The Amazing Parsley: Health Benefits and 3 Green Smoothie Recipes with Parsley

If you are like most people, you may be thinking of parsley just as garnish.

You know, that green stuff that is used to decorate food platters that everyone carefully separates from the real food and tosses to the side.

It’s a shame, because parsley has amazing health benefits, adding a powerful dose of vitamins and minerals to a green smoothie.

What’s so special about parsley?

Parsley is finally being recognized as a powerhouse of nutrition and flavor. Recently it has been recognized as a superb addition to any green smoothie.

green smoothies with parsley


The Amazing Parsley: Health Benefits

* Parsley is rich in calcium.

Forget milk, yogurt or cheese. 100 grams of parsley delivers the same amount of calcium as 100 grams of milk, plus more and minus the health risks. One cup of fresh parsley in a green smoothie delivers 83 milligrams (8% RDA) of calcium. When blended with with oranges, kiwi fruit and/or figs, it’s a delicious way to take care of your bones, without the health risks of dairy products (not to mention hormones and antibiotics, and inhumane treatment of animals).

* Parsley is rich in iron.

One cup contains 3.7 milligrams of iron. Parsley is the richest source of iron from any leafy green that you’d get from the supermarket.

* Parsley contains lots of vitamins.

It is rich in vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and provides up to 168% RDA in just one cup. Like most leafy greens, they are an especially rich source of vitamin K providing up to 820% RDA. Two tablespoons of parsley have a whopping 153% of the RDA of vitamin K, which is necessary for the synthesis of osteocalcin, a protein that strengthens the composition of our bones. Vitamin K also prevents calcium build-up in our tissue, thus helping prevent atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease and stroke. They provide an excellent source of folate (23% RDA) and vitamin C (89% RDA).

* Parsley has anti-inflammatory properties.

Along with luteolin, the vitamin C found in parsley serves as an effective anti-inflammatory agent within the body. When consumed regularly, they combat the onset of inflammatory disorders, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis .

* Plus, unlike dairy, it is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol.

* It is also a good source of Protein, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Zinc, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Magnesium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

In combination, parsley’s volatile oils, flavanoids, and high Vitamin A content may help reduce cancer risk.

Parsley versus Dairy

The good of milk: This food is a good source of Protein, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Riboflavin and Calcium.

The bad of milk: This food is high in Saturated Fat, and a large portion of the calories in this food come from sugars. (source: http://nutritiondata.self.com/). Not to mention all the hormones, antibiotics, and animal misery that is in that food.

So, which one would you rather have?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ll skip the dairy and go for a green smoothie!

So, let’s get to it.

How To Use Parsley Leaves In Green Smoothie Recipes

Parsley has a distinct, strong taste so it is best to use no more than one cup in a smoothie recipe. You can combine it with non-bitter greens like fresh baby spinach or romaine and green leaf lettuce. Parsley pairs best with fruits like pear, coconut, pineapple, mango, oranges and kiwifruit.

When added to a smoothie, it turns the drink a delightful bright green. Not only that, it has breath-freshening properties, too. Available year-round in any super-market, it is inexpensive, especially compared to other greens. One bunch of parsley is usually available for a dollar or less.

Buy parsley with deep green colored leaves. If leaves are wilted and yellow, it’s not fresh. Rinse it in cool water and shake or spin it dry, and store in a plastic bag in the fridge. It can also be wrapped in foil or plastic and then frozen.

Parsley Lemon Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch of flat leaf parsley (keep the tender stalks and chop off the tough ones)
  • 1-2 lemons with the rind, pith & seeds removed
  • 1-2 bananas
  • 2 cups of water

Blend well in your Vitamix (or whatever blender you have) on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Tip for beginners: add some sweetener of choice e.g. agave, or stevia.

Parsley Smoothie Recipe

 

Iron-Rich Parsley Pear Pineapple Green Smoothie

  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 cup spinach greens
  • 1 large pear, cored
  • 1 cups pineapple, cubed
  • 1 cup water

Add all the ingredients except for the greens to your smoothie maker, and blend on high for 30 seconds or until the smoothie is creamy.

