Emerald Applesauce

Did you know that Parsley contains three times as much vitamin C as oranges, twice as much iron as spinach, is rich in vitamin A and contains folate, potassium and calcium?!!
What’s more, parsley is also recognized for its cancer-fighting potential.

Source: http://health.learninginfo.org/parsley.htm



Blend well the following ingredients in the blender.

Two large apples

½ bunch (or one cup) parsley

it's that simple! Enjoy

Green Smoothies

I was at an Above Rubies retreat this last March (www.aboverubies.org) when I was encouraged again to start a raw foods journey. Originally it sparked my interest for the weight loss benefits~ But the more I studied it the more in love I fell with the idea of eating living foods. I've been a whole foods type of gal for quite a while now, thinking that we were feeding ourselves quite healthily, not buying processed, packaged foods. Using whole grains, oats, etc... Grinding our own wheat berries and baking our own bread. Raising our own farm fresh eggs......
I haven't forsaken this way of life for the family, they're not exactly jumping on the raw wagon the way I am, but I'm still sneaking it in as much as I can (o: more on the raw foods subject to come......
We've been making green smoothies for a couple years now. I can't recommend this enough, especially when you have small children that won't sit and eat a hearty salad. I bought a Vitamix from Costco, it is a super blender on steroids that will blend everything up to an oblivion! Therefore you can chuck in big handfuls of raw spinach and drink it down!!
Here's what a smoothie at our house looks like~

Handful or two of fresh spinach
frozen banana or two (you don't have to use frozen)
some frozen berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, etc..
flax seed, I use the flax seeds but you could use the flax oil~ just spendier that way though.
some ice cubes, and either water or fresh juice if I have it.

That's the base to my smoothie, but you could add so many more combinations, fruits, nuts, seeds, yogurt if you're not vegan, sometimes I'll add a carrot, or a slice of cabbage and it doesn't affect the taste and the kids don't know, and don't ask.... lol.....
Most days I'll make these in place of a salad for the kids, they are much more agreeable to chug it down than to eat a salad. Although, I don't believe in hiding everything in their food. I want them to grow up knowing how good spinach, carrots, cabbage, etc.. is for them and how delicious it can truly be! So, I'll offer it to them in other forms.
I love the vitamix. It is my best friend in the kitchen, besides my new Excalibur 9 tray food dehydrator that is purring in my kitchen 24 hours a day now. (Drying at 105 degrees still keeps the enzymes in your food living!!) I'll write more on this topic when the kids aren't interrupting every 10 seconds, thus the midnight posts to come....... (o:

Don't Buy Boxed Baby Rice Cereal..... Here's a healthier version

Very simple, and so much better for baby than buying the boxed cereals that who knows what is put into it, or who made it. Wouldn't you much rather feed your little precious with something you oversaw, and can pronounce all the ingredients for? AND.... no preservatives...... that's a biggie for me right there!
I made this for the family the other day in attempts to do something different besides the old traditional oats. Not that there is anything wrong with oats (o:

~Ingredients~

1 Cup of Brown Rice
3.5 Cups of Water
1/2 tsp of salt
a little vanilla flavoring
8 dried apricots- chopped in your food processor or VitaMix (my favorite appliance in the world!)
2 tbsp of sunflower seeds (depending on the ages of who you are feeding this to, you can leave this out if you're worried about someone choking.)

Take your raw rice and put it into your blender for 10 seconds and give it a whirl. Bring your water and salt to a boil and add the rice. Put a lid on it and lower the temp to LOW for 20 minutes. Stir often with a wire whisk.
The last few minutes I add the apricots and a drop or two of vanilla flavoring. (And sunflower seeds if desired)
AND you're DONE! Easy, huh?

you can add other yummies to it for a variety
Some Ideas
*flax seeds
*blueberries, strawberries, bananas
*raisins, craisins, dried cherries
*honey