Green Monster, Jam, and Blueberry Carob Pancakes!
Good morning! :-)
How did you all sleep? I really didn’t get much rest last night — by three o’clock in the morning I was waking up every five minutes, so I just listened to my body and got up and out of bed. I’m glad, though. I always love to watch the sunrise from the big window in our living room — it’s my little slice of peace that I really like to start my day with. Makes me smile…
I have to say, this new vegan diet is really amazing. I feel fantastic, besides the little bit of a sore throat that I have, and feeling a little bit more tired than usual. That’s to be expected, though, for a few weeks. And as for the sore throat — I am taking that sign as my body telling me that my diet is missing something. I took a look at what I have been eating these past five days and realized that I hadn’t been eating enough veggies. No good. So, yesterday when I left my meeting with the wedding planner (more on that later), I went to Sprouts and picked up some fresh produce, as well as some other yummies that I can’t wait to use.
I have been hearing a lot about Green Monsters — those smoothies with spinach and fruit. Angela Liddon from Oh She Glows came up with this Green idea, and I jumped on the wagon yesterday — and was floored. Not only did this smoothie taste amazing, It also completely energized me. I had one for dinner and it kept me full for hours (until bedtime, which was perfect, because if your body isn’t digesting food when it goes to sleep, it can actually concentrate on, well, SLEEPING!).
Here is my recipe for my first Green Monster. I have to admit, mine came out a bit more purple-green (it’s a truly beautiful color!), but it’s base is spinach. I’m givin’ a little shout-out to the love of my life, Greyson, for responding to my “Can-you-buy-me-a-blender-today” text with “Sure, babe. Everyone needs a blender.” Needless to say, my handsome husband-to-be had that shiny, beautiful blender on our kitchen countertop before I even got home. Because that’s just the kind of amazing that he is.
M’s Purple Monster
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup 100% fruit juice (try your hardest to stay away from anything with cane sugar or cane juice in it! Think of it as a challenge!)
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup almond milk (or your favorite kind of milk)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 medium-sized banana
1 medium handful of spinach
DIRECTIONS
Put it all in the blender, and you know what to do! I added a small handful of ice cubes at the end to make it colder, but depending on the temperature of your refrigerated items, you may not have to!
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After I made that smoothie, I found something in my cupboards that I completely forgot I had… A FOOD PROCESSOR. WHAT?! Needless to say, I went crazy.
Strawberry-Blueberry Jam
INGREDIENTS
2 handfuls strawberries, hulled and cut in half
2 handfuls blueberries
1/2 tablespoon agave nectar
DIRECTIONS
Put all of the ingredients in your food processor, and mix it up! Put in the refrigerator for it to thicken up overnight. Then, enjoy on toast, or in your Overnight Oats!
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I knew that this morning I wanted to try some vegan pancakes, so I made the batter last night. I probably wouldn’t do this again (the make-it-overnight part) because the batter was super sticky this morning, but hey, you live and you learn. I just added some more almond milk to the batter this morning, and it was fine.
Blueberry Carob Pancakes with Banana-Blueberry Puree
Adapted From: Oh She Glows (Image Source)
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup whole grain oat flour
dash of sea salt
3 tablespoons carob powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup almond milk
oil, for greasing frying pan
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
**For the puree**
1/2 cup blueberries, fresh
1 medium-sized banana
drizzle of pure maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
Grease and preheat a skillet over medium-heat. Mix dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a small bowl, mix together wet ingredients (leaving out blueberries). Add wet to dry and whisk well. Stir in blueberries. Pour 1/3 of the batter onto the frying pan. Cook on one side until bubbles pop and then flip. Makes 3 medium-large sized pancakes.
For the puree (make ahead of time and refrigerate): Put 1/2 cup fresh blueberries, 1 banana, and a drizzle of maple syrup in a food processor. Process until smooth. When ready to use, poor puree over pancakes, and enjoy!
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That’s all I’ve got for you this morning, my dears! I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I will most likely catch ya back here this evening! :-)
Xoxo, Mareah
Tagged as: a day in the life. vegan recipes.
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kisses-and-cake posted this
