{Giveaway Now Closed}

I’ve mentioned a few times that we are a smoothie family. Smoothie making definitely got a little easier after the addition of our Blendtec blender, but I’ll be honest, we were making smoothies regularly way before that happened. My blender has always been my friend.

For me, the simpler a smoothie is the better. Smoothies should be pure, clean and have just a few ingredients in my opinion. I really try not to add any additional sweeteners if its not needed, the fresh or frozen fruit is usually enough for me. This smoothie incorporates a small amount of apple juice that adds just enough sweetness and liquid to pull it together perfectly.

Speaking of this smoothie – this little girl has been begging me for it every single afternoon. Hard to resist that kind of begging isn’t it?

With our weather in the 90s this week, our afternoons have been HOT and this fruity treat has been exactly what we need to cool off.

Slurp.

You Are My Sunshine Smoothie
Recipe created in Aggie’s Kitchen

(makes 2 smoothies)

1 large navel orange, peeled and chunked
1 cup frozen peaches, slightly defrosted if not using a high powered blender
1/4 cup natural apple juice

Place all ingredients into blender pitcher and process until smoothie, approximately 1 minute. Serve cold and enjoy.

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I was recently contacted by another blogger about helping out a family who has two sick little girls (both diagnosed with the same extremely rare disease) that were enduring a lot of medical treatment. Ali was pulling together recipes to create a cookbook to sell as a fundraising effort to help out the Fish family with their overwhelming medical expenses. I happily sent over a recipe to help. This grass-roots fundraising efforts is called Blogging For Fishes.

I encourage you to watch this video, it is their story and I warn you – it is a tearjerker and will tear up your heart. This family is living a nightmare, but has no choice but to truck on and take care of each other in however way possible.

The Fish family and their story is on my heart and I hope they feel my prayers for strength, hope and healing.

You can follow their family blog here at Fishes For Marrow Wishes.

Winner’s announced and been notified through email! Congrats to winners:

1) Natalie (book winner!)

2) jessica w.

3) Melinda

4) Diane M.

5) Kim | At Home With Kim

6) Caneel

7) Jaimee

Shelby

9) Kim

10) Sarah @ Real Food Outlaws

11) Annie

Today I am offering a special giveaway. I am giving away a hard copy of this beautiful recipe book created in love, full of recipes from bloggers that have come together in support of the Fish family. I am also giving away 10 copies of the equally beautiful e-book (for the iPad or as a PDF file).

If you’d like to purchase a cookbook, you can do so here. 100% of the proceeds from the E-books go directly to the Fish family and $5 from each physical book purchase.

Quantities of the recipe BOOKS are limited so buy them now – they are gorgeous and would make great gifts. (E-books will be available for purchase until the end of 2012)

Please, help spread the word.

Giveway:

1 winner will receive the Blogging For Fishes Recipe Book

10 winners will receive the Blogging For Fishes e-book (for the iPad or as a PDF file)

To Enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post, be sure to leave your email so that I can contact you if you are chosen as a winner.

For an extra entry – please share with your friends, family, community via FB/Twitter. Leave a comment (in addition to your first one) and let me know it is your extra entry.

Giveaway starts today, April 4th and will end April 11, 2012 12 pm (EST).

My kids went back to school yesterday. I seriously can’t believe our summer break is officially over…though our summer surely isn’t. It’s still hotter than heck and not much is changing for a while other than our schedule.

One of the best parts of summer, other than the obviously fun activities that come along with it, is definitely the fruit. You can’t beat summer fruit. Especially peaches. Gosh, do I love peaches. My favorite are the ones that come from Georgia and the Carolinas…those are the ones I look for around this time of year, they smell so darn good. I love popping one in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours then slicing it up into a glass of red wine…that’s my grandpa’s version of dessert…and that’s another post for another day.

My kids and I have been playing with our new Blendtec the last few weeks. We are blending up everything in sight. One hot afternoon, my daughter and I made this juice. Just like most 4 year old girls, my daughter loves anything pink. When asked what ice cream flavor or smoothie flavor she wants, her response is always “pink”. Not strawberry, but pink.