Parsley and Mango Green Smoothie Recipe

  • 1 cup parsley
  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
  • 1 cup water

Cut mangoes into nice size chunks or slices. Blend all ingredients on high until everything is smooth and creamy. As for most green smoothies, I highly recommend a powerful blender.

Pineapple and Parsley Smoothie

  • 1 cup non dairy milk (such as oat, rice, soya, almond, hemp, coconut drink or raw nut or seed milk) If you are drinking this straight away, substitute half a cup of milk with half a cup of ice or frozen milk cubes to be added at the end.
  • 3 cups fresh pineapple chopped (1 small pineapple)
  • 2 medium bananas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup parsley chopped, tightly packed or 2 cups loosely packed. (Or spinach or any other mild greens if you aren’t brave enough for the parsely yet.)
  • 1 cup oats (Yes, you can add oats to a green smoothie to make it more filling and smooth. If you don’t have a powerful blender and want the smoothie very smooth you can soak the oats for an hour before blending.)

Blend the ingredients in the order listed. Add more water if required to thin it out. Substitute any of the ingredients for whatever you already have. If your smoothie is too warm, you can cool it down in the fridge, add a few ice cubes, or frozen fruits (and blend again).

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For all my blending recipes I use Vitamix. If you don’t already own a VitaMix, I strongly encourage you to check out what this machine is capable of! For more information about VitaMix you can go directly to the VitaMix website. You may also want to read my post about the Best Blender.

I LOVE my VitaMix and highly recommend investing in one if you are ready to make serious changes to your diet. I have had mine for almost 5 years and use it daily!

If you decide to purchase Vitamix – be sure to use Promotional Code 06-004554 to get free shipping.


green-smoothie-vitamix02b
Inside my Vitamix: The making of green smoothie!

This recipe has been featured on Raw Foods Thursdays.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

I also welcome any comments, questions and suggestions. Thanks!


Finally, REVEALED: The VERY BEST Blender for Smoothies: The SECRET to Finding the Best Smoothie Maker for YOU!

If you read any of my previous blog posts, you know that I’m ABSOLUTELY-POSITIVELY OBSESSED with GREEN SMOOTHIES, and if you don’t know what green smoothies are and you’re not drinking them every day, or at least every week or so–then SIGN UP for my upcoming GREEN RESET CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW so you can start experiencing all the benefits of these fantastic drinks ASAP!!!

Seriously, you should be drinking lots and lots of fresh green smoothies EVERY SINGLE DAY (or as often as you possibly can ;-)). Green smoothies are super easy to make, but if you’re just starting out, you may have some questions. So today, let’s talk about blenders and try to answer the MOST PRESSING QUESTION of all, namely:

Which is the ABSOLUTELY-UNEQUIVOCALLY BESTEST BLENDER for making smoothies?

(Okay, I know there is no such word as bestest, but–whatever! This is not the time to fuss about the word choice or play the grammar police, because that’s not why you’re here.  I’m guessing you are here to learn about the best blender for smoothies, which I’m going to reveal RIGHT NOW, so PLEASE, PLEASE keep reading.

So, tell me, which do YOU think is better:

–> A PORTABLE PERSONAL blender that fits in your luggage so you can take it with you whenever you’re on the go.

–> A COMPACT HANDHELD IMMERSION  blender that you can take apart and stash in your kitchen drawer and have it at the ready whenever you need it.

–> A no-nonsense, counter-top appliance, that’s DEPENDABLE and DOESN’T BREAK THE BANK.

–> A HIGH-SPEED, SMOOTHIE-MAKING MONSTER MACHINE, that’s unabashedly taking the most prominent space on your kitchen counter, and cost more than all the other small appliances in  your kitchen.

There are so many brands, features, colors and styles–SO WHICH ONE TO CHOOSE???

Well, the short answer is–it depends ;-).

Whether you are trying to lose weight, improve your health, feed a picky eater, or simply eat more healthfully, a quality blender will be your best friend–AS LONG AS YOU USE IT.

