Fresh Strawberry or Raspberry Lemonade Recipe

Photo by My Hubby

I was struggling to get a good picture of this raspberry lemonade so I turned the camera over to my hubby and asked him to take one.  It's a little dark but I think he did a good job. It is very fitting that my husband took the photo of the raspberry lemonade recipe because I created this for him.  He begged me to make some for him to go with dinner and so I took on the challenge and it turned out amazing! 

This strawberry lemonade is very reminicent of the fresh berry lemonade you get in fancy restaurants.   There are no flavorings, syrups or fake ingredients in this raspberry lemonade......it's all fresh ingredients! I had a couple of sips of this drink because it was soooo good. 

This raspberry lemonade would make an amazing refreshing drink for a summer BBQ or just a lazy day out by the pool or after swimming or boating.  There is something about the combination of fresh lemon and fresh berries that is so refreshing and cooling on a hot summer day!

***You can certainly use any sweetner you like, coconut sugar would be an excellent low glycemic index sweetener to use in this drink.  Enjoy!

Fresh Red Raspberry or Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

2 c. water
1 c. lemon juice
1 c. turbinado
2 c. frozen raspberries, strawberries or mixed berries

If you do not have a high speed blender, heat the water, lemon juice and turbinado until the turbinado dissolves, otherwise blend all together except raspberries, add raspberries, pulse to break up and serve.

Blueberry Muffin Green Smoothie Recipe

As the weather warms up........FINALLY!  I kept telling my husband I am sick of living in frozen tundra wasteland.  In fact, even into May we were getting snow and my patience with the weather was wearing very thin. I know it seems ridiculous to  live in a cold climate when you despise cold weather, and well....it is.  But we came back to the freezing weather to be around family, however, I'm not sure how long that idea is going to  last. Anyway, on to the amazing recipe!  One of the things I cannot stand about green smoothie recipes is that most of them are, well, lets be  honest, DISGUSTING!

I have tried a TON of green smoothie recipes over the years, in fact for nearly 4 or 5 years I had a green smoothie every morning for breakfast so I guess I can consider myself fairly experienced in green smoothie making.  Every recipe I tried was either bitter or just plain nasty.  I'm sorry but who in their right mind wants to eat something that doesn't taste good?  I sure don't. I always made up my own green smoothie recipes because I wanted something I could enjoy, not choke down.

I realize that many raw foodists develop simple tastes and enjoy eating dandelion greens or a head of lettuce but that isn't going to cut it for the average person who is trying to move toward a healthier diet.  Part of eating is enjoying the flavor and texture of the food, it isn't just about getting in nutrients, it is also about the pleasure of eating.

Taste buds can change, and I get tired of hearing people complain about healthy food!  But this is about making healthy food taste great.  Green smoothies should taste great and a green smoothie can taste good with a little creativity.

Blueberry Muffin Green Smoothie
Perfect post workout smoothie!  DELICIOUS! Kids will LOVE this one!

Delicious Breakfast Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

For information on recipes please visit:  Integrative Healing Clinic

This is a delicious, healthy breakfast smoothie and it is very high in nutrients!

Nutritional profile per 10 oz. serving: [3 servings in recipe]

Calories: 217

Protein: 9% Daily Value

Calcium: 7% Daily Value

Iron 8% DV

Zinc 9% DV

Vit. A 92% DV

Folate 14% DV

B1 8% DV

B2 21% DV

B3 8% DV

B5 11% DV

B6 25% DV

Vit. E 17%

Vit. K 98%

There are many other nutrients contained in this smoothie but I think you get the picture that this smoothie has a HIGH level of nutrients in a SMALL amount of calories.

I also developed a Blackberry Banana compote with oats, dates, sesame seeds and pecans as a delicious, high nutrient breakfast for a cold winter morning. I did not get a picture of this recipe but my family LOVED IT! The fruit is sauteed in a tiny amount of coconut oil and maple syrup until softened, then the oats, nuts and seeds are added and sauteed until softened. It was served with fresh, homemade vanilla almond milk.

The Peaceful Kitchen Refocused

Fresh Vegetable Marinara over Grilled Polenta

Recently I have been focusing on creating delicious recipes that are also very high in nutrients while being extremely healthy. I have spent the past several years recreating American comfort food into healthy vegan recipes using earth balance, whole grain flours, and natural sweeteners but I'd like to re-focus my efforts on creating very healthy recipes minimizing even processed whole grain flours, oils, and sweeteners.

I believe that every individual is on a different level health wise and I wanted to show that healthy plant based food can be every bit as enjoyable as standard american comfort food and it can be healthy. I do not necessarily eat this way on a daily basis though and it is not how I teach my clients to eat.

My Personal Diet

Breakfast: I eat several pieces of fruit or I have a green smoothie in the morning

Lunch: usually a large salad and an ezekiel english muffin with almond butter and agave or....Steamed vegetables, edamame, ezekiel english muffin, or vegetables sauteed in vegetable broth and seasonings

Dinners: vary widely but I always have a LARGE salad and a small portion of whatever I make for my family.

Comfort food is great on special occasions but in order to achieve optimal health you need to be consuming healthy food in its most natural state even minimizing whole wheat flours. I want to begin creating recipes that are every bit as delicious as the S.A.D. re-creations but that contain healthier ingredients, less refined oils and succanut or turbinado and more whole foods.

I hope you will enjoy the new recipes and photos as I begin creating new, healthier recipes. Please see the website for full recipe collections:  http://www.thepeacefulkitchen.com/