We are coming to this from an organic approach, and by that I mean not only that we are buying organic produce, but that we are seeking to find our path to a regular food consumption plan by coming in planless. We're figuring this out in a natural, easy-to-adapt-to fashion. As we discover what we like, we will add those things or recipes to what we are already eating.
One real winner: green smoothies. I never would have guessed that a smoothie which starts with a few huge kale leaves would result in something delicious, but it is possible. Julia's latest attempt included kale, two bananas, four strawberries, enough water to make the whole concoction pourable, a couple of teaspoons of raw agave nectar, a few ice cubes, and wow! There is no discernable kale taste to the smoothie, and the banana/strawberry combination is really delicious. It is quite filling, too: I had no desire to eat again for hours afterward. So, it can serve as a meal substitute.
Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to try some other combinations. Virtually any green leafy variety will work: chard or spinach or collards or even romaine lettuce. And, the fruit you love can be the fruit you combine to make the smoothie your own creation.
This is not something we are embarking upon with a specific short-term goal in mind. On the contrary! We are seeking a more-balanced and healthier way of eating which we will maintain for a long time. I'm not going to pretend that we can know how we will be eating a year from now, but I'll bet it will include green smoothies and lots or raw vegetables.
In a few months, I'll report back with any results we attribute to this new commitment.
3 comments:
So happy for you that you have your sweetie back again now. Those smoothies sound awesome. I have made those in the past...should get my blender out again.
Rick - what kind of juicer do you have? I have been meaning to get one for quite awhile and now that I've had some dentail surgery and cannot eat solid foods for a few days, well - no time like the present! I admit that I am drawn to the ones that dont make me cut the food into tiny pieces becaus I am lazy like that. I saw the Jack LaLayen one on TV and it looked cool but then I dont want to be one of those suckers that buys stuff off of tv.
Kelly--thanks for stopping by and for the good wishes.
Jules--we use an old but super juicer made by Acme when Julia wants juice, but the smoothie magic comes from our Vitamix blender. It is an expensive peice of kitchen equipment, but it is amazingly powerful--you can turn veggies which are chopped only enough so they fit into the blender into a smoothie, or into soup! If you put all the ingredients for a creamed soup into the blender, it will literally heat them to a done soup because of the speed of the blender. We're going to do that tonight, in fact. We have lots of leftover stuff from a big salad we had for dinner last night, and tonight all those leftover veggies will become soup.
There are two competing blender lines, either of which will work very well for this kind of task: Vitamix and Blendtec. Be prepared, though. You will need about 400 bucks to buy into this party.
Before we got our turbo-blending machine, we were making smoothies by first using the food processor to chop the kale, then using a normal-strength blender to get the pieces as small as possible.
Now, it takes one-fifth as long and I only have one container to clean. And, of course, the blended result is far nicer: really smooth, instead of mostly so.
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