PURPLE SMILE

It's no secret that I love my newest appliance, it's a wonder we haven't gotten fat from all the smoothies I have been mixing.  Most of the smoothies come from recipes I've found on line but I did  come up with my own concoction that would put Jamba Juice to shame.  It is our absolute favourite and even the kids can't get enough of it.  Lucky for you, I am willing to share the recipe.  I wanted to get a nice picture of the to die for smoothie but it never lasts long enough for me to get my camera out and snap a few shots.  Fortunately, Emily was able to get a few with her iphone of the kids enjoying theirs.

I call it the Purple Smile because even the adults look like this when we are done.    

1 ripe banana 

1 cup orange juice

1/2 ripe avocado

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

Blend until smooth and voila you too can sport this lovely smile.  This is enough for two servings but if you want to have it all to yourself, I won't tell and I certainly wouldn't blame you.   Seriously though, try it, it is soooooo good and good for you too but we won't tell the kids that. 

HOW SWEET IT IS

I'm going to let you in on a little secret... I haven't eaten refined sugar in over two months... two months people... do you know how hard that is?   Well to be honest, after a couple of weeks of my sugar fast it wasn't that difficult but still...

Before you go thinking I am diabetic or something, I'm not,  I just decided one day that it was't good for me and I didn't want to have it anymore. When I do get a craving for something sweet I use maple syrup or honey (did you know it is the only food that will never go bad... unless of course you count McDonalds?).  Here are some of the surprising and not so surprising effects of my no refined sugar diet.

1. I lost weight...not a ton but it was effortless. Win!
2. I no longer need deodorant.  This was unexpected and don't ask me how I came to that conclusion because I can't remember.  As long as I wash first thing in the morning, I am odor free all day.
3. My cuts and bruises heal faster.  That kind of makes me sound like a klutz which I am not..well maybe.
4. While Ian has suffered from a couple of nasty colds, I have remained immune.
5. I have more energy.

I wanted to make myself a sweet treat to have at Brittany's baby shower so I didn't feel left out while everyone else was enjoying the cookies and cake.  I made some maple caramel popcorn that was absolutely delicious and lucky you I am going to share the recipe.  There are only four ingredients and it is super simple to make.

MAPLE CARAMEL POPCORN

8-10 cups popped corn (about 1 cup un-popped) 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup pure maple syrup (medium - dark)

pinch of salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Pop corn and put in large roasting dish.  In a medium saucepan bring maple syrup, butter, and salt to a boil.  Turn down heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Pour syrup mixture over popped corn, stirring until popcorn is evenly coated.  Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes stirring every ten minutes. Remove from oven and spread on a cookie sheet.  It will crisp up as it cools.  

IT'S MADE WITH WHAT?

When I was about ten years old, I was offered cheesecake for the very first time.

"Cheesecake?... does it have cheese in it?"

"Yes, cream cheese."

"Yuck, no thank you."

I couldn't imagine that a cake made with cheese would taste good so I didn't actually try cheesecake until I was in my early twenties.  Yeah, I was stupid like that.  What was I thinking?  I pretty much missed ten years of not eating cheesecake, the very same ten years that I barely knew what a calorie was and  I certainly didn't need to count them.   You would think that I would have learned my lesson (you would think) but when a friend posted a recipe for Avocado Smoothies on her blog, I pretty much skipped reading it.  I'm not a big fan of avocados (I've only just started eating them in my own homemade guacamole) and the thought of a smoothie made with them... well let's just say it evoked my gag reflex same first reaction to cheesecake.

Yesterday I looked at the ripe avocados sitting on the counter and wondered what I was going to do with them.  It was then that I remembered my revulsion to the thought of a drink made with the fruit (yes it's a fruit), so I looked up the recipe and decided to give it a try.

Was it good?  No it wasn't, it was wicked awesome!   So you have two choices, you can gather up the ingredients and make the most divine, delectable, mouthwatering, smoothie ever or you can turn up your nose and say no thanks.  

Disclaimer:  All healthy ingredients appearing in this recipe are fictitious.  Any resemblance to real healthiness  is purely coincidental.

FRUIT PIZZA

I made fruit pizza on the weekend.  I hadn't made it in a while but was asked a couple of weeks ago for the recipe and that was just the incentive I needed, well that and an excuse to share it (two pizzas for two people is just pure gluttony). So when both my son-in-law and his sister invited us out to their family cottage it provided the perfect opportunity to make our family favourite recipe. 

Look what you missed out Nathan.  Was Taylor Swift worth it?  

Matthew & Kere, I will make this for you next month when we celebrate your birthdays.

For the rest of you, here is the recipe so you can make it yourself.  

The reason this pizza tastes so good is the base. I use a coconut sugar cookie recipe and I think it's the coconut that compliments the fruit so well.

I find the recipe for the cookies makes more than enough for two bases but not quite enough for three so I just make some cookies from the leftover dough. For that, you make little balls, place them on a cookie sheet and flatten with the bottom of a glass that is greased in butter and dipped in sugar. So yummy! They were one of the kids favourites growing up. 

Here's the recipe:

Cookie base:

2 cups sugar

2 cups margarine or butter softened

1 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350. Mix sugar, margarine, coconut and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Press into two pizza pans. Bake until edges are golden and middle looks pretty cooked. (I honestly can't remember how long. I can just tell when it's done by looking at it.) Note: The dough rises and spreads if it is put on too thick so watch it doesn't spill over.

Filling:

12 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix until smooth, divide in half and spread over cooled pizzas.

Topping can be any type of fruit you like. I found kiwis and bananas the best tasting but always added strawberries, raspberries etc. for colour. It is easiest to layer from the outside in.

When I make them for my family, I rarely put a glaze on top but if I am taking them out I add the glaze just to keep the fruit from discolouring (bananas) and it makes it shiny and prettier. You can buy a glaze but it is really simple to make. The best way to put it on is with a pastry brush.