As promised, my base for my Vitamix breakfast drinks.
First, consider a Vitamix as an investment. Had I known back then what I know now I would have bought this and saved myself a lot of time & money. Honestly, I think I would opt for this a wedding gift rather than china (…that I don’t use-I actually will be writing a post about that soon). Before I made my purchase I called my sister Jo asking her advice- she said that the Vitamix is all she has ever owned and her first one lasted 25 years. That is all it took to convince me and after one use I understood why. Look around for your best deal.
Craig LOVES his research to make us healthier and has taught me so much. I’m not very good at change, and some things are easier than others but somehow we figure out a happy medium. These shakes were one of those things. Already having the Vitamix, I just needed to implement some ingredients and make them tolerable. He wanted one of these shakes “to go” every morning. He felt so much better and wanted me to really give this a try. Soon I realized I had a lot more energy, they fill me up & the biggest thing was every time I started getting sick I would wake up perfect. Five times this month I went to bed knowing I was going to wake up with a full blown cold and all five times i’ve been great the next morning. We now buy as much organic as we can, and LOVE to grow veggies in our own garden. Canning has always been a big part of my life, and I get soooo excited at the local farmers markets.
So, now our fridge is stocked with certain basics so we are ready to roll with our shakes every weekday morning. It’s up to you about organic items- I will put an asterisk behind the items I try to buy that way. I also made some notes on ideas you can make with these items to keep them continually fresh and in use. Revised 12/17/14
*Kale- either by the bundle or bag/carton. If by the bundle, make sure to rinse well! The dinosaur kale is excellent baked up into kale chips with fresh parmesan and salt.
*Baby spinach -I buy the huge plastic container. Also, it’s great to have on hand for- sauté with garlic and mushrooms as a side for dinner, add to romaine for salads or with eggs in an omelet.
*Carrots*- I love buying the big bag, great for snacks or cooked, tossed with butter & brown sugar, or juiced with fresh ginger.
*Ginger- Love this ingredient fresh! It’s an anti-inflammatory agent that is great in carrot juice and martini’s as well ; )
*Banana’s- I LOVE banana’s, a great straight up snack, banana gelato , sautéed with rum, butter & brown sugar on vanilla ice cream…besides, organic banana’s just taste better!
*Oranges- I cut off the skin and throw it right in!
*Lemons & *Limes- Gotta’ have these on hand! Lemon water, cocktails, lemon gelato, blue margarita’s, strawberry mojito’s, pasta salads, salad dressings- the list goes on and on!!! once in a while I will squeeze a half in to wake up the flavors.
*organic canned pumpkin- I like the taste and texture.
Chia seeds- perfect in the shakes, great to incorporate in baked items and over night muesli.
Flax – also great in shakes and baked items.
Cinnamon-The spice house has many varieties- I love the Vietnamese” Saigon” Cassia cinnamon- great for your heart! It is their biggest seller and I buy it in volume. www.TheSpiceHouse.com
*Various berries- Always try to buy in season for price & taste. I love to buy extra and freeze in snack baggies. They hold roughly 1 cup, so its great to use as a measurement. If you’re buying organic fruit and your item is not available- check the frozen fruit isle! It’s amazing how many organic frozen fruits are available. My fav’s strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and if you want throw in some grapes.
O.K.!!! Now here’s my base:
Makes 2:
1 1/2 cups low fat vanilla flavored coconut milk (45 calories per cup) you can also use almond milk, skim milk, water …
I large handful of kale or spinach (or combo of both). We prefer the kale.
2 carrots- peeled, ends trimmed, cut in half. If organic I rinse and skip the peeling.
1 banana- peeled, my fav part of the shake
1 orange- outside cut off
3/4″ fresh ginger – slice off outside bark
1/4 cup organic canned pumpkin
1 Tablespoons chia seeds
1 Tablespoon flax
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ cups ice
Now, it’s up to you to gather up approx. 2 cups of berries of your choice to add in. Have some fun with this- different fruits will really change up the taste of this shake. Make this shake your own- Chelsie & Ryan add way more green vegetables and Tyler has a whole other regimen he came up with for a more body builder recipe. Allie is allergic to banana’s so no banana’s for her! Allie also adds in her Isogenix protein to her morning shake.
I purchase the 20 ounce foam cup (and the lid) from Sam’s Club- it is a huge box of them but completely invaluable. This allows you to take it on the go. I hope this helps you, try it out and watch your energy levels go up and your illnesses go down! I promise its the best decision you’ll ever make!