In addition to making fantastic green smoothies and blended salads, you can have fun with making healthy soups, nut butters, whole-food juicing, whereby all or most of the fruits and vegetables are blended to a refreshing, vitamin-packed drink, and even decadent, but super-healthy ice-creams and desserts. (Too healthy sounding? The following blender pics will also make a killer margaritas, LOL.)

best smoothie maker

When shopping for a kitchen appliance, obviously price is always a factor, but it shouldn’t be the main decision point. Even though you pay a premium price for a Vitamix bleder or Blendtec, you will get not just the smoothest smoothies, soups and ice-creams, but also unmatched durability. In other words, if you need to buy several cheap blenders over the years, then you may not be saving any money after all.

For a well-rounded machine that won’t break the bank, consider the top-rated Ninja Master Prep Professional QB1004, $60. It does practically everything well, including smoothies and icy drinks, and it’s also very quiet. Its brand mate, the Ninja Professional NJ600, also delivers excellent versatility for $100. OmniBlend seems to also be an excellent choice. (According to the manufacturer, OmniBlend comes with a powerful 3 hp. motor. so it crushes ice and blends the thickest of ingredients. The motor is designed for many years of use with built in protection features, plus it’s energy efficient. It draws only the amount of wattage required to blend the ingredients.)

If you’ve read any other of my blog posts, you may know that Vitamix is the blender I often use and for a long time it used to be my favorite kitchen appliance. If you can afford it, it’s definitely a top brand to consider. Even though it’s priced more than most other models; but you get consistent performance, versatility, extended warranty, and excellent customer service. The Vitamix Professional Series 750 is several inches shorter, so it can slide under the upper cabinet while sitting out on your counter.

Even though you pay a premium price for a Vitamix bleder or Blendtec, you will get not just the smoothest smoothies, soups and ice-creams, but also unmatched durability. In other words, if you need to buy several cheap blenders over the years, then you may not be saving any money after all.

Breville also makes excellent and affordable blenders. It’s a good blender for smoothies and icy drinks and excellent for pureeing. Plus, the Breville is more sleek looking than a lot of other models, thanks to its glass jar and die-cast aluminum base.


But what about hand blenders?

Can they make a decent smoothie?

Absolutely!

A hand blender is a FANTASTIC option, especially in a small kitchen or when you’re on the road. For a long time, I didn’t consider a hand-held blender as a viable option for making smoothies, but boy, was I wrong!

For some reason, when I tried to make a smoothie, it didn’t come out right. Of course, after I discovered what I was doing wrong, making smoothies even with a handheld immersion blender is a breeze! After I learned a few tricks, the smoothies come out delicious every time!

Regardless of whether you want to make smoothies with immersion blenders or not, it’s still worth it investing in one of those. They’re super versatile, plus they’re cute too!

Here is the honest truth—you don’t need a ‘real’ blender to make a smoothie. That’s right. You don’t have to spend money on a big 72-ounce monster blender that will take up your precious counter space just to make smoothies.

An immersion blender can do so much more than sit in your drawer until you’re making pumpkin soup. The small but powerful blades of the immersion blender are just as good at pulverizing frozen fruit as they are at pureeing vegetables. You can easily make single (or double, or even triple) serving smoothie using just an immersion blender. Just blend your smoothie in the container that came with your immersion blender, rinse the blade, and you’re done. (And, BTW, any wide-mouthed jar will work for that purpose. And, if you are one of those breakfast-on-the-go persons, slap a lid on your smoothie jar, and head out into the world. Your hand blender is one of the handiest tools in your kitchen!

Here is the most important thing about using an immersion blender to make smoothies—ensure you submerge the whole blade in the liquid before turning it on.

If the blade isn’t immersed completely in the liquid, the blender will have a hard time blending the ingredients (plus, it may spatter all over you and your kitchen with such determination that you’ll be cleaning up purple stains for the next three months, making you deeply regret the whole Green Reset Adventure. So if you want to drink your smoothie instead of wearing it, proceed with caution.)

