These little green peppers make the perfect light, low cal, and healthy snack or appetizer and take 10 minutes to make. They are a fun to eat finger food, and eating them is like a game of Russian Roulette! About 1 in 10 are spicy, all the others being very mild, and you never know when you are going to get that spicy surprise!
If you like spice, don’t fret, because I also made a flavorful creamy sriracha sauce for dipping to get your heat fix! I love spicy foods, and I have an obsession with sriracha. My fav sriracha at the moment is the Trader Joe’s brand, as its is super flavorful but not overwhelmingly spicy. I put it on everything- eggs, sandwiches, burgers, burritos, tacos, this food, and on and on.
I also love to snack! I just can’t stick to the three square meals a day program, so I am always looking for healthy, yet fulfilling snack options- and these peppers fit the bill!
Did you know that these little guys also have anti inflammatory qualities? They also have a great amount of vitamin K, vitamin B6, and vitamin C, so eat ‘em up!
Charred Shishito Peppers with Creamy Sriracha Sauce
Charred Shishito Peppers with Creamy Sriracha Sauce.
1 package of shishito peppers (about 24 peppers)
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon of sesame oil (optional)
a few lemon wedges
generous amount of coarse salt to taste
Creamy Sriracha Sauce:
3 tablespoons plain greek yogurt
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 tablespoons of sriracha (depending on how spicy you like it)
In bowl mix the peppers with the olive oil and sesame oil and coat well.
Arrange the peppers on a pan or seasoned cast iron skillet and place on the top shelf in the oven.
One charred on top, remove the pan or skillet, flip peppers over and place back in for another minute or two, until charred on second side.
Remove from oven , sprinkle with coarse salt and serve with lemon wedges and Creamy Sriracha Sauce.
To make the Creamy Sriracha Sauce:
Combine the yogurt, sriracha, and rice vinegar in a bowl and mix well, add a dash salt and pepper if you’d like.
When my family drove cross country to relocate, we had thousands of miles on the open road to cover in 2 days. It was a big daunting task. There were many nondescript hours of nothing to exciting look at, just the arrow straight highway flowing right out to the horizon. We packed lots of healthy food for the trip to keep us fueled, but on a tight deadline and thousands of miles to cover, you can’t really avoid the fast food joints (Although we did try!).
I must confess, Dairy Queen got me through this trip. I would drive a slew of hours and reward myself with a DQ Cotton Candy Blizzard, as a “atta girl” for knocking off another 6-8 hours. Heck I deserved it, right? And it tasted SOOOOO GOOD! COLD-CREAMY-SWEET-with a distinct cotton candy flair which reminded me of the summer fair.
Like many of my other indulgent recipe inspirations, this one arose in the middle of the night when I had a craving for the Cotton Candy DQ Blizzard and there was none to be found anywhere nearby. And of course- I made made some healthy tweeks, but it’s equally as tasty!
I found a cool cotton candy online store called, Cotton Cravings. They sell all natural, organic, gluten free, preservative free cotton candy in exciting flavors such as Temping Toasted Marshmallow, Happy Happy Birthday Cake, Dulce de Leche Deluxe! The ingredient line reads: “Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Natural Flavor, Natural Color, That’s it!” And you can order it right to your door, no needing to wait in line at the local fair!
You can make your own ice cream (coconut based, frozen yogurt, almond milk based- your choice), or just go out a buy your favorite, as I did (no ice cream maker in this house :(-yet!)
These chicken skewers are perfect for summertime grilling- moist, tender, sweet and tropical! The chicken marinade is full of exciting flavors that has become my family’s favorite! It all starts with the coconut oil which is one of my ALL TIME favorite ingredients. I utilize coconut oil in many of my recipes and love baking and cooking with it. (If you are curious to find out why I love coconut oil so much there are some fun facts about it HERE.)
