Green Smoothie

Most weekday mornings either myself or Jacob (depending on who has to be at work earlier that day) will whip up a big smoothie for us to share. It's a quick breakfast that can be taken on-the-go, but the thing I love most about these smoothies is that you start you day off with SO MANY good things entering your body. 

I also love that you can make these smoothies ahead of time and freeze or refrigerate them for another day. And, they're so versatile! You just need a few items for the smoothie base, then you can add whichever fruits, vegetables, and other things that you already have on hand.

This smoothie was actually a bit different than our usual, but I was in the mood to take pictures and figured it would suffice just fine.

Orange juice.

Next, fruit. Usually, this consists of two bananas and a peach (or berries if we have any on hand). This time around I had watermelon, cantaloupe, blueberries, and a peach.

Kale was the green for today, we typically use spinach but were out when I made this smoothie.

For a little extra substantial-ness, oats and raw almonds. Sometimes chia seeds if we have them on hand.

A splash of almond/coconut milk for a smooth and creamy consistency. This can also be substituted with yogurt or regular cow's milk.

And ice!

Blend, add ice, repeat.

The final product. Not quite as green as usual, and not quite as pretty as usual, but still tasted great. If you don't believe me, try making one yourself. You won't be disappointed and you'll feel great all day for it!

Green Smoothie Recipe:

Makes 2 very large (meal size) smoothies

- 1 cup orange juice

- 2 cups fruit, chopped

- 1 cup packed greens

- 1/2 cup yogurt, almond milk, soy milk, or cow's milk

- 1/3 cup oats

- 1/4 cup nuts

- 4-5 large ice cubes

Directions:

- Blend!

- Serve in a mason jar for best results.

* Note - if using frozen fruit, you can leave out the ice. I usually use fresh fruit so I add some ice to give the smoothie a little extra thickness and to make it cold.

Weekend Breakfasts

Weekends. Ahh. The blissful two days of freedom we experience at the end of each week. Well actually, it wasn't until recently that Jacob and I have started to enjoy weekends filled with leasure activities and travel. During the summer months, Jacob and I work for a local caterer (Reid's Catering Company) here in Boone, so our weekends are typically filled with serving food (really good food, none the less) and beverages to rich people at weddings.

Since the wedding season is slow during the winter months and we both have Monday-Friday "normal" jobs, the weekends are ours. Now I'm sure you're wondering what I like to cook for breakfast on the weekends, right? I thought so. Here are some snapshots of breakfasts we've had recently.

French toast - made using Stickboy Bread Company's Challah. Topped with banana, dried cranberries, coconut, chia seeds, and raw almond butter. A little drizzle of syrup to finish it off.

Baked Oatmeal - with all the favorites mixed in, bananas, cinnamon, chia seeds, nutmeg. Topped with almond butter and a few drops of maple syrup. On the side? Grapefruit. Gotta love that citrus! 

Fried Eggs with bacon and toast - the ultimate weekend breakfast. Simple, yet so satisfying. I usually pair this breakfast with some fresh fruit.

And of course, there's the coffee - around our house we don't just mess around with coffee. Jacob is a quality coffee lover, and if I drank anything but the best my family may disown me. It's true, Jack does NOT take the coffee subject lightly. So here's a short tutorial on how we typically make our morning coffee.

First, you boil the water. Then, you grind the beans in the fanciest of fancy burr grinders (thanks Joel and Lin for the AWESOME wedding present). A burr grinder grinds beans in a more consistent, uniform way than a normal grinder does. It truly makes a difference, but is not a crucial step to good coffee.

Once the coffee is ground and the water is hot, we use a cone filter and cone filter holder to brew. The grounds go in the filter, and hot water is poured over the grounds and into a insulated carafe.

Jacob likes his coffee black, but I enjoy the indulgence of a little half and half and a few pinches of sugar. 

Nothing like it! And yes, we are coffee snobs.