoothie to share with you today so I'll let her get to it!

Well hello there. I'm so thrilled to be here with you today while Sonnet is moving to her new home. I've been a reader of her blog for what seems like forever so getting a chance to create an exclusive recipe for you guys today has been quite a treat. Okay, let's get this party started!

Do you like green smoothies? 'Common, be honest. Are you captivated by their green glow, enthralled by their nutrient power? Do you feel healthier just looking at one?

If you answered no to any of those questions it's okay, you're not alone. Maybe the color throws you off a bit? I have a smoothie color discriminating individual in my life. He will not, can not drink a green (colored) smoothie. Nope, not happening. So I've had to get a bit creative in its delivery. Thankfully, berries work fabulously at masking a green smoothie's true identity. Just a little goes a long way in turning what was once a green smoothie into a red, purple or blue smoothie in a flash.

So now that you; or your friends' ;), aversion to drinking green things has been settled, there's nothing stopping you from getting one of these babies in your cute, little hands!

What I love most about smoothies is their nutrient potential. You can pack them full of whatever your heart desires. Since it seems that everyone and their dog is coming down with a flu bug these days, I chose to make today's recipe particularly good for strengthening immunity with cost-effective superfoods. Blueberries, cranberries, a bit of kale and homemade apple juice will give you 170% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C in one little glass and not break the bank. Not bad, not bad at all!

And last, but certainly not least, is something I like to do with all of my smoothies... add some fiber up in there. Just a tablespoon will do the trick. You see, if you add fiber to your smoothie, it'll 'latch' onto the sugars and help to ease spikes to your blood sugar level as you're drinking the good stuff. No spikes, no crashes, less cravings, happy days.




Chia, hemp and flax are great fiber boosting options. Each have their benefits so take a look at these stats and choose the one that best fits you. I'm a chia girl through and through, but it's a preference thing.

Okay, let's drink green purple smoothies!



Berry Immunity Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons homemade cranberry sauce

1 tablespoon of chia seeds, flax seeds or hemp seeds

1/2 cup homemade apple juice

1/2 fresh or frozen banana

1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

1/2 cup tightly packed kale leaves

Directions:

Place all ingredients in your blender in the order listed, then blend for 30 seconds or until smooth.

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Author bio: Leanne Vogel is a holistic nutritionist on a pursuit of self-discovery through allergen-free recipes, travel, yoga and inward reflection. During a recent trip to India, Leanne was inspired to embrace her true self and begin to live authentically. After returning home, she left her highly successful corporate job of 7 years and moved across Canada in pursuit of the life she'd always dreamed of. You can find her living out her journey as she documents her latest adventures on her blog, www.healthfulpursuit.com.

Connect with Leanne...
Facebook: healthfulpursuit
Twitter:@be_healthful

Snow Day Pancakes with Blueberry & Cranberry Compote

I'm back from my retreat and am just settling into life again. I have some great stories to share with you, but I'd rather focus on the snow for now.  And pancakes.

Wherever you are, I hope you are warm and safe.  Bonus points if you get to spend time with those you love and eat good food together.  It's that kind of day.  With schools, offices, and many roads closed in Seattle, it's safe to call today a Snow Day.

Ashley and I couldn't get the thought of warm pancakes out of our heads so we went about making some.  I pulled out my stack of cookbooks from the library and came across a simple recipe in Vegan Yum Yum.  Ashley decided to make an old family recipe and braved the snow by foot to secure some buttermilk and eggs.

I kept trying to convince her to have some of my pancakes, or at least to use some soy milk and egg-replacer so that she wouldn't have to leave the house.  After all of her brave efforts, half of her pancakes burned and all of them turned out lopsided.  She joked that I should picture her pancakes here just to make my vegan ones look even better.  I'll spare you the sad sight and show you a cute snowman instead. 

Serves 2.

Pancakes (Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum)
1 1/2 cups soy milk
1 cup spelt flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 Tbs agave syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Add the soy milk to a blender, followed by the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, oil, agave, baking powder, extract,  and salt.  Blend for a few seconds until combined.  Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the side and blend again.

You can use the batter immediately or refrigerate over night.  If using the batter the next morning, add 1-2 tablespoons of water, and then blend to mix.  This thins the batter, which thickens overnight. 

Compote:
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup cranberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract

Blend about half of your cranberries with the maple syrup and vanilla extract to create a smooth sauce.  Add this sauce to a pan with your remaining cranberries and blueberries.  Cook over medium-low heat for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve over pancakes.  

Note: you can easily substitute strawberries or other berries that you might have on hand.  I just happened to have blueberries and cranberries in my freezer.