Once you plunge the blade into the liquid, pressing it firmly to the bottom, turn the button to start blending. Slowly move the blade up and down to make sure all the ingredients get incorporated. If at any point the solid bits in the mixture clog the machine, unplug the immersion blender before doing any detangling.

Please, pretty please, for the love of smoothies—and your fingers—don’t mess with the blade unless the engine is unplugged! The button is way too easy to accidentally press, and last I checked we’re making a GREEN smoothie, not a BLOODY smoothie. Plus, if you’re rushed off to the hospital for emergency finger stitches you’re not going to get to drink your smoothie first.

Here is an easy recipe for you to try with your immersion blender:

Cut half a frozen banana into small chunks and drop them into the immersion blender container or jar along with 1/2 cup spinach, ¼ cup frozen blueberries, 6 halved fresh strawberries, and a heaping tablespoon of nut butter (almond works really well with these fruits). If you’re interested in a more complex flavor, drop in a ¼-inch pieceof fresh, peeled ginger and a few fresh mint or sage leaves. Pour in 1 cup of water or plant milk. If the liquid doesn’t reach the top of the solid stuff, pour more milk or some coconut water until the fruit is well covered. Blend and enjoy!

My kitchen is small now, so I keep my Vitamix stashed on a windowsill, plus, because I’m living in Europe now, I have to use a heavy-duty transformer to make the blender work with the different voltage. Since counter space is limited, so let’s just say it’s not ideal.

I still use Vitamix to make a full blender of smoothie (or two) for the whole family, but to make a quick smoothie in the morning, the small, hand-held blender is JUST PERFECT.

spinach smoothie recipe


Questions? Comments? Suggestions?

If you have a favorite recipe, why not submit it here in the comment section of this green smoothie recipes blog for others to enjoy too!

Spinach Smoothie in Vitamix

The Making of Spinach Smoothie: Inside of my Vitamix


Green Blended Soups ROCK!

When fruits and veggies are plentiful, EAT THEM UP!

And when blending, remember that GREEN SMOOTHIES are not the only game in town :-). (Hint, hint: RAW SOUPS are FANTASTIC for those who crave something more savory.)

Here is one recipe for you:

Green Raw Cucumber Soup

2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced (optional)
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few springs for garnish
4 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1 clove garlic
½ cup of water
Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 julienned radish
½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
½ cup fresh corn kernels

Method
Put the avocados, cucumbers, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, lime juice, lemon juice, water, and a dash of salt, if using, in a blender and process until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about one hour or up to 3 hours. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each portion with radish, bell pepper, corn, and cilantro.  

Variations
Substitute cilantro with chopped fresh dill for tasty cucumber-dill soup. Add 1 cup chopped spinach or lettuce. Garnish with cashew sour cream. To make cashew sour cream, squeeze some lemon juice into thick cashew cream (see the Cashew Cream Recipe).

***Be sure to share it on social media with anyone who’ll listen 😉 ***

***Be sure to check out my book, “Easy Raw Soups: 30+ Super-Easy, Super-Healthy Raw Food Soup Recipes Bursting With Flavor and Compassion!” on Amazon.

OR go for the whole GREEN RESET BUNDLE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086KJFX4Y/

Cheers!

green raw blended soups ROCK!

To Your Health!
Joanna

I’ve Fallen off the Wagon (Again!) – Time for the Green Reset CHALLENGE & REVOLUTION with Green Smoothies and Juices

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I’ve fallen off the Wagon (Again!) –
Time For Green Reset Challenge with Green Smoothies and Juices!

It’s that time of the year again!

When it’s so easy to fall of the wagon…

What wagon?

(NOT the vegan wagon, for sure!)

The healthy-eating wagon, the hot-body and optimal-weight wagon, the exercise-and-fitness wagon, the green smoothie and juicing wagon – [choose all that apply and insert your wagon here…]

With holidays and MAJOR FEASTING TIME Just over, but with months of cold, winter days still ahead – meaning staying mostly inside, and facing cravings, sunshine deficiency resulting in low energy and mild depression & desperation 😉 – it’s time to activate the KICKASS NINJA TACTICS, and get you into THE ZONE again – winter and cold BE DAMNED!

