Baked Apple Breakfast & How I survive detox during a winter storm!

First of all… SNOW DAY!!!

It is important to detox each season, but dang, detox is so much easier in the summer! Cucumbers, watermelon, baby greens, and warm weather make it pretty easy to clear out the junk in our bodies!

Myself and my group of detox clients officially began our 15-day program yesterday. It just so happened that it was also the night that kicked off a gigantic storm in the East. Luckily, I picked up my CSA share on the way home from work, so I have cabbage, carrots, parsnips, onions, beets, and apples. I can definitely work with that!

But this morning, I could not accept the idea that I would have a smoothie for breakfast, like I do most days. I needed something warm and comforting, but that fits into my detox program. My detox includes warm breakfasts, roasted veggies, blended soups, and hot teas, but – I was craving THIS.

Food that is cozy, warm, AND totally clean = WIN!!!

Detox-Approved Baked Apple Breakfast

Apple, chopped

Spoonful of coconut oil

Cinnamon, sprinkled on top

Bake at 350 degrees for around 20 minutes.

Sprinkle topping: Ground up mixture of sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, coconut shreds, and goji berries. Normally I would also top with pecans but this is a nut-free detox (to rule out nut allergies and sensitivities!)

Homemade Almond Milk

Hello 2015 –

Here’s why I like you.

Virtually every supermarket carries non-dairy milks now! As a culture we are becoming more conscious of what we’re putting in our bodies. I’m grateful that I get to be a part of the movement.

Personally, my biggest motivation for choosing plant love comes from my love for cows (moo!), and secondly my intolerance to dairy (tummy aches like crazy). On top of that, nut milks are de-freakin-licious! Especially when you make them yourself! Although the store bought non-dairy milks are a great option to have, they have still been manipulated, and often have added sugars or potentially harmful additives, like carrageenan.

Not cool!

Luckily, it’s easy to make your own nut milk, so follow the pictures below to get the recipe (which has TWO ingredients, one being water).

And, BONUS! It tastes amazing too!

From blender to glass, the whole process took around 5-7 minutes. See – now you have no excuse not to make your own.

Almond Milk (4 cups)

1) Soak 1 cup raw almondsc and forget about them for 8+ hrs (expands to 2 cups)
2) Dump the water and rinse almonds
3) Blend with 4 cups water, for 1-2 minutes
4) Use a nut bag (or panty hose) and slowly squeeze the liquid out
5) Keep the pulp – you can make cookies, hummus, almond flour

Store milk in a sealed glass container. It should last 2-3 days.

*Optional: Blend with vanilla, spices, sweetener (I added vanilla and 3 dates)

My Version of Smoothie 101

Someone asked me if I had any go-to smoothie recipe resources. The short answer is no. However, I make smoothies all the time (as in hundreds a WEEK – it’s for my job, okay? :)), and generally stick to this equation:

1. Start with a liquid – water, coconut water, non-dairy milk, etc.
2. Add something for a smooth consistency – either 1/4 avocado, 1/2 to 1 banana (preferably frozen), you could even add cooked squash or sweet potato, or zucchini
3. Add greens – spinach, kale, mixed greens, etc. You can’t taste them, and you get all the nutrients, so why not?
4. Ice as needed

You have the option to
A. Go fruity – pineapple, mango, berries (frozen or fresh)
B. Go veg – celery, cucumber, beet
C. Get spicy/flavorful – add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, vanilla, chai spices, fresh herbs, raw cacao (chocolate), matcha green tea powder, essential oils like orange or peppermint
D. Make it SUPER – add superfoods like chia seeds, maca powder, spirulina, chlorella, hemp protein, ground flax seeds, coconut oil, bee pollen, goji berries, or superfood blends
E. Get nutty – if you desire: almond butter, peanut butter, cashew butter
F. Make it sweet – if it needs some sweet, try a date, maple, or honey

Okay, so that wasn’t as simple as I had planned on making it, but basically:

liquid + banana/avo + greens + _________ = perfection.

Here’s what I had today:

1 cup water
1 frozen banana
Spinach
Kale
1 scoop matcha green tea powder
1 scoop maca powder
1 scoop chia seeds
1 scoop cacao nibs

TIP: Everything tastes better in a bowl with a spoon. Fact. Make it extra thick and eat it with a spoon.

How do you make your favorite smoothies?

2015: The year I (re)started blogging.

Alright soooo… last time I wrote a blog post I had a broken foot and I was stuck at home for two weeks with nothing to do.

Nine months later… it’s now the NEXT YEAR… (this is embarassing)… but HERE I AM! Ready to rock.

Quick Update:

• I am the manager of an organic juice bar (The Fresh Press in Portsmouth, NH). I helped open it in April and have been the recipe creator for all of our salad dressings, soups, and some smoothies, juices, wraps, and more! I also get to work on social media, new projects, writing, and more. It has been so rewarding to do what I love which is create yummy healthy food!
• I enrolled in The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and am on my way to becoming a certified health coach. I am about to launch my first program which is a Winter Detox and I am so excited about it! I have an amateur website (www.morgan-avery) and someday I will 1) upgrade it and 2) learn to link the blog to it.
• My foot is totally fine, but my beloved pooch Price just got knee surgery. Poor lil guy.

I want to say that I am THRILLED to be back and would really like to pursue blogging, mainly just to share my recipes! I have sooooo many to share! And I love them all. It’s great. Food is great. Life is great. You are great.

So, CHEERS TO 2015!

A year of facing my fears, learning, growing, creating, exploring, and FUN!!!