Sweet Bok Choy Smoothie

There are a plethora of Green Smoothie recipes out there, but this one uses Bok Choy and is just so naturally sweet.

I've been traveling, which also means I've been eating non-stop. So, it's payback time, which means a couple days of protein juices and green smoothies for me. It's a way of hitting the re-set button for my body. After a couple days I'm more clear headed and can make better food choices naturally. It's what works for me. I've never been one to follow fad diets and I've always said it's just science; if you burn more calories than you take in there will be weight loss or at least maintenance. It doesn't make it easy, and it doesn't mean I do it, but it's still true.During my travels I visited New York. So, 'nuff said, right? How can you be in New York and not eat at Shake Shack, or Eataly, Back Forty West or Gennaro's? How can you not have a cupcake at Magnolias and a drink with appetizers at Saxon and Parole?Then I was in Boston (with their Oysters and Seafoods), then to North Carolina (I can't NOT eat Carolina Barbecue, it's a sin), and then Chicago (Rick Bayless is in Chicago, for goodness sake.) I'm only human.

When I returned home to Los Angeles there was a box from my Farm-to-Door program waiting for me. It was full of greens, and fruits and fresh healthy foods to help me get back on track. I'm loving these Green Shakes this year, and the combinations are limitless. I found that using Bok Choy, which has such a mild and light taste, made the shake naturally sweet and very easy to slurp right down to the last bit. Let me know if you have other combos you've been trying, and I hope your travels are tasty.Recipe: Sweet Bok Choy Smoothie

1 Bunch Fresh Bok Choy (loose chop)
1/2 Avocado
1/2 Orange (juice and zest)
1/2 Lemon (juice and zest)
1 apple (cored and quartered)
1 cup Cold Water or Ice

1) Place all ingredients into a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
2) Serve chilled or freeze and re-blend for drinking later. (Good for about 3 days.)

Water with Flavor ~ Rosemary & Plum Simple Syrup - Simple Saturday

I've never been one of those people who carry a water bottle around with them where ever they go. Yet, when I make a conscious effort to really DRINK more water I always feel better. I have less aches and pains. My skin feels better, my face looks more rested and my eyes are brighter. So, why don't I drink more water? It's boring... and it makes me have to stop for a rest(room) every hour, which is aggravating. I'm such a big baby!

ROSEMARY & PLUM WATER

Here's how I put the fun into getting hydrated - I added flavor. Ok, I know I didn't come up with this great idea, although many years ago I did pitch the idea to Crystal Geyser even before they were flavoring sparkling water. I wish I had a penny for everyone of those sold.I know some peeps might be thinking, who has the time to flavor water? I challenge you to call forth the 10-year-old version of yourself that had fun creating your own science experiments and play a little with this tasty luxury. By the way, it is also beautiful and can add a little sparkle to your table, picnic, or party.

The basis is a Simple Syrup, aptly named because it is SO SIMPLE to make. The big plus to making Simple Syrup is how many ways you can use it: sweetener for tea/coffee/cocktails, a flavor addition to flat or sparkling waters, a flavored extract for baking, etc...
Simple Syrup is merely equal parts water and sugar, heated to almost boiling and then cooled. That's it. That's all. After that, it's play-time. You can flavor your simple syrup by infusing it with herbs, spices, liquors, jams, fruits, extracts, zest, tea, or edible flowers. Try your hand at combining flavors and see what you come up with - why not?
For this combo, I used Rosemary and a bit of my homemade Plum Jam. After making the Simple Syrup, I stored it in the refrigerator and I've used it for chilled waters, ice pops, a mojito and in muffins. I'm having fun. Join in.ReCipE: Rosemary Plum Simple Syrup for WATER

3 cups water
3 cups sugar
2-3 large sprigs of fresh Rosemary
2 Tablespoons Plum Jam1) In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to almost boil while stirring to dissolve the sugar.

2) Remove from the heat and stir in the jam and herbs, cover and let infuse for 20 minutes.

3) Strain into a bottle, label and store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

When making Rosemary Plum Water - add syrup per glass or into a large bottle according to taste.

Nut Milk - I'm Not Kidding

I'm going to blame having a teenager in the house for the fact that I can't say the words, "Nut Milk" without laughing. And I don't mean just in a scatological way, but the sound of it, too. I would expect to read it in a Warner Bros Looney Tunes manual. I would expect "Scrappy the Squirrel" to have Nut Milk. And now, I have a bottle of chilled & creamy Nut Milk in my refrigerator (snicker snicker.)