–>>> keep reading or go straight to sign up for the SPECIAL DEAL–Body Reset with GREEN RESET FORMULA & REVOLUTION offer HERE with BODY RESET<<<–

But first, time for some raw honesty and facing the truth:

So how did it all happen?

How come I allowed it to happen, or maybe even wanted it on some level – am I not supposed to be this green smoothie and juicing QUEEN who has it all figured out and never gives in to temptations – because she doesn’t even HAVE those temptations in the first place, and even if they appear – from some deep, dark place – they are quickly combated with a ninja tactics of juicing and blending???

Turns out even the queens have their weaker days – or months even!

So, I have to honestly admit to myself that after moving to a new apartment six months ago across the globe from the previous one – which also means that I’m on a new continent and in a new country right now (having relocated from New Jersey to Warsaw, Poland) – my daily routine has suffered.

I’ve been juicing and making smoothies almost daily for several years now – but recently not in big enough quantities to satisfy my appetite and resist temptations of nearby bakeries and shops – including the absolutely, positively EVIL place that bakes and sells insanely tasty FRENCH BAGUETTES and other breads, that’s located just steps from where I live now. (It’s called Sam and if you ever visit Warsaw, definitely check them out).

They also have kale (occasionally), but kale has NOT been the reason why I’ve been visiting that place almost daily since I moved here; always coming back home with a bunch of baguettes, and other goodies, such as hummus (which I recently started to make at home – it’s super easy and delicious! Especially with the said baguettes)….

So, I’ve been using all kinds of excuses to not be making as many smoothies and juices – such as: I don’t feel like carrying all those groceries (you do need to STOCK UP on fruits and veggies BIG TIME if you want to make this work, especially for three people, so now that I do my shopping in small local stores and carrying the groceries in bags instead of driving to big supermarkets – I’ve gotten lazy).

Another excuse is that I don’t want to wake anybody up in the morning making the noise – when I get up super early.

Finally, my blender is acting strangely (I’m still using my Vitamix that I brought from the US, and I had to plug it in through a power transformer that’s taking A LOT of the tiny amount of the counter space that I have in my new kitchen).  So, let’s just have some soup with a side of bread with hummus instead, right??!

This has been going on for a while now, without any serious consequences.

But now that the weather is really cold, and I’m not walking around the city as much – and getting to the gym NOT NEARLY ENOUGH for the amount of empty calories that I’m consuming – I’ve had a sobering realization that I PUT ON WEIGHT.

Quite a bit of weight, actually – almost 12 pounds or over five kilos – which more than I usually put on during the winter season.

And telling myself that it’s all muscle weight from going to the gym and working out with weights – is only a small part of the picture. My muscles do look more defined, but it’s enough to look at myself in the mirror and see my face – which has gotten kind of rounder and puffier… ugh!

Truth is I always crave more food and put on some weight during winter time – that’s why it’s important TO STICK TO FOODS THAT CAN BE EATEN WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS and work at the ROOT OF THE PROBLEM of cravings – which is FILLING THE BODY WITH NUTRIENTS that the body needs – which is the best solution to STOP cravings and REDUCE hunger pains – and I F*CKING KNOW IT.

I’ve known it for YEARS.

It works.

It’s easy.

It simply comes down to a FEW SIMPLE HABITS.

A FEW EASY RITUALS – that after a while become part of your second nature.

DAILY ROUTINES that don’t take a lot of time, so for example – when I get up – instead of a bowl of cereal or generous slice of French baguette with hummus (not a bad choice, if done in moderation) – a large green smoothie or freshly made vegetable juice.

Then, REPEAT AGAIN during the day a few times.

Replacing and crowding out foods that are too high or calories, or generally not so good for you – with mostly raw plant foods (leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, some nuts and seeds).

Not depriving yourself of other foods (all vegan, of course), but when you fill up on smoothies and juices – you’ll notice you don’t feel as hungry for other stuff anyway – so the problem solves itself.

