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Purple Monster Smoothie

08/27/2012 By Leave a Comment

What kid doesn’t think a name of smoothie like purple monster isn’t cool?

My little dude loves fruit and smoothies. But even somedays I have to come up with a cool name for it to get him to want to stop playing in the sandbox to come in and eat. The Purple Monster smoothie did the trick.

And if you have a little single serving food processor, it makes these so easy and quick. We make them almost daily and mix in the good stuff to take the nutritional power to the next level.

Purple Monster Smoothie ingredients

A couple of strawberries (with or without the greens taken off)
A small handful of blueberries
1/2 banana
a splash of almond milk (unsweetened–vanilla or original)
1 scoop NutriVerus Real Food Powder to sneak in more fruits, veggies, and glyconutrients

Hint: It’s great if at least one of the ingredients is from frozen to give it a nice coolness. Or you could just add a bit of crushed ice. And if you don’t have almond milk, you could use a splash of juice instead.

Here’s the smiling results!

Isn't he a cutie?!

By Marla Finley

Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: , , ,

Berry Blast NutriVerus Smoothie

06/06/2012 By Leave a Comment

We’ve found a way to sneak great nutrition into our kids’ diets. It’s easy!

Here’s what you need to make the Berry Blast Smoothie:
4 fresh strawberries
10 or so blueberries
1/2 squeezed lemon
1/2 banana
10 leaves fresh spinach
Just a bit of crushed ice unless you’re using frozen fruits
1/2 scoop NutriVerus

And it’s a real hit. This red-headed rocker dude (Marla’s 7 year-old) approves. :)

Learn more from nutrition expert Steve Nugent of Mannatech on why NutriVerus (Latin for Real Food) is such a great real food solution for families by watching this archived webinar.

Crammed into this one simple and affordable powder is antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, glyconutrients, organic fruits and veggies, and stabilized rice bran. And you will hardly even notice the taste–especially in a smoothie like this.

Order yours today for your whole family and turn whatever they are eating into the healthiest thing they will eat all day.

Filed Under: Featured, Smoothies Tagged With: , , , ,

Osolean Coffee

08/09/2011 By Leave a Comment

Osolean coffee ingredients

When embarking on the Osolean program, most people like to mix their Osolean into the GlycoSlim meal replacement with water or almond milk for breakfast. It’s yummy, fast, and super nutritious.

However, finding something to put Osolean in before or after dinner is sometimes tricky. We recommend a putting it in a bit of chocolate almond milk, fruit smoothie, juice, yogurt or coffee.

So, how about a great Osolean coffee recipe? You’ll need:
2 scoops of Osolean whey protein blend (for targeting fat loss and appetite control)
1/2 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons of instant coffee blend
1 teaspoon stevia (Truvia is pictured but stevia would be healthier.)

Let us know how you like it!

Filed Under: Fat loss, Featured, Smoothies Tagged With:

Quick & Healthy Breakfast

03/09/2011 By Leave a Comment

Do you skip breakfast?  Do you wish your breakfast was healthier?  Here’s a great idea on how to make every morning a great start!  This is an integral piece of how Marla lost 4 pant sizes, 30 pounds and 28 inches and kept it off for over 2 years and going. Find out how here.

Filed Under: Fitness, Smoothies Tagged With: , ,

Whisk it up

02/28/2011 By Leave a Comment

We often get these questions:

  1. How do I mix Ambrotose or NutriVerus into whatever I’m drinking?
  2. What’s the best way to mix OsoLean whey protein and GlycoSlim meal replacement in with water or almond milk?

We sometimes use a Blender Bottle and other times a fork.  However if you want a really smooth mix that’s especially great at blending Ambrotose, then an electric whisk does the trick.

I found this one here on Amazon for only $6.49. 

For more tips on what to mix your Ambrotose in, make sure to view the Ambrotose Cooking Show and pass it along to others.

Filed Under: Smoothies, Wellness Tagged With: , , ,

Smoothie Secrets

02/22/2011 By 2 Comments

Since I blogged last about our youngest son enjoying his first green smoothie, we’ve tried 3 other recipes.  We’ve had success 3 out of 4 times.  I say that’s pretty awesome for a start with my cheap-o blender.

Here’s the secret that I’ve learned: When newbies like myself get started, the trick is to have a lot more fruit than greens in the mix.  Apparently, the more you get accustomed to the earthy tastes, you can evolve the mix to 50/50.  Until, then we’re making sure that bananas and other fruit are in every blend.

The one the flopped didn’t have bananas.  And I think I added too much spinach.  Don’t do that.  :)

Here’s our favorite green smoothie so far:

2 bananas (peeled)

1 apple (cored)

8-12 frozen blueberries (This ingredient will make the smoothie purple!)

about 1 Cup filtered water–depending on how thick you like it

1/2 Cup crushed ice

1/2 cup spinach (frozen is preferable–it keeps longer and makes for a better slush)

1-2 teaspoons of Ambrotose or 1 scoop NutriVerus

Our 5-year-old insisted on knowing what’s in the blend.  I made him try it first.  He liked it!  Then, when I told him what was in it, he paused and then said, “Cool”!

-By Marla Finley

Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: , , , ,

Toddler’s First Green Smoothie

02/18/2011 By 5 Comments

When I was in Mexico recently I was served a smoothie of CACTUS, celery and orange juice.  It was so surprisingly delicious that I’ve been won over.  And I felt great too.

Lots of people recommend getting a fancy blender to make the healthy green smoothies.  (That simply means a fruit smoothie with any number of greens mixed in.) I’m sure the fancy blenders work great.  I watched at least 20 videos of some smoothies made in the Vitamix and OmniBlend on youtube. But I don’t yet have one and I don’t like living with excuses.

