Ninth Step

We are still in Chicago, so step 9 was an improvised green smoothie from what I could find here on hand. Charlie isn't into greens too much, so green smoothies are a great way to get some dark greens into him. I took frozen strawberries and blueberries and blended them with plain yogurt and some OJ (maybe 1/2 cup), then added a couple bananas and piled the rest high with spinach. Usually I'll try to use bananas that aren't brown but too ripe for happy consumption, and maybe an apple and/or an orange I'm trying to get rid of. But don't worry, my smoothies have a lot of lovin' in them even though they involve leftover fruits. I don't usually add ice but I did this time because it wasn't cold enough for me since I didn't use as much frozen fruit.

One of my favorite green smoothie combos is about 3/4 cup of plain yogurt, Aldi's fiesta frozen fruit mix, frozen cherries, maybe frozen blueberries, an orange, a banana or two, maybe an apple, a big squirt of lemon, a dash of salt, and spinach or SWISS CHARD. Sometimes swiss chard calls to me in the grocery store, but that is the only thing I've ever used it for. You can also use celery, romaine lettuce, kale, or any other leafy green for your greens. But beware of turnip or collard greens--my blender can't handle them very well b/c the leaves are so thick, and then the smoothie turns out, well, as Moto Moto would say "You's chunkin'..." If you have a vitamix, then I am coveting it. Waiting for my blender to blow up before we get one of those.

Fifth Step

I made some broccoli salad for my fifth day. I generally try to make it about once a week because it keeps everything moving, if you know what I mean. Charlie's not into it, but Clarissa usually chomps some down. Robert's eyes usually light up and he says, "Whoa, broccoli salad!" which usually means he needs some fiber. :) Here's the veggie ingredients:

-1 head of broccoli, chopped pretty small and limited use of stems (you can make broccoli slaw with those stems and some carrots later if you want--just double the dressing and refrigerate for no longer than 3 or 4 days)
-2 stalks of celery, chopped small (I slice lengthwise 2 or three times and then chop away)
-2 carrots, peeled and chopped small (again, I slice the carrot in two or three pieces, then lengthwise a few times and then chop the sticks small).
-1 bell pepper (I usually use any pepper but green, but green was all I had this time)
-either green peas or raisins, depending on your mood (I didn't add either this time)
-sunflower seeds or chopped walnuts, if you go the raisin route
-1 small onion, chopped small (this time I took some out for the kids before adding the onion--usually don't do this but had mercy because Clare says they are spicy)

Dressing:

-3/4 cup vegenaise (can use mayo or miracle whip, but I like the end consistency with vegenaise)
-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
-2 Tbsp raw honey, if you can find it
-1 Tbsp or less of olive oil (I just turn it over once for a brief moment--I think it helps with consistency & coating the veggies)
-juice from half a lemon (optional)

Whisk together in separate measuring cup and pour over veggies. Stir, and voila! You can add a little sea salt if you'd like too. Crunchy goodness, always best the first day but will last about 3 days. Warning: Raisins can get swollen (I don't like that so I try to put my raisins in as I serve it), and peas can get mushy past a couple days. To get it eaten within three days, I really push it at every meal after I make it (well, I give us a break at breakfast). Go raw salads!

Second Step

I have been trying to juice for two weeks now, and finally got the motivation to do it as my "second step" for making natural living a reality. That veggie juice does wonders for my family's digestion! And it's a great way to get my son more veggies, because he loves juice but only has 2 voluntary veggies of choice without doing the "take two bites" rule: green beans and raw carrots with ranch dressing. We could all take lessons from Clarissa, on the other hand--she crunches down raw broccoli, cauli, carrots, green beans, cherry tomatoes, peppers, snow peas, radishes, FIRST and WITHOUT any dressing. She's amazing. But they were both good little helpers in the midst of all the juicing excitement! My usual veggies are two 3 lb bags of carrots, one head of celery, 1/2 green pepper, and 5-6 romaine leaves. Split evenly between "rounds" of juicing. Plus I highly recommend my Green Star juicer! (an ebay Mother's Day gift)