NEW Juice recipes, Smoothie recipes…time to get back to it!

I am literally having a hard time typing on my laptop. It’s ridiculous. Is it possible to be away from your laptop for so long that you have to reacquaint yourself with the keyboard? I guess it is because that’s what I’m experiencing right now. I have missed my blog, missed eating healthy (mostly low fat raw vegan or 80/10/10) all the time and definitely sorely missed feeling healthy and vibrant. I guess being pregnant (not having an easy time with it) and taking care of a newborn can really throw you off your game. Well, y’all, I’ve gotten back on the saddle, I’m thoroughly enjoying the process of taking care of myself again and now I want to get back to talking, or rather, typing about it.

My sins. I have many of them this year. I literally shoved anything and everything down my throat while I was pregnant. I couldn’t eat and satisfy myself fast enough. I had an insatiable appetite 24/7. All the time. All the darn time. I woke up thinking about food (unhealthy food) and went to bed thinking about what (unhealthy) breakfast I would have the next morning. It was horrible and pleasurable all at the same time. I am incredibly hungry all the time now thanks to being a breastfeeding mommy but at least this time I’m shoving bananas down my throat and waking up excited to make a green juice. I thank the heavens above that I literally did not pay for my sins by gaining excessive weight while pregnant but my hormones are definitely waaaay out of whack which I can’t balance with any herbs till I’m done breastfeeding. I gained 19lbs and lost all of it by the time I was 10 days postpartum. THANK YOU GOD. All that being said, I look forward to a healthful postpartum journey and I want to take you with me whether you’re happy with your weight, want to lose weight, want to feel energized by your meals, lower your cholesterol, control your blood sugar or just love to prepare and enjoy delicious new healthy recipes. I can guarantee it’ll be an interesting ride!

Here are a few juice and smoothie recipes that I have made in the last few weeks that have really gotten me excited! I mean…really excited!! 🙂

Blueberry Delight Smoothie Recipe

• Blueberries, 1 cup
• 1 banana
• 1 orange
• Handful of spinach
• 1tbsp of flaxseed meal

Simple Strawberry-Mango-Orange Smoothie Recipe

• 1 cup of strawberries
• 1 orange
• 1/2-1 cup of mango

Great Green Juice Recipe

• 3-4 stalks of celery
• 1 cucumber
• 2 apples
• 1 kiwi
• Handful of cilantro
• Handful of parsley
• 1 lemon
• knob of turmeric 

So there you have it folks! Those are 3 pretty good recipes worth making….right now 🙂 If you can’t wait 500 months for my next post, do check me out on IG (Instagram). I’ve been posting great recipes there pretty often the past few weeks. Do scrub those veggies really well and choose organic ones if available/affordable. I made my smoothies with the all-too-amazing Vitamix and juiced with the Omega J8006.

~Happy Juicing Y’all!~

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Grapefruit, Cucumber, Apple and Orange Juice

I looooooove juicing grapefruit. I made these juices for company and they were a hit!

• 1 Grapefruit
• 1 cucumber
• 1 Apple
• 1 orange

The pink juices are my usual fave Grapefruit and Apple Juice combo

If any of you are on Instagram, it’s my new favorite addiction and I post recipes pretty instantaneously on it (like this recipe) along with other great raw food (juice, smoothie, fruit and salad) eats. Follow me @mapleavenuejuice and let’s inspire each other. I love it! Don’t know what took me so long to join.

Here is one of many pictures I posted on Instagram that was absolutely delicious. Don’t you want to eat it NOW?

~Juice&Inspire~

 

 

 

 

Here’s a Juice, Smoothie and Salad Recipe you’ll love!

I can’t believe it’s been 2 months already of eating a mostly raw vegan diet. I’m not a big fan of labels because I don’t want to deter anyone from my main message which is that fruits and vegetables ROCK!!! The more fruits and veggies you add to your diet the healthier you will be and feel… guaranteed! I do appreciate labels though for how important they are in having discussions of any kind. In my quest to attain greater health this year, those words (raw and vegan) are the IT words. My diet has sloooooowly evolved in the past 9 years (since I read Never Be Sick Again by Raymond Francis) and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve never gone cold turkey on anything. Cold turkey does not work for me. I am much further along than most people I know who for years have quit this, that or the other, announced it to the world and sworn by everything, only to be smothered in grease on a Friday night and decide that eating healthy is too hard. Nice and slow works, no need for torture 🙂 I know my why and that keeps me going. I’ve had a few cooked non-vegan meals (one or two a week on average) since this journey began but I’m not sweating them! I am focusing on how easy and delicious it is to have simple and fast raw vegan meals! Here are 3 new recipes I made in one day. I actually wasn’t trying to create new recipes, it just happened! and then of course I thought to myself… better run and get that camera so you can share this with everyone. Enjoy folks. Every recipe was deeeeeelicous 🙂

Juice Recipe #32: Orange Glow

I love 3 ingredient juice recipes, they’re so easy! This juice was sweet and had a great zing thanks to the ginger. Remember… go for organic ingredients if possible. This recipe is very reminiscent of this ABC and ginger recipe but it tastes and looks very different. I used my Breville Juice Fountain Plus instead of the Omega J8006 for this recipe because they were all hard ingredients that the Breville just juices faster.