This juice is delicious. I call it juice because it’s made from pure fruit and that’s what I think juice should be made of, but it’s a little thick with the texture of a fruit smoothie. Whatever you want to call it, it’s yummy and really good for you. Mine blended up very easily in the Blendtec. If you are going to try it in a regular blender I would recommend defrosting the frozen berries first and adding a couple of ice cubes to it. I’ve made this two times now, once using frozen raspberries and 1/4 cup of apple juice and another time using frozen blueberries and 1/4 cup water. Both versions were delish and I will probably opt to not use the juice and just stick with water next time.

Don’t forget to enter to win a Blendtec here. Giveaway ends Friday August 20 at noon (EST).

Good luck!

Peach-Berry Juice

1 large juicy peach, sliced or chunked
1 cup frozen raspberries or blueberries
1/4 cup water or apple juice

Put ingredients in the pitcher of your Blendtec and press Whole Juice button. Enjoy!

If using a regular blender, run berries under water to defrost slightly before blending. Add 1 or 2 cubes in addition to the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Let me introduce you to my salad of the week.

It’s actually been my salad for the last couple of months. I discovered a close version to this salad on my friend Tina’s site after she suggested to me and I have craved it oh so often ever since.

I know salads like this have been floating around for awhile so it’s not the most original recipe. But what I want you to do is look at it more from a nutritional stand point than just as a salad plate. I always seem to fall back on this salad when I’m trying to really lighten up a meal without missing out on flavor and a nutritional boost. I felt like eating this on it’s own tonight, but it would be perfect with some grilled shrimp, chicken or fish.

So when I say look at this plate of goodness from more of a nutritional standpoint this is what I mean. I don’t always feel like eating a salad. For some reason making at a salad at home is the last thing I want to do. I love eating them out, but at home, eh, too much work maybe? Silly, I know. But when you see how good for you a plate like this is, you can’t help but start to crave it. Well, at least that’s how I work.

So here’s what’s good about it:

Spinach (source: Livestrong.com)

• low calorie
• one cup contains more than daily requirements of vitamin K, vitamin A
• high in manganese, folate and magnesium
• excellent source of dietary fiber, calcium and protein
• contains cancer fighting antioxidants
• is known to promote cardiovascular health with high levels of magnesium that can lower high blood pressure levels

Strawberries (source: Livestrong.com)

• rich source of vitamins such as vitamin A, B-complex, C and E
• reduces inflammation in the body
• has higher levels of vitamin C than oranges
• powerful antioxidant
• healthy dose of dietary fiber that aids in reducing bad cholesterol

Walnuts (source: BBC News)

• highest level of antioxidant than any other nut
• great source of protein and omega-3

See what I mean?

Spinach, Strawberry and Walnut Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Recipe from Aggie’s Kitchen, inspired and adapted from Mommy’s Kitchen

Serves One

2 cups (handfuls) of fresh spinach
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
8 walnut halves, rough chopped
1 oz crumbled gorgonzola (about a 1/4 of plastic container)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Layer each ingredient on a large salad plate. Serve with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves about 2-3

1/3 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
pinch onion powder
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Simply Fruit strawberry preserves
1 teaspoons Grey Poupon Honey Dijon

Combine ingredients in a jar or tightly sealed container. Shake vigorously until well combined.

Here’s one of those “things” I hate to call a recipe…but more like an idea.  I don’t like to call it a recipe, because really, there is more than one way to make this fruit dip.  Initially, I followed Itzy’s idea and used a small container of Stoneyfield Strawberry yogurt with a couple dollops of whipped topping stirred in.  That’s what is shown in the picture…I made this for my daughter’s third birthday and everyone who tried it loved it.  Since then though, I’ve tried it a couple of different ways, and each way has been great!  Instead of strawberry yogurt, get yourself a small container of vanilla, add about a teaspoon or two of your favorite preserves (I love strawberry and peach) and of course some of that whipped topping. It’s really quite simple…just another delicious “thing” I couldn’t keep to myself.

There you go…a fun way to serve your fruit at your next get together!