Almond Nut Milk

Here's the reality: Nut Milk is not only filling, full of fiber, chock full of nutrients - it has a really deep flavor that dairy milk (especially non-fat) is sometimes missing. For almost two years, I've been posting recipes with a very fun online group of friends called "Lets Lunch". What started as an idea for a "virtual lunch" with Cheryl (A Tiger In The Kitchen) and Elise (Cowgirl Chef) who live in two different parts of the world, has turned into a monthly online lunch club (that anyone can join) with people all over the planet.The special thing about today's "Lets Lunch" is that it represents the best of what blogging, tweeting and Face Booking can do: Bring together real people with real feelings for a real moment. One of our very fun and talented "Lets Lunch" buddies is on a restricted, all liquid diet as she successfully recovers from Cancer Surgery. So, this month - we all are posting liquid lunch ideas. It's a virtual way of sending a real message of love and support, while also posting some very cool liquid lunch ideas.

Almond Nut Milk Granita
(see directions for Granita here)

Maybe that's also the reason I can't say "Nut Milk" without laughing. It's the joy. Yeah, I'll admit it. It gives me great joy to think of ways that food and friends can come together for something very real life, using our virtual capabilities. I researched for a while before deciding I wanted to make something a little different (for me) that also introduces a new ingredient idea for other cooking. Even if it's just another way to make Chocolate Milk or a Healthy Smoothy.

Almond Nut Milk, Banana & Honey Smoothy

Join us in wishing a speedy recovery to Karen. Go check out the inventive liquid "Lets Lunch" posts from around the world. Enjoy making and drinking Nut Milk (pause for laughter), knowing that it's healthy, and can be used to replace dairy in baked goods, cereals and for a lot of your cooking liquids.

Almond Nut Milk Cappuccino

There are many different kinds of Nut Milk, including Cashew, Pecan, Pine Nuts and even Macadamia nuts. I tried Almond Milk because I've worked with them before and the taste is full, but with room to add flavorings too. I found the Ratio of nuts to water was about 1 cup of nuts to 3 cups of water, but you can experiment to see how thick or light you'd like it. I didn't add sugar, but I think a touch of Agave, Stevia, Honey or your choice of sugar would taste great.The researched tips suggested always using filtered water, and to keep Nut Milks refrigerated (since they're not pasteurized) for 2-4 days only. RECIPE: ALMOND NUT MILK

1 cup raw organic almonds
3 cups filtered water (heated)
1/2 Vanilla Bean

**Optional: cocoa, lavender, honey, banana, caramel sauce, sweetener.

1) Soak the almonds in filtered water for at least 8-12 hours or overnight. Rinse and drain.
2) In a food processor, add the almonds and pulse til ground, but not into Nut Butter.
3) Split and scrape the vanilla out of the 1/2 vanilla bean (or a tsp vanilla paste) and add to the almonds, along with the heated water.
4) Puree together - taste and check along the way to please your own palate.
5) Strain the Nut Milk through double thickness of cheese cloth or through a Jelly bag. 6) Keep in a clean bottle in the refrigerator for drinking, baking (or my fav: adding chocolate, a banana & a tsp. honey and frothing it into a smoothie, Mmmm)

Join us for the next "Lets Lunch" by typing #letslunch into Twitter or leaving a comment here for me to contact you. We'd love to get to know you, and post together. Sending you sincere wishes for health and happiness and "Nut Milk" giggles.

See all of these fun and thoughtful posts for Lets Lunch:

Peanut Butter-Espresso Smoothie - Cooking in The Fruit Bowl

Miso Bacon Corn Chowder - A Tiger In The Kitchen

Cucumber-Avocado Gazpacho - Cowgirl Chef

Spring Greens Soup with Homemade Baguette - Caitlin Shetterly

Spring Pea & Mint Soup - Hot Curries & Cold Beer

Gazpacho - The Kitchen Trials

Turnip, Chinese Mushroom & Pork Soup - Be a Wok Star

CampBlogAway & Spicy Avocado-n-Bacon Frozen Magarita Recipe

I went to Camp and all you got was this

Spicy Avocado Bacon Frozen Margarita recipe.

