Pineapple Orange Banana Green Smoothie

I have really gotten into the green smoothie craze.  It is such an enjoyable way to get extra veggies into your diet.  I started out with my Purple Monster smoothie, but I began searching for, and experimenting  with other flavors.  When I was growing up, we would splurge every once in a while on a carton of orange pineapple banana juice.  I loved it.  I recently found a blend of almond milk and coconut milk by Blue Diamond in the grocery store.  A light bulb went on.  All of these flavors together would make a great tropical smoothie.

This smoothie is refreshing, sweet, and great for breakfast!  It has a light hint of coconut, which makes me feel like I'm drinking some fancy tropical drink on the beach instead of some green vegetables in my kitchen!

The Purple Monster (Green Smoothie)

Green smoothies are all the rage right now.  I was intrigued when I started seeing them pop up on Pinterest all over the place.  I, like many people, was wanting to start some new healthy habits at the start of the year.  I like vegetables, but I do find it difficult to eat enough throughout the day.  So I thought this would be a great way to sneak extra vegetables into my diet, as well as my kids' diets.

I decided to start with a smoothie containing strawberries, blueberries, and bananas.  My kids were already used to these fruits in a smoothie, so I thought it would be easier to get them to drink it.  To my surprise, the blueberries in this smoothie gave it a purple color instead of green (hence the name "Purple Monster"), making it even easier to get them to try it! Score!

I have to admit that I was skeptical, at first, about the taste of this smoothie.  I was sure that I would be able to taste the spinach.  To my delight, I didn't notice the spinach at all, other than a sweetness that it added.  This was also my first experience with almond milk.  I loved it, and my kids did, too!  Sweet success!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats (no marshmallows)

I am always looking for fun treats to make for my kids' lunches.  Rice krispy treats are so easy and tasty, but I am trying to feed my family healthier foods, thus using marshmallows less often (okay...every once in a while)!  I came across these on Pinterest, and I got the idea to make a healthier peanut butter rice krispy treat.  Here they are!

I used honey, brown sugar, and of course peanut butter as the "glue" to hold these bars together.  My kids were instantly hooked!  I know these still have quite a bit of sugar, but at least the ingredients in honey and natural peanut butter are healthier than those in marshmallows.  I feel a little bit better about my kiddos getting a small one of these in their lunches.  You could even make these with brown rice cereal for more nutrition.  The best part is that they are super quick to make!

No-Fail Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

I have recently been trying to master homemade pizza.   The crust is the hardest part.  I've tried several recipes, but they always seem to come out too "bread-y" and kind of flimsy.  Then I discovered Lauren's Fail Proof Pizza Dough over on Lauren's Latest.   She includes some great tips for making a restaurant quality pizza crust.  One of her tips is to use bread flour.  I did not use bread flour (I plan to one of these days to see the difference), but the end result was still great.  Another one of her tips is to knead, knead, knead the dough.  Of course, she used a stand mixer to do this, while I used my hands!  It was hard work, but I kneaded for the recommended six minutes, and it paid off!

BBQ Chicken Pizza on No-Fail Pizza Crust

The only change I made in the ingredients of this recipe was to replace the bread flour with two cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.  I was very excited with the results.  The crust came out chewy and crispy- just the way I like it!

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

I try to vary my kids' weekday breakfasts.  Don't get me wrong, cereal is quick and easy when we are trying to get out the door on time, but it can get boring day after day after day...  I also worry that it isn't all that healthy, especially when your kids have nagged you enough that you finally say yes to the cereal that is ladened with preservatives and artificial colors and flavors.  Eww!  It happens every once in a while (especially when Dad does the shopping).

I decided to make these blueberry lemon muffins that I found over at The Girl Who Ate Everything.  I thought they would go well with fruit & yogurt parfaits or green smoothies..  I love that they are made with frozen blueberries because we always have these on hand. 

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

To make these muffins a bit healthier, I replaced half of the white flour with whole wheat flour.  I also replaced the sugar (in the batter) with agave nectar.  These were a hit with my family and co-workers (my son wasn't so happy that I decided to share our leftovers).  These muffins crown nicely (Don't you just hate puny, flat muffins?).  They aren't overly sweet, either.  The sugar topping is the perfect touch.  They will make even the novice baker a star!