We eat A TON of chicken in my home! I buy all natural, or organic chicken, as it’s a great healthy way to get lean protein into your diet. When I was a vegetarian I never was able to incorporate enough protein into my diet, and my energy level and health suffered. Now that I eat meat (responsibly) again, I feel much more balanced energy-wise. (Vegetarianism works great for some, just not for me.) When I say I eat meat “responsibly” this is what I mean:
I eat meats that were raised without hormones and fed as close to a natural diet as possible. My CSA delivers pasture-raised beef, and I buy chicken that states it has not been raised with hormones. Whole Foods sells free-range and pasture-raised chicken, which is the best choice.
I try to be aware of how the animals were raised, again opting for the free-range/pastured option and avoiding the packages that don’t state how they were raised because that often means not to well 🙁 I am an animal lover afterall…..)
So with that in mind, choose your chicken wisely! Let’s make these Chicken Pineapple Skewers!
I would like to note if you are using wood skewers, you should soak them in water first so they don’t go “POOF” on the grill 🙂
5-6 chicken breasts (cut breast when partially thawed-much easier!, cut into 2-3” chunks)
1 cup pineapple (or you can cut shapes with a cookie cutter as I did, 2×1” cubes)
1 green pepper (cut into 1 ½” squares)
1 red pepper (cut into 1 ½” squares)
Marinade:
2 tablespoons dijon or stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
Combine the marinade- mustard, honey, coconut oil (melted), apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper.
Combine the chicken and marinate in a large zip lock and marinate overnight or for at least few hours.
Cut the pineapple, red and green peppers into 2” chunks (you can use a cookie cutter to make shapes too!)
If you are using wood skewers make sure to soak them first, then place the chicken, pineapple, and peppers, alternating, onto the skewers. (You can also put all the chicken on the same skewer, and do the same for the pepper and pineapple to make the grilling a bit easier as chicken can take the longest depending on the size of your pieces.)
Grill on medium-high, about 4-5 minutes each side(flip carefully), or until cook through with nice deep brown grill marks. Make sure your grill grate is oiled to prevent sticking.
In a small blender (I used my bullet-perfect for making dressings and sauces!) combine the melted coconut oil, honey, lime juice and cilantro, blend and place in a small dipping bowl.
Got NUTELLA? I always have some on hand! Lately I’ve been going with the Trader Joe’s version of Cocoa-Almond Spread- just as good and I eat it right out of the jar!
Hold on one second……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ok, I’m back. Just had to grab a mouthful to get me in the spirit to write this post! 🙂
My favorite desserts include creamy chocolate, and anything with Nutella, and my hubby’s fav is cheesecake so today I am combining the two- and making it NO BAKE AND LIGHT! Also the crust is so good, you can eat it all by itself- sweet graham combined with spicy, deep and rich Mexican chocolate- oh my!
This dessert is so easy and it’s NO BAKE- yeah!! I don’t think I’ve EVER made a REAL cheesecake. No, really! With all the cooking and baking I do I feel like I must have made the real thing at some point, but after racking my brain- nope, nothing! That’s ok by me because this no bake, healthy version is easy and just as good, maybe better! And when I dress it up with a fancy chocolate spread swirl it goes from excellent to out-of-this-world. The combo of cheesecake, creamy chocolate spread, and Mexican chocolate graham is the trifecta of happiness and joy!
Here is the brand of Mexican Chocolate I used, you can order it right off of Amazon(Affiliate Link). Try not to eat the entire bar before you make your crust!
Makes 2 “personal” size cheesecakes (my mini springform pans are 4” diameter)
Creamy Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake with Mexican Chocolate Graham Crust{No Bake & Light}
Light and No Bake Creamy Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake with Mexican Chocolate Graham Crust.
¾ cup crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
1 tablespoon honey (melted)
1 1/2 -2 tablespoon of grated Mexican Chocolate (I used a lemon zest grater)
2 teaspoons chia (optional but helps hold crust together a bit more)
4 tablespoons chocolate-hazelnut spread (or any similar chocolate spread, melted)
¼ cup of greek yogurt (vanilla or plain)
½ cup light cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of honey or maple syrup
Mix the crushed grahams, honey, coconut oil, mexican chocolate shreds and chai in a small bowl until grahams are evenly coated and clumpy.
