Orange Banana Smoothie Recipe

Orange Banana Smoothie

An orange banana smoothie is one of my son's favorites.  It it simple and nutritious! I use four simple ingredients and it is a hit every time!

Orange Banana Smoothie Recipe

1 cup for organic vanilla soy milk (use can use cow or other kind of milk)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (vanilla yogurt works well too)
1 frozen banana
1 fresh orange

Put everything in your blender and blend until smooth.  This makes two cups.  If you want it thicker, add half to one cup of ice.  Enjoy!

Health Benefits: Bananas are a good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Potassium, Manganese, and Vitamin B6. Oranges are have a good source of Thiamin, Folate and Potassium, and Dietary Fiber and Vitamin C.  Plain yogurt is high in protein, calcium, and is a good source of lactobacteria, or probiotics, which are beneficial live bacteria.  Soy milk is a good source of calcium and protein.

Banana Ice Cream Recipe

Banana Ice Cream

Everyone seems to love ice cream.  You can make ice cream in a Vitamix or food processor.  Since bananas are in season and really cheap right now, we decided to make some banana ice cream which was yummy!

Banana Ice Cream Recipe

1 cup of heavy cream (or milk, half and half, etc.)
3-4 frozen bananas
1/4 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp vanilla

Blend until smooth.  If you have the preset, set to frozen desserts.  Use the tamper to help push the frozen peaches into the blades. Or put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Chicken Potato Spinach Soup

Chicken Potato Spinach Soup

I got the following recipe from the Vitamix Savor Recipes book.  Since I had everything on hand, it was quick and easy to prepare, not to mention it is healthy and yummy!  Here's how to make Chicken Potato Spinach Soup in a blender!  The Vitamix actually heats the soup, so I'm not sure how well this will work in a regular blender.  If you try it, let me know how it turns out.  Enjoy!

Chicken Potato Spinach Soup

1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth (I used organic, low sodium)
1.5 cups (360 ml) milk (I used almond milk)
1/4 cup (40 g) chopped onion
3 medium Russet potatoes, baked, halved, divided use (I used red potatoes, put two potatoes in first and the one potato in later)
1/8 tsp dried rosemary (I used a few leaves of fresh basil, what I had)
1 Tbs spinach, cooked or frozen, thawed (I used a small handful of fresh uncooked spinach)
5 ounces (140 g) skinless boneless chicken breast, cooked and diced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place broth, milk, onion, two potatoes, and rosemary into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Hot Soups program.  If you don't have this program start off at one, then increase the speed to 10 slowly. 
3. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle or wait until your soup starts to steam (about 5 minutes).
4. Select Variable 1.
5. Press Start and slowly increase speed to Variable 3 and remove the lid plug.
6. Add spinach, one potato, chicken, salt and pepper through the lid plug opening.
7. Blend an additional 5 to 10 seconds.

Apple Grape Juice Recipe

I try and eat a piece of fruit or have a serving of veggies at every meal and snack.  My child loves juice but it is high in sugar and lacks a lot of natural nutrients.  Today I decided to make him some juice.  I made apple grape juice.  It turned out great!  With a Vitamix you can leave the skins on the apple and get all of the apple's natural fiber.  

Apple Grape Juice Recipe

1 cup of green grapes
1 sliced red apple (with or without skin)
1/2 cup water
1 cup ice optional (if you want it frothy and colder)

Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.  Or select the Smoothie program setting.

Add ingredients

Blend

Delicious Apple Grape Juice!

Peach Ice Cream

Peach Ice Cream

It is very simple to make ice cream in the Vitamix.  There is nothing more tasty than homemade ice cream.  Here is how I make peach ice cream, very tasty and nutritious!

Vitamix Peach Ice Cream Recipe

1/2 cup of milk (I used Almond Milk but you can use cow, soy, half and half, etc.)
1.5 cups of frozen peaches
1/4 cup sugar (or sweetener of choice)
1 tsp vanilla

Put everything in the Vitamix and use the tamper to push everything into the blades until four peaks form on top.  If you have a frozen dessert  setting, use that along with the tamper.  Enjoy!

This is what the four peaks look like.

Chocolate Kale Milkshake

Chocolate Kale Milk Shake

I'm always trying to get my 3-year to eat more greens.  He likes cooked broccoli, spinach, and peas.  But he says "no thank you" to lettuce and raw broccoli, spinach, and kale.  He said no to kale until now.

I found that chocolate covers the taste of kale pretty well.  My son drank this up and wanted more.  

Chocolate Kale Milkshake

1/2 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup plain almond milk
1.5 cups of low fat vanilla frozen yogurt
hand full of washed kale, stems removed

Place everything in your blender and blend until smooth.  For a thicker smoothie, add less milk.

If you don't have almond milk, you can substitute the milk for any kind you want.  If you don't have chocolate milk, add a little chocolate powder or syrup and enjoy.

What's inside Kale?

I find Kale to be a pretty perfect food, especially for kids but adults need it too.  Kale has essential nutrients such as calcium, lutein, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and K. Kale has seven times the beta-carotene of broccoli and ten times more lutein. Kale is rich in chlorophyll and fiber.

I got a Vitamix!

Vitamix 6300

This past week I finally broke down and bought a Vitamix.  I have been wanting a Vitamix for a long time.  In Germany I knew several people who had them and really liked them.  However, I could not justify paying 800 Euros (around $1000) or more for one.  I use my blender several times a week and have been wanting a professional one for a while.  Costco had a demonstration and I tried about four things and was sold.  For $499.99, I bought the Vitamix 6300, which is basically the Vitamix 500. 

My review of the Vitamix 6300:
- Easy to use
- Has three pre-programmed settings to make it easy to "walk away" when blending
- Blends everything perfectly
- Chops and dices
- Makes ice cream and soups quick and easily
- Makes perfect smoothies
- Easy to clean

One of the main reasons I have wanted a professional grade blender is because of the health benefits.  This past year I have had three miscarriages, found out I have a few autoimmune disorders, as well as a few other things.  My family tries to avoid processed foods as much as possible.  However, getting enough fruits and vegetables everyday is challenging.  In Germany I had a blender and a juicer.  When you juice, you lose a lot of the fiber and some of the vitamins and minerals.  With the Vitamix I can blend many foods whole.  Join me as I blog about my blender adventures!