Elaina Love's "Give Me Greens!" Sweet Milkshake (p. 146) is a pretty cool milkshake. Really and truly. It's fun and frothy and it's a lighter shade of green.
I was sceptical at first. Almond milk and bananas are tasty goodness, but to toss in Spirulina or Barley Green Powder for good measure? I don't know about that.
Strange? Sure. Delicious? Absolutely! My husband gave me "that" look but he relented after my Adventurous Avery took a swig.
They both enjoyed.
Banana Bites by Shazzie, p. 193
Gotta love it. Banana, walnut and raisin. Sweet and simple. And they are just so darn cute.
What’s your favorite sweet and simple treat?
Ants in a Canoe by Stephen Arlin, p. 110
My daughter, Donavan, loved, loved, l-o-v-e-d, loved this snack. She could not get enough of the salty raw almond butter with the tart apples and sweet raisins. She did ask me why there was almond butter inside the canoe, I told her the hull had a hole and filled up with gooey, almond butter and the "ants" were hanging on for dear life, just like mommy.
I decided against making my own almond butter as the recipe called for. I understand back in the day, raw almond butter probably was not readily available in your local grocery store, so making it from scratch might have been required.
But why make this kid-friendly treat harder than it has to be?
I did go a bit further with the recipe and hollowed out the apple to add more almond butter. Donavan seemed to appreciate that.
Ants in a Canoe
Adapted from Stephen Arlin's recipe
2 large apples
¼ cup raw almond butter
¼ cup raisins
With a paring knife, cut the apples into quarters. Remove the core and seeds and carve the apple to create the tiny hull of the canoe.
Spoon the almond butter in the hull and top with raisins.
Ants on a Log by Karie Clingo, p. 110
Simplicity. It is the beauty of this snack. This is another recipe that kids can take the lead.
I cut the celery “logs,” spread the almond butter and let Avery put as many raisins on it as her heart desires.
Raw Candy by David Wolfe, p. 295
This one is easy-breezy, the kids enjoyed putting almonds into dates.
Lanna has asked if I would briefly speak on my Juice Feasting. I am actually blogging about it on Inspiration:Life. The catch is I'm keeping it private for now, until I get a good footing. I promise, I will open it in the next month or two. For now, I'm settling in for a long haul so there is no rush by any means.
Since we are on the subject of juices, let's for the fun of it add Recipe #4 Green Lemonade by John Larsen, p. 147. A juice containing kale, lemon, celery and apples. It is very, very tasty, but for as many apples that are used (10 large) it should be called Green Apple Juice.
I made two quarts, thinking I was going to enjoyed all by my lonesome, but as you see, my daughter Donavan finished off a quart by herself.
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2 c coconut water
1/4 c agave nectar, plus 1 T
1/2 c raspberries
1/2 c blueberries
Whisk coconut water and agave nectar together.
If the berries are a bit bitter, gently toss 1 tablespoon agave nectar on them to sweetened.
Pour coconut water mixture into 4 oz Popsicle molds an inch at a time. Add a berry. Continue the process until you leave about ½-inch space at the top to allow for expansion.
Put Popsicle molds in the freezer for 6 hours. Overnight is best.
Judi, from Kansas City, wanted raw recipes for kids to share with moms in her area.
Fresh fruit is always a winner with children. A piece of fruit is the simpliest thing you can give a child and they will be happy for it.
(Avery at 8 months)Bananas, apples, mangos, melons, children more times than not love them all. My youngest daughter Avery loves eating an avocado straight from its skin.
(Avery at 3 years old)All the raw desserts my children loved without fail, especially ice cream made in the blender.
DonavanA green leafy salad is an excellent meal for children. My children eat their greens some of the times. They are more likely to eat salad if they can pick their own from our garden and help with the dressing preparation.
My son Bishop eats mint straight from the ground.
The more you involve children in the preparation of the meal, the more they are likely to eat it, no matter what you prepare. My least "raw" kid, Bishop actually tasted the raw kale he was tearing. He didn't like it but at least he tried it. I don't think it dawned him that kale is one of the ingredients in the smoothies he drinks for breakfast.
(Avery and Bishop tearing kale for kale chips)Below are some recipes from the Daily Raw Blog archives that my children have enjoyed over time.
Donavan's SaladAnts on a LogAnts in a CanoeRaw CandyGuacamoleChocolate Pudding
Fruit KabobsMixed Fruit Ice Cream
Tropical Green SmoothieMakes 2 quarts1 handful of your favorite greens1 cup water1 small pineapple, peeled, cored, diced2 mangos, peeled, diced2 very ripe bananas, peeled2 tablespoons raw agave nectar, or more to taste
Combine greens and water in a blender. Process until greens are liquid. Add remaining ingredients in a blender until well incorporated, working in batches if necessary.
I feel downright embarrassed submerging these grapes in chocolate. They were very sweet and tasty by themselves. No worries, we have about 5 more pounds of them sans chocolate. This recipe really should be called "THE PRE-BREAKFAST TO FEED BISHOP WHEN HE RISES AT 5 IN THE MORNING WANTING A SMOOTHIE AND PROCEEDS TO INTERUPT MY SLUMBER TO GET FED" Grapes. But that title seemed a bit long.
Chocolate-Covered Grapes1 pound seedless grapes1 recipe for Chocolate Sauce
Use scissors to snip the grapes into small bunches, put them on a large platter lined with parchment or wax paper. Place platter in the freezer while you prepare the chocolate glaze.
Chocolate Glaze¼ cup water¼ cup maple syrup (not a raw product)½ cup cocoa powder¼ cup coconut oil (liquid)
Combine ingredients in the blender until well combined. Pour into a bowl. Hold a bunch of grapes by the stem over the bowl of chocolate. Dip the grapes into the bowl of chocolate to coat them completely. Let the excess drip back into the bowl. Arrange the chocolate-covered grapes on the platter; repeat with remaining grapes. Freeze for 30 minutes and serve.
