Summer's Simple Pleasures

  This is my favorite time of year for so many reasons. I come alive in the warmth & sunshine.

 I thrive on it. Everything is so simple in the summer. I love throwing on a tee shirt and shorts, a pair of flip flops and I'm ready to go. It makes me so happy to finally open all the windows and let the sea breeze in. I love to listen to the birds sing, watch the butterflies and eat a simple salad out on the patio. Our yard is full of wildflowers and their heavy scents are intoxicating! Every morning and evening during the summer months I spend time in my garden, it's a quiet time that helps me feel balanced and peaceful.

There's a completely different pace to life when the hot weather arrives. It's a nod from the Universe to take things slow and easy, keep thing simple and go outdoors to enjoy Mother Nature. To me, that's the beauty of summer! And in the evenings, there is something so magical about hot summer nights, when the air is thick with sounds of crickets. Everything comes alive with joy that the days are long and lazy. I'm sitting in the yard as I write this at dusk. I'm surrounded with the twinkling of lightning bugs, the sky is deep pink and the crickets are just beginning to sing. Pretty soon the cicadas will be joining in.

Ah, the Simple Pleasures in life ~ I am in heaven!

 A large variety of fruits and veggies are abundant this time of year in Ct, it's a long time coming and I am in my glory surrounded by all of my favorite foods! At our house there is no longer a set dinner time or rarely a planned meal anymore, which I love. Since both my husband and I now enjoy a diet rich in fruits,veggies & greens (Yay!), it just depends on what we are feeling like each night. Summer foods make this so easy. Some nights we make salad, loading it up with lots of mixed greens, sprouts, sunflower seeds & veggies. I like to add fruit to my salad; strawberries, diced apples or pears or slices of oranges. Last night we cut a watermelon in half, grabbed 2 spoons and voila, dinner! I love to create "supper smoothies", which are heavier on the summer fruits, yet still include a mellow green like romaine. Chia cereal full of berries, cinnamon and almonds is still a favorite of mine and takes just a few minutes to prepare. Having my kitchen stocked with a wide variety of beautiful greens, fruits and veggies is key to keeping dinnertime simple and satisfying. Simple is the name of the game in the summer and that's why I love this glorious time of year so much!

Here are some of my favorite simple pleasures in life ~ I am so blessed... Life is good!

My awesome family!

Best Friends!

Flowers in my yard!

Fresh Fruit!

Wild Raspberries!

My organic garden ~ I love growing my own!

 Swiss Chard ~ Beans ~ Peppers ~ Cucumbers

Arugula ~ Spinach ~ Kale ~ Tomatoes

Vibrant Fresh Foods!

Raspberry Walnut Salad!

I've been thrilled with my arugula that's growing in both my garden & my neighbor's.

 I add a big handful to the lettuce or spinach that I usually make my salads with.
 I love how the sweetness in fruit and bitter arugula compliment each other!

Strawberry Spinach Tomato Salad

with Sprouts! 

Cabbage Pear Salad with Pear Dressing!

dressing

I prefer a light dressing that I mix up just before serving my salad

My favorite lately is a little hemp or pumpkin seed oil

mixed with some cinnamon pear vinegar ~ amazing!

Mango Romaine Supper Smoothie
Great for anytime ~ night or day!

2 cups frozen mango
1 banana
1 head romaine lettuce
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 to 3 cups coconut water 
( depending on how thick you like it)




Mango Orange Fennel Smoothie





1 cup chopped fennel
3 Swiss chard leaves
1 peeled orange
1/2 banana
1 cup diced mango ( fresh or frozen)
2 1/2 cups coconut water




Dessert!

Chocolate Brownie Bites

Chocolate Brownie Bites

1. 
   

   1 1/2 cup walnuts

   
   

   1/2 cup raw cacao powder 
   
   

   1/3 cup dried, unsweetened coconut 
   
   

   1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 
   
   

   1 tsp vanilla powder 
   
   

   2 1/4 cups pitted, chopped dates 

1. 
   
    Blend everything except the dates until finely ground in food processor
   
   
   

   Slowly add dates until well blended. 
   
   
   Scoop a spoonful out at a time
   roll into little balls
   
   
   Refrigerate for a half hour
   
   
   Enjoy!!
   
   
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   Sunshine is my quest  ~ Winston Churchill
   
   
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Hello everyone :)

I'm planning on taking the weekends off from blogging, but since I missed a few days this week due to technical issues ~ here are some rainy Saturday afternoon thoughts...

 I have to say that I have aspirations to eat a 100% raw diet, and maybe I will at some point. The foods are so vibrant and colorful ~ fresh and alive! But for now I enjoy the few cooked foods I eat and it's certainly done me well ~ so I'll see what the summer and warmer weather has to bring.

 I feel fabulous ~ healthy and happy and that's most important to me and should be for all of us! Whatever path feels right. I've learned that listening to my body and honoring how it feels after I eat certain foods is key. For me, introducing fresh greens into my body through green smoothies has dramatically improved my health and well being and set me on the path to choosing only foods that are highly nutritious and beneficial for me.