Spray the the bottom and sides of the springform pan with coconut oil to make removal easier.
Press half the graham mixture into each personal pan using your fingers.
Using your stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla, and honey until very smooth and silky.
Pour or spoon mixture into each pan, using a spatula to smooth out the top.
Drizzle the melted nutella (stick the microwave for 20 or so seconds) on top of each cheesecake (about 2 tablespoons each).
Use a knife or chopstick and drag it through the top (insert about ⅛”), making long sweeping movements to create a swirl.
These sticky garlic noodles taste just like the An’s Famous Garlic Noodles and can be made in under 15 minutes! And my version is gluten free! One word of caution- they are so very addictive! I strongly advise you use chopsticks to eat these tasty noodles so you don’t inhale them too quickly (as I did ;))! I just couldn’t get enough!
On a recent date night my hubby took me to a swanky Japanese joint that had an amazing menu! Some of the mouth watering options included crispy lobster dumplings and kimchi fried rice- but one menu option stood out from the rest- AN’s Famous Garlic Noodles. It was in BOLD and set aside from the other options. This really got my mind moving- just garlic noodles? Sounds soooo simple, too simple! How good could it actually be???? My curiosity got the better of me and I went ahead and ordered it!
The minimalistic white bowl arrived at the table with a fancy pair of black chopsticks. I peered into the depths of the deep white bowl and sized up the golden colored noodles. They were arranged in a perfect swirled pattern. Rising steam brought the scent of soy and garlic. I started salivating and jumped right it! They were heavenly. Divine. Perfect. And in 5 minutes they were gone!
So ever since then I’ve been dreaming of making my very own.
So back to the sticky garlicky noodles! The simple sauce is what makes this dish.
The flavors come together beautifully and have the perfect balance of
Garlicky-Salty-Buttery-Subtle Sweetness! YUM!!
This recipe can be adapted to pretty much any diet restriction as well!
For instance:
Gluten-Free: Quinoa Noodles or Brown Rice Noodles
Vegan– use a vegan butter substitute
Paleo– Sub noodles for Zoodles (zucchini noodles) and replace butter with ghee. You can order the Spiralizer (to make Zoodles) HERE.
Meat Eaters– Add chicken, pork or beef 😉
I’ve got EVERYONE covered, right!?
Now for what you have been waiting for……Here is my secret recipe:
Yeah, not a happy camper! We’ve been working like crazy and she is feeling exhausted too. She loves the time we spend together in the kitchen but she is missing some of those fabled doggie activities – you know- chasing squirrels, eating only the finest meats (i.e. no kibble!), tummy rubs, and rolling around around in the grass (her favorite!)
She also ran out of her Primal Nuggets (her raw-meat doggie food) and pulled the bag out of the garbage and ran around with it on her head. It was hilarious- here is the video- worth watching if you need a laugh!:
I haven’t made any MEAT lately, so to cheer up Cricket, and to please the hubby, good old grilled chicken is what’s for dinner tonight!
So I wanted to share HOW TO Make the ULTIMATE Grilled Chicken!
Grilled chicken can be AWESOME. JUICY. TENDER. FLAVORFUL.
Or it can be DRY, CHALKY, and FLAVORLESS-yuck 🙁
Does your chicken turn out awesome every time you take it off the grill? Mine certainly did not until I spent some serious time learning about the proper steps to grill the ultimate juiciest chicken EVER.
Let me preface- I am NOT a grill master. My place is in the kitchen- Stovetop? -check! Oven?-I’ve got that! But BBQ?-ummmm, honey!? Yeah, I usually pass the BBQing off to the hubby, but recently I made the executive decision to further my culinary skill and really learn how to grill, and do it well!
So today we will start with chicken breast! Here are the steps to make your family smile with juicy, charred, flavor-bursting chicken:
1. If your chicken breasts are thick in the middle and thin on the ends (not even), use a meat mallet to flatten them out slightly so they are closer to the same width throughout. Alternatively you can butterfly cut the breast.
2. Use a Jacquard tool, or my cheat tool- a fork with small tines, to pierce the breast all over to allow the marinade to penetrate into the meat.