Why would anyone drive hours from home into the mountains of California and sleep in a cabin to talk about food blogging?

Because it's FUN, people, it's FUN!

Not only was CampBlogAway fun, it was inspiring. Yeah, I know that word can be overused. But when you leave a place with the feeling of energy and renewed focus because of other people's lives, viewpoints or challenges they overcame - what else can you call it?

Joy (Joy the Baker), an extremely successful gal, let us in on her secret to a great Food Blog: Write from the heart, be yourself, give your best and they will come.

Cheryl (5 Second Rule) and Susan (Food Blogga) reminded us that building a "community" and reaching out to others, paying attention to who reads our blogs, and staying accountable for what we put out there will result in a larger community and a better planet.

I call that inspiring.

Not only was CampBlogAway inspiring, it was informative.

I didn't know that Idaho Potatoes are naturally capable of being crisp on the outside and firm, but fluffy on the inside because of the Volcanic minerals in the soil of Idaho.

I didn't know that Fiji Water was helping villages receive water supplies for themselves, as well. I didn't know you could buy eggs (SafeEggs) that are pasteurized, therefore no worries of deadly salmonella.

I didn't know that fondant is so easy, anyone can create beauty. I didn't know that Wente Vineyards have such a light, crisp Chardonnay. I didn't know the inside of a California Avocado (next to the shell) has the most nutrients.I didn't know that Patti (Worth the Whisk and camp captain) was a Virgo (structured, yet nurturing, humorous and inventive). I didn't know that Rachel (LaFujiMama) and Dara (CookinCanuck) could talk and laugh until 2:30 in the morning, just like me.

I call that informative.

CampBlogAway was like being a teenager, away at camp with buddies......except there's wine and better food.
A special thanks to Diane (CreatedBy-Diane) for the buttery Lemon Poppy Seed cookies that got me through my afternoon munchies.

To cap off my adult adventure and use one of the perfect avocados I got from camp, and to send us into Cinco de Mayo - here's a savory, almost healthy (wink, wink) cocktail. SPICY AVOCADO & BACON FROZEN MARGARITA: (serves about 4)

1 ripe Avocado (peeled and chopped)
1/2 Jalapeno (chopped)
6 Slices of Bacon (cooked crisp)
3 oz. Tequila (can use Vodka)
2 oz. Triple Sec or Cointreau
4 oz. Lime Juice or Sour Mix
ICE

1) In a blender, start with a little ice, then add the avocado, jalapeno, 1 slice of the bacon, the Tequila, Triple sec (I used Cointreau) and lime juice. Puree this, then add more ice until it reaches the consistency you like.

2) Taste along the way and increase the lime juice or ice as needed.

3) Separately, grind 3-4 slices of crisp bacon into dust for garnishing the glass edges and use the rest of the bacon pieces as swizzle sticks. This is a savory tasting cocktail, not sweet like the fruity ones. Serve immediately for a creamy texture or hold in refrigerator and stir briskly for a more liquid version.

Hot Tea Toddy - Simple Saturday

Baby, it's cold outside + It's hot tea toddy time = Baby, it's warm inside.

Hot Tea Toddy

When the golden honey, orange, tea and spicy brandy make a bobsled ride of sweet heat down your winter challenged throat and chest, and those toasted vapors hit your stuffy passages - you just may AHHH out loud.

Let me just say that this simple hot tea toddy will be 100 times better made with fresh brewed "real" tea, brewed for no more than 4 minutes with just below boiling water. However, you can also use a good quality tea bag.

If you've never had a "hot toddy", or you thought it was just something your grandmother's grandmother said when she really meant "moonshine". You need to take 5 minutes and try one of these. There's a reason they've been around for hundreds of years - they're good and they work "fer whut ails ya".

Some hot toddies include butter and frothy egg whites or cream. Those are really fun, too. But, this one is just a simple "make me smile and breathe happy" quickie.HOT TEA TODDY

For each glass:

1) Drizzle a tsp. of honey around the inside of the glass
2) Squeeze a little citrus (I used a Raspberry Blood Orange)
3) Pour in a shot (or two) of any good spicy brandy (you can also use rum or whiskey)
4) Fill the remainder of the glass with fresh brewed hot tea (I used a Mango and Passionfruit Rooibos)
*optionally - stir with a cinnamon stick and leave in glass for infusing while sipping*