Keep your smoothie well balanced with carbohydrates, protein, healthy fats, and fiber. Carbohydrates- Veggies and certain low glycemic fruits. Protein - protein powder ( soy, whey, rice, hemp, etc) or cottage cheese. Healthy Fats - Avocado, coconut oil, flax seed oil or powder. Fiber - leafy greens, veggies, certain low glycemic fruits

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Sparkling Sweet Cherry Lemonade


Sparkling Sweet Cherry Lemonade

Ingredients 
1 (10-ounce) package frozen pitted sweet cherries (2 cups), thawed
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup sugar
5 cups chilled seltzer water, plus more to taste

Directions
Add the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar to a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a large pitcher. Add the seltzer and stir gently. Pour into glasses filled with ice and top with additional seltzer, if desired.

Raspberry Lemonade


Raspberry Lemonade
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 cup of water
¾ cup raspberries; pureed and pushed through a fine mesh sieve; plus more whole berries for garnish if desired
1 cup fresh lemon juice (this equaled close to 8 of my lemons)
4-6 cups cold water 
Directions
1. Make a simple syrup by combining the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan. Place over medium heat and heat until the sugar in completely dissolved; swirl the pan occasionally. Let cool.
2. Measure 3/4 of fresh raspberries and puree them in your blender or food processor.
3. Push the raspberry puree through a fine mesh sieve to separate the seeds from the pulp.
4. Once the simple syrup has cooled, combine the raspberry puree, simple syrup and lemon juice in a large pitcher.
5. Add 4-6 cups of cold water. The amount of water you use will depend on your taste, so add as little or as much as you want to achieve your perfect sweet/tart balance.

Cotton Candy Lemonade


Cotton Candy Lemonade
Makes 4 glasses
You will need:
8 cups pre-made lemonade
Cotton candy, as many colors as you want
1.Fill your glasses with ice and lemonade. 
2.Take a small piece of cotton candy and place in each glass. 
3.Watch the cotton candy melt and change the color of your lemonade!

Brazilian Lemonade


Brazilian Lemonade
Ingredients:
4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they’re the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1c. sugar
6c. coldwater
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
Instructions:
Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
Wash limes thoroughly with soap (I just use hand-dish washing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off of the limes because you’re using the WHOLE lime, baby. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths. Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender.
Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you’ll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk; DO NOT leave this step out unless you will die of a horrible sweetened condensed milk allergy because this is the secret ingredient! You may want to taste test it at this point; I used giant, thick-skinned limes tonight and didn't test it and it came out a little bitter. If it’s bitter, just add some more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so don’t make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance). Serves 4, although I can pretty much guarantee you that people will want more; I usually plan on 1 1/2 servings at LEAST per person.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Peach Lemonade


Peach Lemonade

Ingredients
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped peaches
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup lemon juice (about 4 to 6 lemons)
  • 1 peach, cut into wedges
  • Mint for garnishment

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the first 3 ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Place peach mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape) and cover the top with a clean dish towel. Puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  2. Press peach mixture through a sieve over a large bowl, reserving liquid. Discard the peach solids. Stir in lemon juice.
  3. When ready to serve, add 1/2 cup ice to the glasses, and pour peach lemonade into the glasses. Garnish with peach wedges and mint.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 5 minute(s)

Below are some key ingredients that you can use as a guide when creating your slimming juices:

Carrot: This delicious juice will help add sweetness but still let you benefit from the incredible benefits of this amazing vegetable such as digestion stimulant, liver cleanser, and high levels of beta-carotene.

Cucumber: a base of choice for most recipes since they are water dense and relatively low calorie.

Celery: Is often recommended in weight-loss programs as it is low calorie and water dense. Juice the entire celery stick including the chlorophyll rich green leaves.

Lettuce: dark-green lettuce types are nutrient dense and darker the lettuce the more alkalizing and mineral rich.

Cabbage: Powerful body-cleansing vegetable recommend often for weight loss. I'm sure you've heard of the "cabbage diet"

Beetroot: This is great vegetable that will add sweetness to your juice. Use sparingly.

Spinach: Rich in chlorophyll and minerals such as calcium, spinach is alkalizing and has numerous weight loss benefits.

Tomato: Helps reduce acid in body, and is beneficial for stimulating blood circulation, liver cleansing and blood purifying.

Watercress: Considered a powerful intestinal cleanser and toxin neutralizer and is good for the kidneys, bladder, blood circulation, cleansing the skin and said to stimulate fat burning.

Apple: This low glycemic fruit is known for a wide range of health benefits including supporting healthy blood-sugar levels.

Citrus Fruits: Grapefruits and Lemons in particular have gotten a lot of attention for it's role in weight loss support.