Knead to Cook

Food & fitness obsessed girl.

Almond and Cookie Butter Oatmeal Protein Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten Free, Smoothies, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 2 Comments

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Yesterday we had an opportunity, post my half marathon, to shop at the most enormous Trader Joe’s I’ve ever been to.  It was just paradise.  Of course, my girls headed to the peanut butter aisle to grab the newest member of the cookie butter family – chocolate swirl!  I knew the requests for a smoothie would be eminent and they were.  Mondays deserve something sweet to get out of bed, right?  First thing this morning, as I hobbled down the steps carefully, the first request came in. As indulgent as it is, I put my healthy spin on it so it had some nutritional value and energize them on this dismal Monday.

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— Knead to Cook

Pineapple Spinach Yogurt Protein Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 4 Comments

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Sneaking vegetables into your kids has never been so easy!  I say this over and over again but your kids will not detect the spinach as the other flavors over-power it and make it virtually undetectable.  Plus, if you are trying to add more leafy greens to your diet, this is yet another fun way to do it.

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— Knead to Cook

Bill’s Watermelon Lime Martini.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Party Foods, Vegetarian Leave a Comment

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We LOVE watermelon in our house.  And I realize, as school returns this week that my love affair with the fruit is wrapping up *sigh* as summer comes to an end.  Today, while grocery shopping, I picked up probably my 20th of the season and it was beautifully ripe and perfect.  My husband got to working at his new bar and whipped up this delightfully refreshing cocktail in honor of the watermelon.  Perfect to serve at a garden party, bar-b-que or for us, a s’mores night with friends around the fire.  Also perfect for a Labor Day party.  *Always drink responsibly.  

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— Knead to Cook

Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Nuts, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Wheat Free 14 Comments

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I’ve never really been a fan of cow’s milk, even when I was a child.  Now cheese – I love and often proclaim that I can eat my body weight in it!  When almond milk hit the scene a few years ago, we switched over to that and my family enjoyed and actually preferred it.  Because I’ve cut out most sugar in my diet, I switched over to the unsweetened milk.  I’m not a cereal eater but I do make overnight oats for breakfast and eat that everyday and use the milk to soften the oats in the recipe.  I started making my own almond milk about a year now, since I got my Vitamix machine and I love it.  First, it is so easy to do and two, it costs less to make it at home – win, win!  It also only contains three ingredients, which I clearly can pronounce.  Now, if you want to sweeten the milk you can easily add some maple syrup or honey versus using a refined sugar (start with a 1 tablespoon) and add to your preference.  Okay now onto the recipe…

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— Knead to Cook

Blueberry Pineapple Oatmeal Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Smoothies, Snacks, Vitamix, Yogurt 18 Comments

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We are in the throngs of swimming in our house.  That means late night meets and early morning practices.  I’ll admit, it takes a toll.  My kids rolls out of bed in the morning exhausted and not wanting to eat breakfast.  This is the perfect way to get them packed with protein, vitamins and minerals without them really paying that much attention to it.  These serve as a great pre or post workout meal, snack, lunch etc.  Add a handful of spinach or kale for more added punch (I promise you won’t taste it!).  Adapt whatever fruit you have on hand and make it your own.

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— Knead to Cook

Pineapple Mint Lassi Popsicles.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Frozen Pops, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian, Vitamix, Yogurt 1 Comment

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Typically a beverage, I turned this pineapple mint lassi into a popsicle.  A refreshing treat indeed!  The fresh sweetness of the pineapple and the zing of fresh mint from my garden make these a treat both kids and adults will love.  I also added chunks of fresh pineapple to my popsicle molds for even more tasty goodness. These cool treats boast protein, thanks to the Greek yogurt, so they also have muscle building benefits along with great vitamin impact.  Your kids won’t even know this is good for them!

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— Knead to Cook

Strawberry & Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Evolution Power Yoga 40 Days, Fruit, Gluten Free, No bake/cooking required!, Smoothies, Vegetarian, Vitamix 1 Comment

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It’s been a bountiful strawberry season for our garden.  Huge bowls of strawberries are being filtered into my kitchen daily.  So after my run this morning, I thought I would whip up a breakfast smoothie for my girls and I thought a peanut butter &  strawberry (a take-off of pb and j) would be a fun.  My girls loved it and drank them down in record time.  Packed with fruit, which provides necessary vitamins and energy, protein for muscles – its a great way to start the day.  A lower calorie option would be to replace the peanut butter with dried peanut butter (4 tablespoons) to reduce the fat/calories.

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— Knead to Cook

Strawberry Honey Lemonade.

by Filed Under: Beverages, Vegetarian, Vitamix 7 Comments

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Spring is upon us and I have warm weather on the brain.  Yesterday I thought I would surprise my girls with a fresh batch of homemade strawberry lemonade and they loved it.  My husband even turned it into cocktails for the evening by adding a shot of vodka and some fresh basil to a glass.  Cheers!  Love when people make a recipe their own!

Ingredients:

2 cups of strawberries, washed/stemmed
1 cup of lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
1/2 cup of honey, I used raw local – use more if you would like it sweeter
5 cups of water
Ice cubes

Directions:

Place the strawberries (first) and honey) into your blender or Vitamix. Blend for 10 seconds or so.  Then add the juice and water.  Blend for another 20 seconds or so.  Run through a strainer to remove the pulp if you wish.  Add ice and serve.

— Knead to Cook

Green Oatmeal Smoothie. {that will actually fill you up and energize you}

by Filed Under: Beverages, Breakfast, Fruit, Smoothies, Snacks, Vegetarian, Vitamix 6 Comments

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I love the concept of smoothies and juicing but the fact remains… they never EVER keep me filled more than an hour.  I have a huge appetite.  I’ve recently lost 27 lbs and really keep a watchful eye on what and how I eat.  It has greatly impacted my body.  After recently having a discussion with a dietician friend of mine, she suggested boosting up my green drink with some staying power. Ummmm okay?  I realize not all calories are made the same and I shouldn’t obsess about them.  So I asked her to make some suggestions… well that’s exactly what she did.  She told me to add oats, nuts and avoid milk or juices in it.  Well alrightyyyy then.  I shall give it a try!  And that I did.  The color is green, however not a gorgeous vibrant green, but I have to say that the taste, consistency – everything about it was different.  I actually felt more energized once I downed a glass.  Wait?!  I already have a ton of energy.  This was like hitting the pedal and flooring it!  It’s been one hour post drinking this concoction and I still feel very filled.  Hey, for me, that’s a great thing!

Ingredients:

1 cup of water
1.5 cups of spinach/kale mixture (substitutions:  cucumbers, carrots, beets)
1 cup of gluten free rolled oats
2 cups of chopped fruit (I used watermelon, strawberries, one frozen banana)
1/4 cup of sunflower seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecan – whatever you have on hand)
Add 4 ice cubes

Directions:

Into your Vitamix or blender, add the water first and then all of the subsequent ingredients.  Blend until smooth.  This recipe made about 2.5 large servings.

— Knead to Cook