Mojito Smoothy

I ordered a great cook book, Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay Nixon... one of the first recipes I tried was her Mojito Smoothy... sounded like a fun way to jazz up a summer morning breakfast or snack! So easy and simple.

Throw into the blender the following ingredients:

• 3-4 icecubes
• 1/2 cup of milk or milk substitute
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup of raw spinach
• handful of fresh mint leaves
• juice from 1/2 lime
• Agave (sweeten to taste)

Blend and enjoy.  It is so yummy! I love the addition of the lime, vanilla and mint! (Add more as desired.)  I promise, you cannot even taste a hint of spinach. It's like it is not even there and you are filling your body with green goodness!

By the way, I like to buy a big bundle of bananas and when ripe, I peel and break them into chunks, and then throw them in a freezer bag and freeze. Frozen bananas add a great texture to shakes.

and now I'm a..........VEGAN

Or at least trying to be.  Can you believe it?  Over the past few years, I have been transitioning back in to the world of vegetarianism and I couldn't feel better.  Recently, I came upon some new information that opened me up to the possibilities of cutting out one of my very favorite food groups.... dairy.  Here are a couple you may wish to check out:

http://drhyman.com/blog/conditions/dairy-6-reasons-you-should-avoid-it-at-all-costs/
http://www.forksoverknives.com/

Now this is pretty big step considering I could live off of cheese!  I cut out milk over 12 years ago, so I was hoping the transition wouldn't be too difficult and you know what?  For the past two months, it hasn't been. I was a little concerned with cutting out dairy, as I really relied on cheese and eggs for small doses of protein and fat.  But I found that Todd and I were already doing a pretty good job of integrating beans, quinoa, amaranth, nuts and seeds to our plant-based diet.  I thought I would be more hungry, grouchy and filled with a longing for cheese - but that is not the case. Both Todd and I have noticed big changes...less allergies, better/clear skin, and more energy.  I will keep you updated as whether or not I can stay the course.

If you are a meat/dairy lover, don't worry.  The great thing about this blog is that my sister, who is also a contributor, is not a vegetarian, and so hopefully there is something for everyone here! My recipes can include both meat and dairy.