AND THAT IS IT!

So, I’m CHALLENGING MYSELF  – AGAIN.

And YOU.

(Because I know that many of you have also fallen off the wagon –the holidays, the stress, the cold–if you’re in the Northern hemisphere, or whatever else is going on in your life right now that will do it to you.)

 

I’m taking the Green Reset Smoothie & Juicing Challenge — and this time, taking it to a whole new level! 

The Green Reset REVOLUTION is Coming! 

I’m SUPER EXCITED to announce the pre-launch of my new program – the Green Reset REVOLUTION: Reset your BODY, Your HEALTH and Your LIFE – beginning with plant foods, but going far and beyond a simple body detox and cleanse.

It’s literally going to take your health, your energy, and your life to a whole new level!

It’s not about just green smoothies and juices any more (although they still are a big part of the program, as they are super fun and delicious, and will help you reset your health and energy in no time, and maybe you’ll even lose some weight in the process as well – and who wouldn’t like that?!).

It’s not just about plant-based eating, recipes and tips for cleansing, detoxing, restoring your health, and losing weight.

It’s about Resetting Your Entire Life: Rediscovering your True Purpose, Igniting you with More Energy, and Passion than ever before!

It will include the Green Reset Formula (of course!) but it will go far above and beyond the green smoothies, juices, and plant foods – it literally has the potential TO TRANSFORM YOUR ENTIRE LIFE – if you trust the process and allow it to happen.

I’ll be providing more details soon, including the price — but right now I’m offering a special Early Bird Offer – if you sign up for the Green Reset Formula by January 15th, you’ll get it for FREE!

This is a great deal – because the price for the Green Reset Formula is currently reduced to just $27 per year, and this program will be surely be significantly higher, probably $97 or even more.

You can read about the Green Reset Formula here, or go straight to sign up page here –>>> Yes! Join the Green Reset Revolution NOW!

and when you do, you’ll be starting the Green Reset immediately, and  will be receiving the full Green Reset REVOLUTION: Reset your BODY, your HEALTH & your LIFE program when it launches.

–>>> Learn more about the Green Reset Formula here, or go straight to payment page here Yes! Join the Green Reset Revolution NOW! <<<–

JOIN now

See you inside!

Joanna

PS. Remember, if you sign up for the Green Reset Formula by January 15th, you’ll get the entire Green Reset Revolution membership included with that!

You can read about the Green Reset Formula here, or go straight to sign up page here –>>> Yes! Join the Green Reset Revolution NOW!

Awesome Green Smoothie with Grape Juice Recipe (from Self-Grown Grapes!)

Today I’m giving you my recipe for deliciously sweet green smoothie with home-made grape juice and kale. The grapes that I used for the juice were very tiny red fruits, with seeds (lots of them!), and very sweet — and they came from my parent’s garden (more about this later), so technically they were self-grown (if not by me personally, but by my mom).

You’ll find the recipe below, but first let me ask you – how would you like to grow your own grapes – to make juices, smoothies or perhaps even your own wine? Doesn’t it sound like fun? If it does, why don’t you?

Few people in the U.S. use their land for anything more than lawns, but in the parts of Europe where I live now, the concept of growing your own food is very popular.  In Poland, the institution of ‘działka’, which is a small parcel of land that people use for planting gardens — mostly fruits and vegetables, but also flowers, and recently more and more commonly — just grass- is still very much alive and very common. The land is usually not owned, but just leased for long-term use. It’s different from a regular garden in your backyard, because it’s usually not where you live – so you may be living in an apartment in the center of town, and have a działka in another part of town, with just a shed or small summer house.  Działkas used to be very popular years back with people who wanted to save money by growing their own food – and they still are today.

[As a side note –

I cannot help but wonder how much of the current health and environmental crisis is due to the fact that so many of us are so detached from where our food comes from and how it’s grown – caring only about how much it costs and how quickly it can be served and consumed – usually in between or during other activities, rarely do we give it enough time – cooking and loving preparation, as well as slow, relaxed consumption, not to even mention PLANTING IT, WATCHING IT GROW and HARVESTING.