• 1 large golden beet (this was my first time using them and they are gorgeous)
• 5 carrots
• 1 inch of ginger

Smoothie Recipe #9: Hubby’s Fruit Medley

I have a confession. This was my husband’s creation, not mine. It is THE joy of my life that eating this way (and sharing it with others) inspires anyone, and most importantly the people I love so deeply. Hubby has become quite the smoothie maker so when he came up with this winner I knew I had to share it. If you want to do it hubby’s style just throw everything in your Vitamix (blender) in whatever proportions you like, add ‘some’ water and voila! If you’re like me, you’ll use…

• 1 mango, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup of strawberries
• 1 large banana, frozen
• 1 cup of pineapple, frozen
• 1 apple
• 1 cup of water

It doesn’t matter what fruits are fresh or frozen, I just indicated which ones I used that happened to be frozen. I particularly love using only frozen bananas for smoothies. It somehow tastes better to me.

Salad Recipe

This salad was filling and out of this world good!

• 3 large handfuls of baby kale, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 3/4 cup of broccoli florets
• 2 large handful of a variety of sprouts (garbanzo, alfalfa and bean sprouts)

Salad Dressing: 5 strawberries, 1 orange and 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar.

Ok, so balsamic vinegar is obviously not raw but I loooooove the one I have and it is fantastic for making salad dressings. The recipe would actually be just fine with only strawberries and oranges so feel free to leave it out.

~Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet, juice and enjoy!~

Creamy Dreamy Green Smoothie Recipe #9

I can’t believe I’m about to post a smoothie recipe with avocado in it. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE avocado, but the idea of it in a smoothie was crazy to me before now. I despised avocado as a child but I somehow fell in love with it as an adult and I ‘treat’ myself with them every once in a while because they tend to be pretty expensive. You can imagine my excitement then when my mother-in-law gifted me with a juicy and perfectly ripe avocado among very many other garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. I knew I wanted to create a recipe I had never made before with the avocado so when I woke up last Saturday morning with a craving for a delicious healthy green smoothie I knew I just had to use some of the avocado. I threw all my ingredients in my oh-so-powerful Vitamix and said a prayer! Well folks, it was delicious and the perfect breakfast smoothie. I couldn’t believe how amazing it was. I feel so silly now 🙂 .It was creamy, dreamy and delicious. Did I say it was delish? I will absolutely be making this recipe again and again and again. Ladies and gentlemen…dare to do something different with your smoothies, you just might create a winner!

CREAMY DREAMY GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/2 an avocado

1 frozen banana

1 date

Handful of organic spinach

1/2 cup of water

ENJOY 🙂

Here’s a picture of some of the peppers we got from her. Thanks mama! I will NOT be making a smoothie recipe with these hot as Hades habanero peppers. I’m not that crazy. Aren’t they gorgeous though?

Smoothie recipe #7 and #8: Milkshake anyone? Vegan of course!

So I was out having dinner the other day with my husband and I had an insane craving for a milkshake. The reason I call it insane is because I haven’t had a milkshake since I was maybe 10 years old! and plus… dairy and I don’t agree too well, and plus… milkshakes have zero nutrition in my opinion! I try to create delicious nutrient-rich recipes, so since I’ve had some extra time on my hands these past few days I decided to create milkshake-esque/smoothie recipes and they knocked the socks off my feet! They were very filling, quite delicious and great for the scorching hot weather we’ve been experiencing these past few days. Slurp away!

Chocolate-Banana Lovers Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 dates, pitted
• 8-10 oz almond milk (homemade almond milk is super easy to make)
• 1tbsp flaxeed meal
• 2 drops of vanilla essence

I purposely made a huge smoothie because I was headed out the door to run errands and wanted to make sure my belly was very full so I wouldn’t succumb to temptation! It can be extremely challenging to try and find something healthy when you’re out and about so don’t allow that to happen and make this delish smoothie instead and take it to-go. It’s the perfect breakfast recipe! and it’s vegan 🙂

Ingredients for Chocolate-Banana Lovers Smoothie Recipe

Chocolate-Banana Lovers Smoothie

Ready To-Go!

Strawberry Heaven Smoothie

• 5 frozen strawberries
• 6 oz almond milk (use homemade almond milk if possible)
• 1tbsp flaxseed meal
• 1tbsp hempseed meal
• 2 dates
• 2 drops of vanilla essence

*use organic ingredients if possible, especially the fruits

This strawberry recipe will satisfy any sweet tooth. It’s creamy, cool, sweet and refreshing on a hot summer’s day. You can check out this strawberry smoothie recipe that’s pretty similar to this one but has it’s own unique flavor.