3. Make a brine/marinade: Combine water, sugar, salt, pepper, thyme, lemon and apple cider vinegar on the stove. Bring it to a rolling boil, then remove and allow to cool after the sugar is dissolved. Don’t worry about the brine being too salty- it should be because the salt is what tenderizes the meat and helps it retain moisture!
4. Once the brine is cool, place it along with the chicken in a ziplock bag. Store in the fridge overnight (or for most of the day if you are prepping in the morning). I did read that you can brine your chicken for only 30 minutes and still get the benefits, but I have not tried this myself.
5. Next day! Oil the grill grate to ensure the chicken doesn’t stick. Then fire up the grill to medium high. Allow it to get up to temperature. Do not throw the chicken on a grill that isn’t warmed up! The high temperature is what seals in the flavor and moisture. The grill should be around 400-425 degrees F.
6. Place the chicken on the hot grill. Exact cooking time will vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breasts. Mine cooked for about 4 minutes (on each side) and had lovely dark brown grill marks. I then moved them to the other half of the grill where I turned down the temperature to medium and cooked for a few more minutes until the chicken was done. A meat thermometer should read 160 degrees F in the middle of the thickest part of the breast. Try to avoid making cuts to see the inside if possible as it will make the chicken less tender.
Here is a infographic on cooking times that is very helpful, thanks to eatingwell.com:
7. Let it sit! Do not cut the chicken for 10 minutes. This gives the meat time to reabsorb the juice! Top with sauce and enjoy!
8. Lastly, and most importantly, make sure you save some for the pup!
The ULTIMATE Grilled Chicken with Lemon-Avo Sauce {How-To}{Paleo, Gluten- Free}
The Ultimate Juiciest and Tender Grilled Chicken with Lemon-Avo Sauce.
4 Chicken Breasts (All-Natural, Organic or best choice- Pasture-Raised!)
Brine:
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 lemon (juiced plus rind)
1/2 tablespoon thyme
2 garlic cloves (diced)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Lemon-Avo Sauce:
1/2 avocado
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon (juice only)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro or parsley
a few tablespoons of water to thin out
Combine all the brine ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium-high.
Allow the brine to come to a rolling boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and let it cool fully.
Make sure the chicken breasts are even in thickness (use a meat mallet if necessary to even out the thickness.)
Pierce the chicken breasts all over with a fork or Jacquard tool.
Place the breasts and the cooled brine in a zip lock bag and allow to sit at least 3-4 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat the grill to around 425 degree F.
Place the chicken on the oiled hot grill and cook for around 4-5 minutes each side (depends on the size of the breasts) until there are dark brown grill marks.
Move breast to other side of grill (heat should be on medium) and continue to cook until meat thermometer reads 160 degrees F.
Allow breast to cool 10 minutes before cutting.
To make the sauce combine the avocado, lemon, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper and cilantro or parsley in a small blender or food processor.
Add enough water to process/blend. Add more water if needed to thin it out according to personal preferance.
Healthy, packed with protein and tons of flavor, these Southwest Scramble Lettuce Wraps will get your day off to a great start! and you can whip them up in under 10 minutes! am a big fan of lettuce wraps- it’s like eating a taco but without the carbs. Do you love breakfast tacos? I certainly do- having lived in the breakfast taco capital of the world- Austin, TX! I’ve tried all types- chorizo, eggs and cheese, avocado and black bean, steak and eggs, and on and on. I always top them off generously with hot sauce and salsa , so much that I would sometimes turn bright red! I must confess I am officially addicted to sriracha!
I wanted to make a healthy alternative to the breakfast taco- so I removed the tortilla and added a fresh crispy romaine lettuce leaf! These lettuce wraps are so flavorful they don’t need any cheese but you are more than welcome to toss some shredded cheddar or monterey in there if you wish. Nothing is off limits:)
Another added bonus- you can whip these up in under 10 minutes, making them perfect for a busy weekday morning, or weekend. It is so important to have a healthy, well balanced breakfast with plenty of protein so you fire up your metabolism for the day. When you eat a high protein breakfast, you will eat less throughout the day and have more energy to power through at work or chasing after your wild and crazy little ones! That is why breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day!