Thankfully, I came across a video of a lady who makes green smoothies with a cheap blender. She inspired me to get started now while budgeting for a fancy blender for later.

So, watch this precious video of my 2 year-old’s first experience with a green smoothie.  It’s just banana, apple, spinach, water and ice.  It’s a tame way to start and we’ll work up to adding more stuff soon.

By Marla Finley

Filed Under: Smoothies Tagged With: , ,

What can you do with pumpkin guts?

10/30/2010 By Leave a Comment

By Marla Finley

I haven’t carved a pumpkin since 13 years ago during a college social.  I remember not liking it then.  It’s hard to do, tough to cut and messy!  Pumpkin carving should be a sport.

The Four Finley Punkins

Animated kids can change my attitude. So, last night we set about to carve a pumpkin.  But I’m so practical, that I didn’t want to just throw away all the guts.  First we watched a how to carve a pumpkin video.  Then, I found ideas for recipes.

So, here’s for a long post of 3 picture recipes that we were able to do with the guts of one big pumpkin!

  1. Pumpkin seeds as a yummy snack
  2. Pumpkin protein smoothie
  3. Pumpkin waffles

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Separate the pumpkin membranes from the seeds, wash and dry on a towel

Place clean pumpkin seeds on a sprayed baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and cinnamon. Then, bake at 350 for 10-20 minutes.

Enjoy this healthy snack.  We were surprised that we really like the salty and cinnamon taste.  And it sure made the house smell awesome.

PUMPKIN PROTEIN SMOOTHIE

Smoothie ingredients

1/2 Cup crushed ice

1 Tablespoon pumpkin purée

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon agave nectar (or other healthy sweetener to taste)

1/2 cup Almond milk

2 Scoops of protein powder–OsoLean is our preferred supplement since it also targets fat loss

Optional: 1 teaspoon Ambrotose for immune power (UPDDATE: We now add 1 scoop of NutriVerus for a more well rounded nutritional support as well as it being more affordable!)

PUMPKIN WAFFLES FROM SCRATCH

Pumpkin waffle ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour (wheat is best)
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (or healthy sugar alternative)
  • Optional: 4 teaspoons Ambrotose for immune power (UPDDATE: We now add 2 scoops NutriVerus for a more well rounded nutritional support as well as it being more affordable!)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin purée
  • 1 2/3 cups almond milk
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

    • Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl then mix both bowls’ ingredients together while heating the waffle iron.

    Use a 1/2 cup measuring spoon to scoop a heaping scoop of batter onto the sprayed waffle iron.  Close the lid and cook for about 2 minutes until lightly brown and firm.

    The batter shouldn't come to the edges or else it will overflow when it's closed.

    Result: 9 delicious homemade waffles!

    Use a fork and a spatula to move to a foil covered plate.

    This mix made 9 heart-shaped pancakes that were so super delicious.  The waffles were a lot more flimsy than with regular batter, but the taste was so moist and decadent.  We are definitely making these again!

     

    Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: , , , , ,

    Low-Glycemic Vanilla Fruit Smoothie

    07/05/2010 By Leave a Comment

    By Marla Finley

    Here’s a healthy dessert idea for this July evening.

    One of the things I love most about summer is all the yummy fruits.   When fruits are off-season I only eat a minimal amount to cover my nutritional bases for each day.  In the summer, it’s more of a desirable food for me.  One way I tend to sneak more fruits in is through smoothies.  And it’s such an EASY way to feel like I’m having a luxurious dessert.  However, if you used a full scoop of the meal replacement powder instead of only a 1/4 scoop, it could serve as one of your meals to help you cut calories and eat super healthy.

     

    Here's what you need.

     

    1/2 Cup crushed ice (or you can skip this when using frozen strawberries)

    1/2 Cup Almond milk-original

    1/2 Cup fresh or frozen strawberries

    1/2 Banana

    2 Scoops OsoLean whey protein powder

    Optional: 1 teaspoon Ambrotose or 1 scoop NutriVerus (I love sneaking even more immune power in!)

    1/4 scoop GlycoSlim meal replacement drink-french vanilla flavor

    (I haven’t found a great alternative for this product.  I’ve tried vanilla extract and almond extract, but each time it’s just overpowered the drink.  This meal replacement powder is super yummy and perfect for blending with fruits.  It’s also non-GMO and low-glycemic, which means that it won’t mess with your blood sugars.  If you use a full scoop of the powder, this smoothie can serve as one of your meals for the day instead of a snack or dessert.)

    Calories  142

    Carbs 22

    Fat grams 2

    Protein grams 11

    Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: , , ,

    Reese’s Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie

    06/28/2010 By 3 Comments

    By Marla Finley

    Don’t worry.  It’s not as sinful as it sounds.  In fact, My Fitness Pal calculates that it only has 213 calories.

     

    Here's what you need

     

    ½ Cup crushed ice

    ½ Cup Almond Milk (or cow milk)

    1/2 Tablespoon GlycoSlim Meal Replacement mix—chocolate (or Nesquik)

    2 scoops OsoLean Whey Protein powder

    1 Tablespoon Peanut Butter (Skippy Natural is our favorite.)

    ½ Banana

    1 teaspoon Ambrotose or 1 scoop NutriVerus

    Blend well and Enjoy!

     

    This smoothie gets a big thumbs up!

     

    This would make for a powerful breakfast.  But I prefer it as an after-the-kids-go-to-bed dessert to wind down.

     

    Sunbutter makes for a great peanut butter alternative.

     

    If you’re looking for an alternative to peanut butter, I highly recommend Sunbutter.  It doesn’t require refrigeration, so it stays nice and creamy.  And when it’s in recipes with lots of ingredients like this one, I can’t tell the difference!

    Filed Under: Recipes, Smoothies Tagged With: , , , ,
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