Start Your Day Right: Tropical Green Power Smoothie

An apple a day may help with our overly friendly doctor situation, but a handful of spinach for breakfast is the perfect pick-me-up.

I admit, I used to be one of those wake-up-late-in-a-rush-run-to-school-skip-breakfast kind of person; but I also used to be asleep in my 8am Biology class. So Instead, for the student on the go, skip the poptart that will leave your on the edge of a sugar crash mid-day, and get fresh, sustain, energy to-go: The Green Power Smoothie.

Of course, this is just one of many variations here, but the way that the subtle tropical flavors and strong peanut-butter after taste come together is one of my favorites. the Peanut-Butter gives the the protein and brain-power to power through your morning, the ginger and orange to keep your system healthy (even on a rough schedule), and spinach and spirulina to pack it with vital nutrients.

Perfect for anyone on the go, just throw the items together, blend, and pour it a cup together. Trade it out for coffee and you won't regret it.

Tropical Green Power Smoothie

Ingredients

* Handful of spinach leaves

* Full, peeled orange

* 1 peeled banana, cut in half

* 1/2 cup frozen pineapple chunks

* 1 tablespoon minced ginger

* 2 tablespoon peanut butter

* 1 tablespoon spirulina

* 1 cup almond milk (or vegan milk of choice)

Recipe

1. Wash off spinach and place it into blender or immersion blender cup.

2. Place the rest of the items in the blender or cup (with fresh fruit in the bottom and frozen fruit on top)

3. Blend until everything is chopped and mix thoroughly to desired consistency.

Good Morning Sunshine: Oatmeal is saying, 'Hello!'

On a cold, winter's morning, with an afternoon of studying before me, there's no better meal I can think of than slow-cooked Scottish Oats--and a big cup of Earl Grey, of course. They fancy their oats a bit more... 'soupy' here in London, and I found I could embrace that while improving upon it with a multitude of different options.

Now, if you're like me and, until recently, the idea of oatmeal seemed unappealing due to its boring, instant counterpart appearing for breakfast during grade school, I sympathize. But I'll make this my appeal to you: give it another shot! The world of oats has so much potential for every palate, and it doesn't have to be the gluey, sugar-high mess of the past.

My new love for oatmeal began as I started to replace the water for milk... and then milk for coconut milk... and then some banana, some flax seed, vanilla, chocolate, cacao, walnuts, dates! The possibilities are endless and here's the easy recipe for two of my favorites to prove it; no strict rules here, feel free to make it your own.

My favorite part about this breakfast treat is it sustains you well into lunch time with hearty fiber (better than even whole wheat toast) and can go sweet with a variety of all natural sources such as cinnamon, coconut, and a various fresh & dried fruits. Organic soy milk is key for this, sweetened only with organic apple juice (not from concentrate). The amount each recipe makes is for one serving size, but tweak to your liking--I always use 1 part oats to 2 parts liquid + banana for thickening (feel free to omit this and add a bit more liquid as necessary).

Oh, and I would LOVE if you guys would comment any and all of your own ideas or personal oat creations!

Tropical Crunch
I like to eat this one on a rainy day and pretend I'm back on a California beach

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut milk (I've used from the can but will soon be experiment with making my own)
1/4 cup organic sweetened soy milk
1 medium banana, well mashed
1 medjool date, roughly chopped
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground flax seed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of raw pink Himalayan sea salt
Toppings: unsweetened shredded coconut flakes, crumbled pecans, sliced banana
Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a bowl. Turn heat to low and simmer according to package directions (varies depending on the type of oats, if you're going the slow cooking way this can be up to 30 minutes, most oats are about 5 though). Remove from heat and add toppings, enjoy!


Chocolate Peanut-Butter Dream
This is a great way to start your day with some mood-lifting cacao and energy-inducing peanut-butter

1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1 large banana, well mashed
2 medjool dates, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp of cacao nibs
1/2 Tbsp. goji berries (if you have 'em; they can be quite expensive)
1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground flax
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch raw pink Himalayan sea salt
Toppings: a dollop of peanut-butter, crushed walnuts, pomegranate seeds, cacao nibs

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a bowl. Turn heat to low and simmer according to package directions (varies depending on the type of oats, if you're going the slow cooking way this can be up to 30 minutes, most oats are about 5 though). Remove from heat and add toppings, enjoy!

Peace&Love