I use palm fruit oil in my skillet when I cook eggs for its health benefits (antioxidant rich, vitamin E..) and high smoke point. For more info on palm oil, and why I use it click HERE.
If you’d like to order organic red palm oil, click HERE, to shop my pantry!
Healthy, gluten free and Paleo, these easy and quick Southwest Scramble Lettuce Wraps are stuffed with scrambled eggs, black beans, peppers and onions, and topped with hot sauce and fresh cilantro!
5 large eggs
¼ cup red and green peppers (chopped)
¼ cup red onion (chopped)
½ tablespoon of palm oil
½ cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
4 large romaine lettuce leaves
dash salt and pepper
dash cumin (optional)
1/4 cup avocado (chopped)
2 teaspoons sriracha or hot sauce
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Melt oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add chopped onions and peppers and stir for a few minutes until softened.
Scramble the eggs in a bowl with a dash of salt and pepper, you can also add dash of cumin.
Pour the eggs in the skillet and scramble them with the onions and peppers.
Once the eggs are almost fully cooked, add the beans, and stir until the eggs are cooked completely. then remove from heat.
Lay the lettuce leave facing up to make a “bowl”, add scramble mixture, top with avocado, hot sauce and cilantro and serve!
Oh MY! These HEALTHY, GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN chocolate chip cookies are to die for! I’ve stumbled upon something here, that not only is good for you, but it actually rivals some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve had in my lifetime as a cookie-connoisseur.
Cricket was a big help in the development of these cookies. As she slept the day away on the couch (where she really isn’t suppose to be-shh!), she suddenly jumped up and made her way to the oven, using her beagle-keen nose to sniff out the rising goodness in the oven. I had her approval and I knew that was a good sign! Then when the hubby got home and tried them out he was absolutely smitten! These cookies are his new proclaimed favorite!
I usually go for the soft, thick and chewy kind of cookie over the crispy thin ones. Everyone has their preference- what’s yours? I wanted to let you know that this cookie actually doesn’t fit into the two common cookie categories of soft and chewy or thin and crispy, but don’t be disappointed! It has a texture all its own and it’s amazing! -Buttery, crumbly, almost like a shortbread that explodes with flavor and dissolves in your mouth, further enhanced by melted chocolate goodness.
A huge bonus- these are loaded with healthy fats and protein from the almond meal, and very very little sugar, these cookies are actually nutritious! So you can have an extra one if you wish and not think twice.
This recipe calls for palm shortening (which is trans fat free!!), a key ingredient in getting these cookies to be so plump and moist. You can most definitely find the palm shortening at Whole Foods or a health food store, or order the brand I use off of Amazon.
Click HERE to view “My PANTRY” (products I recommend, and option to order if you’d like).
If you LOVE these cookies then you MUST try all my other chocolate chip cookie recipes! Each and everyone one is delectable and delicious!
Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies {Healthy, Paleo, Gluten Free, Vegan}
Healthy Melt In Your Mouth Chocolate Chip Cookies- Gluten-free, no flour, dairy-free, paleo friendly and vegan option!
1 cup Almond Meal
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon of almond butter (alternative-cashew butter or peanut butter)
1 ½ tablespoons of butter (I always use grass-fed butter, like Kerrygold brand, Vegan option use 3 tablespoons of palm shortening and no butter, softened)
1 ½ tablespoons of palm shortening (see above on where to get it)
Do you like eating raw cookie dough? I certainly do. In fact, I think I enjoy it more than the baked cookies! I also love sweets for breakfast, especially on a lazy weekend morning! My go to weekend breakfast is pancakes (not cookies, usually!) with sweet sticky syrup, but I often feel hungry about an hour after I finish my stack. Does that happen to you as well!? Well there is a reason for that- your everyday pancakes are make with empty white carbs leaving you with a brief carbohydrate and sugar rush, but no sustained energy. There really isn’t much in the way of nutrition in a stack of pancakes!