Ingredients for Strawberry Heaven Smoothie Recipe

Strawberry Heaven Smoothie Recipe

~Enjoy!~

Smoothie Recipe #6: Mango Delight Smoothie/Dessert

I truly appreciate my fellow WordPress bloggers. The Mango Tango recipe from Fasting Food & Other Musings sounded so delicious but included quite a few ingredients I don’t consume so of course I adapted it and the result was a creamy Mango Delight that can either be a smoothie or dessert depending on how much water you add. I used…

• 2 cups of frozen mango (Make sure they’re ripe. I’m not a fan of the prepackaged ones because the mangoes aren’t usually ripe. It’s way cheaper to buy fresh mangoes in bulk, chop them up and freeze them yourself, but it’s also quite a bit of work!)
• 1/4 cup of raw cashews
• 1 cup of water
• 2 dates
• 1/2tsp of vanilla essence

Blend (I used the almighty Vitamix!) all the above ingredients until you reach a smooth ice-creamy consistency and enjoy. Give this recipe a try, you’ll be so glad you did. It’s healthy, raw, vegan and most importantly DELICIOUS! 🙂

~Blend & Delight in it!~

PS: I had it for breakfast the first time I made it. Who says you can’t have dessert for breakfast? 🙂

Smoothie Recipe #5: Red Berry Banana Love

Woooooooo!!!!!!! This fruit smoothie recipe is fantastic. Most of my smoothies are green smoothies nowadays but this morning I just wanted a purely fruit smoothie. This smoothie is sweet, filling, super healthy and will have you attempting to lick the inside of your blender/Vitamix. The ingredients to make approximately 14 ounces of this yummy fruit smoothie are as follows.

 

• 1 cup of frozen organic strawberries
• 1/2 cup of frozen organic raspberries
• 4 organic baby bananas/ 1 large regular banana
• 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal
• 1 date, pitted
• 6 ounces of filtered water

 

This is a great starter smoothie recipe for easing your way into making and enjoying super green smoothies or just having a healthier breakfast. This is a wonderful example that being healthy does not mean enduring terrible tasting/looking foods. I mean, isn’t this the prettiest smoothie you’ve ever seen?

 

~Blend & Enjoy!~

Smoothie Recipe #4: Emerald Green Smoothie

Breakfast today was a smoothie that had a beautiful deep green hue that (randomly) reminded me of emeralds. I literally filled my Vitamix halfway with baby spinach. I’m pretty sure I’m still subconsciously trying to make up for my over-indulgence on Christmas day. I seriously need to learn to rotate my greens though. I’ve been doing way too much spinach. In an effort to make my smoothies simpler, this breakfast green smoothie recipe only calls for 4 ingredients. Here goes…

• 2 extremely large handfuls of organic baby spinach
• 1 frozen organic banana
• 1 cup of organic frozen strawberries
• 3/4 cup of organic peaches

I blended all the above with 8 ounces of filtered water. It came out perfectly smooth, delicious and was about 24 ounces. Thanks Vitamix. I am so grateful for this kitchen appliance. I get sooooo much use out of it. Here’s to many more green smoothies in the new year and an  abundance of health 🙂

Check out the very first green smoothie I made with my Vitamix. Boy was I (and still am) a very happy girl. Vitamixes (is that a word?) ROCK!

~Blend & Be Happy~

Smoothie Recipe #3: Peaches, Blueberries and Banana Protein Smoothie

I was leaving the house yesterday around 12noon and I knew I would get hungry while I was out and about running errands. I did not want to succumb to temptation so I  made a smoothie with a combination of fruits I haven’t used before and I actually was *insert corniness* dancing up and down from how delicious it was. Y’all know what I mean right? That moment when  you taste what you’ve made and you just know you’ve hit the jackpot. Well, that’s exactly what I experienced with this smoothie but I think I’ll be adding some spinach to it next time for an extra nutrient packed smoothie. Here’s the recipe.

• 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup of sliced frozen peaches
• 1 scoop of my sunwarrior vanilla raw vegan protein 
• 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed

~Blend and Enjoy!~

Smoothie Recipe #1: Strawberry & Banana Smoothie

This is my all time favorite favorite thing to have for breakfast. I have been making the recipe I will share with you for the past year and a half and I honestly don’t remember what I used to have for breakfast on most mornings before I began using the ‘secret’ ingredient to this smoothies. It is so fast and so easy to make and tastes HEAVENLY….if  heaven has a taste. My girlfriend and I have been singing the praises of this ‘secret’ ingredient since we discovered it. My mother just got into smoothie-making so I had the pleasure of hand delivering a bag to her yesterday and can’t wait to call and ask what she thought of it. Anyway, here’s a pic of the smoothie and the recipe follows underneath. Doesn’t it just look so yum?

1 cup of organic frozen strawberries

1/2 of a large banana, frozen

You can opt to use fresh fruit and add ice instead.

8 ounces of  filtered water

1-2 tbsp of organic ground flaxseed

Drum roll please….and the secret ingredient is….1 scoop of Sunwarrior’s Raw Vegan Vanilla Protein. It’s made from bio-fermented raw sprouted whole grain brown rice protein….whew!….that’s a mouthful for it’s healthy and delicious. Our fave flavor is vanilla but they have natural and chocolate as well.

Dump all of these ingredients in a high speed blender, blend and of course….

~Enjoy!~