I don't think there's a need for labels on how we eat as long as the foods provide optimum health and well being. I'm sure I'll be touching on this more as I continue my journey of health & happiness!

Here's a little picture video of dinner last night :)

Quinoa with scallions and sun dried tomatoes

I soaked the sun dried tomatoes in water for a few minutes, chopped them up and added them along with sliced scallions into the prepared quinoa ~ delicious!

Fresh spring green salad ~ isn't it pretty?

Spring greens from Sport Hill Farm

tomatoes

cukes

orange pepper

lots of sprouts

scallions

walnuts

raisins ~ fresh from a California produce stand ~ amazing!

Raw cucumber dressing ~  a simpler version of a few recipes I've seen, I just threw it together in the kitchen blender

1 cucumber

1 avocado

1 clove garlic

abt 1/4 tsp raw honey

abt 1/3 cup olive oil

delicious ~ nutritious & ooh so satisfying  :)

Wishing everyone a very Happy Easter

Health & Happiness

 The magic of Green Smoothies!!


I've received lots of great feedback on Facebook and email from friends that have begun adding green smoothies into their diet since I started this blog and I am THRILLED to hear how wonderful everyone's feeling   :)
I am passionate about spreading the joy I feel and the message about the benefits of nurturing yourself with real foods.. Nourishing my body with nutritious greens, fruits and vegetables has been the kindest thing I've ever done for myself and the benefits have been enormous ~ life changing!! 
I've now lost 111 lbs, have lots of energy  and have never felt better :)
Adding green smoothies to  my lifestyle was easy and delicious and the wonderful changes occurred almost immediately. I want everyone to reap the enormous benefits that come from these simple changes ~ the rest comes naturally...


Here are some of the exciting comments I've received lately...


 "Green smoothies. Almost as weird and awesome as chia seeds. I'm definitely going to have to play with the recipe. I lost my ginger, much to my chagrin, so I didn't put that in and I have agave nectar rather than honey. i think I'd rather use honey. It smells heavenly, like rolling around in a meadow right after a rain storm in June. The texture is frothy, delightful and light, but slightly gritty. I think I need to add an extra banana and blend a little longer. It was definitely worth drinking. I think they'll be making a daily appearances in my life. ;o) So exciting"


"Well today marks one full week and I just wanted to thank you so much for all you are doing. I am down 7 pounds which is unheard of for me. I have a thyroid condition and as you know the auto immune disease so I can gain weight like a sumo but I have never been able to lose more then a pound or two at the very most. I have tired Jennie Craig for one year 6 lbs, Nutri system for 6 months 2 pounds, Weight watchers for 10 months 4 pounds, and I even tired the lap band I lost 5 lbs and then gained 55. Who would of thunk it that these mossy green smoothies would get me going! I am not a warm fuzzy person but lady, I would so hug you right now. Thank you for being such a font of information and taking the time and energy to share you wealth of knowledge them all of us."






"So, my typical grocery run before this past week consisted of a few fruits and vegetables, which inevitably got thrown out because I didn't eat them fast enough..this week, I had quite a full fridge of fruits and veggies...time to stock up again, because most of it is gone! And the likes of Quinoa, Wheat Berries, Almonds, Walnuts and Raisins my new staple snack food? Who'da thunk it! Feeling good (thanks, Kathy ♥)"

"Hi Kathy! Spring is here and I'm attempting to trim off winter's fat. I went green 10 days ago and lost 6 lbs.! I'd been going to the Y, but unless you change your diet, the weight loss is much slower ... all that processed food and starches, yuck. I want to give you credit for jump starting my brain in the right direction" "the weight that we are dropping by just adding green smoothies.... so satisfying and filling...Kathy is right, those cravings for sugary things are a thing of the past...lovin' it!" "this is not work doing this; its amazing how your body just responds when it's receiving all the right stuff..." Huge thanks to everyone for sharing their enthusiasm and successes with me! It means the world to me to know I'm making a little difference by keeping up this blog!   let's keep these good green vibes flowing ~ perhaps pass them on to someone you love  :) Health & Happiness

I'm SO excited!!

 Brian & I shot a video while making a Green Smoothie :)

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple

1 banana

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 cucumber peeled

2 large handfuls of spinach

1 inch piece of ginger peeled

1 tsp raw honey

1 cup of water ~ approx.

blend 1/2 cup of water with spinach

add each ingredient one by one ~ stirring in a circular motion with tamper

blend until smooth

add more water to fill till top

I always store my smoothies in a 16 oz. Ball mason jar.

They will last up to 2 days in the fridge 

be sure to refrigerate them soon after making them

I take them to work daily along to enjoy with some raw almonds ~ filling and nutritious!

Enjoy :)

 Feel free to ask any questions & please share what  combinations you are blending up!