And I’m not even talking about knowing things like where milk comes from (many people, even grown-up and educated adults believe that cows just ‘give milk’ and are completely ignorant about the whole process — I know because I used to be one of them). No, I’m talking even fruits and vegetables — and children having the experience of witnessing the food GROWING, and being HARVESTED — not just bought in bright packaging from a supermarket — I know it’s revolutionary, right!

End of side note. ]

My dad, who passed away a couple of years back, loved growing all kinds of fruits and veggies on his parcel. Located in the opposite part of Warsaw, its major drawback is that it takes about 30 minutes to get there from where my parent’s apartment. My mom is not as passionate about gardening work (to put it mildly), but some of the trees and shrubs – such as raspberries, red and black currants, sour cherries and gooseberries – HARDLY REQUIRE ANY WORK AT ALL, and JUST KEEP GIVING FRUIT – and plenty of it -despite tough love and very dry summer – perhaps one of the driest in this century. They practically grow and give bountiful fruits all by themselves, no hard work required.

So that’s what I have – a działka inherited from my dad.

And now, come September and October – there were grapes! Lots of them!

Green and red, albeit tiny, very sweet and really delicious.

grape-smoothie-growing-grapes01

I really wonder why more people don’t grow fruits and veggies in their backyards in the U.S. more. It’s so easy and so much fun! I know some people do it, but really it’s a tiny percentage.

Considering that so much time is spent mowing the lawns, and so much water to keep them green – why not have some culinary enjoyment instead of simply a good looking – but totally useless – piece of land. It’s a great way to make what’s inherently super-inefficient — consuming time, resources (water!) and polluting the environment — into your own little paradise and garden of Eden ;-).

So, back to the recipe – after the last visit from działka (in October), I  came home with three large baskets full of deliciously sweet dark grapes.

Eating them was certainly an option; but they were really small and each had seeds, which I don’t particularly like to chew on and swallow. My husband suggested making wine – and it’s something you may consider, but I’m not a big fan of letting perfectly good grape juice go bad (or, as some call it, ferment), so started experimenting with various juicing and smoothie recipes.

Delicious!

Here is the green smoothie I made using those grapes:

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Green Smoothie with Grape Juice Recipe

3 cups grapes
3 kale leaves, without stem
1 large cucumber, peeled if not organic, cut into pieces
1 banana (optional)
1 pear
1 cup water

Remove stems and blend grapes with water on high settings in your blender. Pour the mixture through the strainer to remove the seeds.  Rinse the blender container.

Blend all ingredients with the juice on high until very smooth, pour into glasses and enjoy!

To your health,

Joanna

 

 

PS. Why not make growing your own favorite fruits and veggies into your own family tradition and ritual? For more about challenging the existing traditions, and creating new ones – join me in my Challenging Traditions challenge (coming soon)– sign up HERE  … sign up here to receive notification about when it starts, as well as about other programs that I’m running.

 

PPS. I love drinking green smoothies and juices – and I hope you do too! They are not just delicious, but provide many health benefits as well.

Check out my Green Reset Formula HERE — right now for a RIDICULOUSLY LOW PRICE of $27 per year (which will be going up soon!) and RESET YOUR HEALTH, YOUR BODY, and YOUR LIFE — starting RIGHT NOW!

Green-Reset-Formula-YES

Some people who are concerned about the plight of animals grown for food are worried whether ditching all meat and dairy from their diet is safe, healthy and wondering – how on earth are they going to live without cheese (or steak or insert whatever culinary pleasure you cannot imagine living without) – so they never make the change.
If you are in that group, the Green Reset Formula which will help you not just make the transition effortlessly without cravings – but reap the benefits of plant-rich diet, while also making the first and most important step toward living in accordance to their values and compassion toward all beings, both human and non-human.

Read more about my program HERE, and go sign up for my Green Reset Formula for just $27 per year (that price won’t last long, I’m planning to raise soon, but you may cancel any time!) HERE.