So I am here to save the day! I will let you have your pancakes, and eat them too, (with no guilt and sustained energy!)!!! AND I make them even better by stuffing them with cookie dough-yummy!
Light and fluffy, these grain-free and gluten-free pancakes taste just like the real deal. Then I stuff the pancakes with a nut butter-based cookie dough to give you a healthy dose of protein and healthy fats. Voila- dessert worthy, HEALTHY, WELL-BALANCED cookie dough pancakes!
Also the trick to making the “stuffing” part very easy is thanks to Nagi at RecipeTin Eats. She has a recipe for Nutella Stuffed Pancakes where she freezes the nutella to make it a much less messy endeavor!
These are my fav weekend no-guilt indulgence, and I think they will be yours too!
Why do I use coconut oil and coconut sugar in most of my recipes? Find out why HERE.
You can also purchase the brands I use and view other products I love and recommend HERE.
Here are the basic steps to stuff your pancakes:
1. Combine your dry ingredients. Make a well in the middle and add wet ingredients. Mix, but do not over mix!
2. Smear the cookie dough on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and stick in the freezer.
3. Once the pancake is cooked most of the way through, add your frozen cookie dough disk, cover with pancake batter, and flip!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Stuffed pancakes that are so indulgent you’ll never know they are healthy! Also includes a bonus gluten free recipe option!
PANCAKES:
⅔ cup almond flour
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 pasture-rasied eggs
¼ cup cashew milk (or almond milk)
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon coconut oil (melted)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
1 teaspoon of grass-fed butter (ghee or oil of choice for pan)
COOKIE DOUGH MIDDLE:
½ cup of natural cashew butter or almond butter
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 teaspoons coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ½ tablespoons of dark chocolate chips (Enjoy Life Brand, chopped)
Combine the nut butter, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and chopped chocolate chips, and mix well. You may need to soften the nut butter slightly (microwave a few seconds) depending on the consistency. Or if your nut butter is particularly thick you can add a little melted coconut oil as well.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment.
Smear 1 tablespoon of cookie dough with a spoon, making a flat disk. You should have about 8.
Place in the freezer to set while you make the batter!
To make the pancakes whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Make a well in the center and add egg, luke warm almond milk, and melted coconut oil.
Wisk all the ingredients together, it may be thick and a little clumpy, which is fine, but do not over mix the batter.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and add a touch of coconut oil (or coconut oil spray).
Remove cookie dough disks from the freezer and remove them from the parchment paper.
Laddle pancake batter in the skillet (turn temp down to medium- no oil smoking!).
Allow pancake to set and you will see bubbles rising and the pancake with cook through (no wet batter). (*or for the lazy version make two pancakes and layer the cookie dough in between-it will melt between the pancakes, they just will not be officially “stuffed.”)
Check the bottom of the pancake to make sure it is not burning, if so, turn temp down.
Once there is no runny batter on the top, place a cookie dough disk on top and laddle just enough pancake batter to cover the disk, then flip pancake and finish cooking.
If you pancakes are too thick and not cooking through, dilute the batter further with additional almond milk.
When I think of summertime I think of laying in the sun at the beach, windows rolled down in the car, the smell of flowers and fresh cut grass, and fresh tropical fruit- like watermelon and PINEAPPLE! I love fresh fruit- how sweet and juicy it is when it’s in season, and it’s so good for you too! Pineapple is packed with vitamin C, manganese, thiamin (vitamin b-1), and bromelain which aids in digestion of protein.
For more information on the health benefits of pineapple click HERE. HealthAmbition.com has an excellent article about pineapple’s health benefits and you can read that HERE.
I love to freeze fresh pineapple chunks to use in smoothies during the hot summer months. The result from using fresh frozen fruit to replace much of the ice is a more flavorful, less icey, more smooth, smoothie!
I made this smoothie extra thick, so you can eat it with a spoon and it feels more like a meal than a drink.
Everyone in your family, kids included with love this smoothie! It tastes much like the Pina Colada Julius from Orange Julius- creamy, smooth and sweet, but made with healthy and simple ingredients!
