I know my plan is to reduce (not eliminate) fruit to make room in my diet for more veggies, as well as adding some cooked to make it through the winter, but sometimes I just have to have my frozen fruit-based treats. I just can't help myself.
The one above is a banana n'ice cream (a staple in my life), which didn't even make it out of the mini food processor before I devoured the whole thing. Actually, I ate quite a bit of it prior to pausing for this pic.Just like I did with the Mango Lime Hot Pepper Smoothie the other day, I converted another beverage-style concoction into a thicker frozen treat. This particular combination brings back memories, as it was one I drank regularly while pregnant with Hayden.
The ingredients are simple; just a frozen banana, a couple dates, carob powder, ground flaxseeds and hemp "milk." I used to blend this modest-sized snack smoothie in my Magic Bullet (I got a new one for Christmas, since the old one bit the dust), as it fit perfectly in one of its blending mugs. I always enjoyed finding the small chunks of partially-blended date pieces throughout my drink.
To convert it into a n'ice cream, I just put the same ingredients into my mini food processor, minus the hemp "milk," which I replace with some hemp protein. The results tasted a bit "caramelly" (I'm not sure if that is really a word), as I did use raw carob (some people use it as a chocolate replacement, but I think it resembles caramel in flavor), with yummy chunks of dates scattered about. It's good stuff.Also good is one of my favorite smoothies at the moment. I find that green smoothies are even more of a treat, if you add mint (and occasionally some cacao nibs to make it extra special) to them. It tricks your mind into thinking you are drinking a scrumptious (you know I'm a big fan of that word) mint green shake. Mmmm!
Maybe I should say, "Brrrr!," as it is a bit chilly out to be consuming frozen n'ice cream and smoothies. But, since adding the occasional cooked food, I'm dealing with the cold much better. It really is a balancing act.
Most of the cooked I have experimented with have been veggies, either lightly steamed, gently cooked to make a broth or baked in the oven (I really like baked sweet potato wedges). I have also used this as an opportunity to add beans and WHOLE (not processed) grains to my diet.
These meals are generally left until dinner time, as they seem to have a calming effect on my body. I think they've improved my sleep at night.Although these meals are cooked, I tend to opt for transitional meals. These are the ones that combine both raw and cooked. For example, I ate a rice salad dish for dinner the other night. It was cooked whole grain brown rice (not the sticky white stuff) combined with broccoli slaw (I soaked it in warm water first; gotta thank Bitt for the tip), shredded carrot, cucumber and avocado, like in a veggie sushi roll.
Unfortunately, I was out of nori to add to my sushi bowl, but I did season it was a drizzle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos, some apple cider vinegar, fresh ginger and a touch of sesame oil. It was very comforting, and I think little lady's tummy appreciated it, too :-)
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monday, january 25, 2010, continued ... ...................................................................................................
Vote for Hayden
Remember this photo? Well, since posting today's blog entry, I got an e-mail saying Hayden is in the running to become a weekly winner on Parents Photo Faves. If you've got a moment, please visit this link (http://photos.parents.com/category/vote/photo/64767) to vote for her. Thanks :-)
