Photo courtesy of Sarah Culver Photography Happy first day of the second half of the year! Did you follow all that? Last night, husband and I went out for dinner. We went out to celebrate me receiving my master's degree in the mail last week (woohoo!). We went out to celebrate almost 35 months of marriage (one more month 'til Greece!). We went out to celebrate his amazing year and half at the new (not so much anymore, I guess) job. And we went out to celebrate, reminisce, and recognize all the wonderful accomplishments and moments from the first half of this lovely year.
On the way to the restaurant, we took turns remarking on things from the first half of the year of which we were proud/happy. From books we finally read, and workouts that consistently happened, to degrees earned and work success, we just took a moment to enjoy and savor all that had happened, all we had achieved, and how very wonderful our first 6 months of 2013 have been.
This recipe involves a bit of work, but it's worth it, and with a little planning, it won't take any time at all. This is a recipe that I really love. It makes use of every bit of the ingredients and is exactly what you need to take the day, the week, and the second half of this glorious year by storm.
Beet Berry Blast Smoothie
makes 1 very large or 2 small smoothies
1 large/2 small beets
2 large carrots
1/2 lemon
2 handfuls of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, I think even cherries would be good! I usually use strawberries and blueberries)
beet greens* (usually I buy one bunch of beets, use one or two for this smoothie, and use all of the beet greens)
1/2 cup whole fat greek yogurt
water, as necessary to thin
*no beet greens? No worries! Try 2 big handfuls of raw spinach or 1 handful of kale, center stems removed
Juice** the beet/s, carrots, and lemon half. In a blender, place all the remaining ingredients, add the beet/carrot/lemon juice, and blend until smooth, adding cold water as necessary to get your desired smoothie consistency.
**No juicer? I haven't tried this fully with this recipe, but have had success in other recipes, by cooking the veggies, cooling them, and then adding to the blender to mix in place of just the juice. In other words, roast your carrots and beet/s in the oven until nice and tender (or boil in water), allow to cool, and then blend in the blender until very smooth. THEN add your remaining smoothie ingredients (berries, yogurt, etc.) In this case, use the juice from an entire lemon, just squeezing it into the blender with everything else. You will probably need a bit more water, too. Blend very, very well, as the beets can have a noticeable consistency if not fully pureed.
Beetalicious Benefits (combines the benefits of beets and the beet greens; the latter are designated by an *)
Folate - necessary for proper DNA synthesis to make new cells and blood
Manganese - serves antioxidant functions, helps enzymes to function, assists in wound healing, and is necessary for proper thyroid function
*Vitamin A - assists in immune function, bone and tooth growth, eye health, skin and membrane integrity, regulates gene expression, and helps with reproduction
*Vitamin C - necessary for collagen synthesis (connective tissue of the body), increases immune defenses, required for proper thyroid hormone production, increases iron absorption (especially from non-heme - non-animal - sources), serves an an antioxidant, and helps with metabolism
*Vitamin K - required for blood clotting and bone mineralization (hardening) protein production
This recipe involves a bit of work, but it's worth it, and with a little planning, it won't take any time at all. This is a recipe that I really love. It makes use of every bit of the ingredients and is exactly what you need to take the day, the week, and the second half of this glorious year by storm.
Beet Berry Blast Smoothie
makes 1 very large or 2 small smoothies
1 large/2 small beets
2 large carrots
1/2 lemon
2 handfuls of frozen berries (strawberries, blueberries, I think even cherries would be good! I usually use strawberries and blueberries)
beet greens* (usually I buy one bunch of beets, use one or two for this smoothie, and use all of the beet greens)
1/2 cup whole fat greek yogurt
water, as necessary to thin
*no beet greens? No worries! Try 2 big handfuls of raw spinach or 1 handful of kale, center stems removed
Juice** the beet/s, carrots, and lemon half. In a blender, place all the remaining ingredients, add the beet/carrot/lemon juice, and blend until smooth, adding cold water as necessary to get your desired smoothie consistency.
**No juicer? I haven't tried this fully with this recipe, but have had success in other recipes, by cooking the veggies, cooling them, and then adding to the blender to mix in place of just the juice. In other words, roast your carrots and beet/s in the oven until nice and tender (or boil in water), allow to cool, and then blend in the blender until very smooth. THEN add your remaining smoothie ingredients (berries, yogurt, etc.) In this case, use the juice from an entire lemon, just squeezing it into the blender with everything else. You will probably need a bit more water, too. Blend very, very well, as the beets can have a noticeable consistency if not fully pureed.
Beetalicious Benefits (combines the benefits of beets and the beet greens; the latter are designated by an *)
Folate - necessary for proper DNA synthesis to make new cells and blood
Manganese - serves antioxidant functions, helps enzymes to function, assists in wound healing, and is necessary for proper thyroid function
*Vitamin A - assists in immune function, bone and tooth growth, eye health, skin and membrane integrity, regulates gene expression, and helps with reproduction
*Vitamin C - necessary for collagen synthesis (connective tissue of the body), increases immune defenses, required for proper thyroid hormone production, increases iron absorption (especially from non-heme - non-animal - sources), serves an an antioxidant, and helps with metabolism
*Vitamin K - required for blood clotting and bone mineralization (hardening) protein production