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spring smoothie – sparkling blackberry

healthy blackberry low calorie smoothie ~ vegan

 

As spring has arrived and bikini season is quickly approaching, I am in need of a few lighter smoothie and salad options. Over the next few weeks, I will be adding these to the blog under the category of Spring Shape Up, taking some personal favorites and making them a little lighter. In general, I don’t have to worry about calories as my weight has been stable for awhile, but the prospect of bearing almost all in my adorable new bikini has me noticing I could stand to lose a few pounds. Don’t tell my husband about the new suit, it’s going to be a surprise- lol

This is actually quite a large serving, very filling and satisfying! Use frozen berries if you don’t have fresh, it’ll still taste great.
The light almond milk only has 35 calories per cup and half a cup was plenty. I added the agave for just a little sweetness, but if you leave it out, your calories are even lower!
* and sparkling refers to the taste and photo here, as the berries look sparklie *

Ingredients:                                       calories:

crushed ice                                              0
1/2 cup ( 4 ounces) blackberries   32
1/2 cup light almond milk                 18
1/2 banana                                              53
1/2 tablespoons agave                       30
1/4 cup soy yogurt                              52

Total Calories                                         185 * check your ingredients for accuracy/changes

Method:

place all ingredients into blender and mix well. serve immediately.

 

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April 27, 2012 - 2:53 pm

Kathleen - Perfectly beautiful photo. I cannot wait to try!

lemony tofu ricotta and asparagus pasta

lemon asparagus tofu ricotta pasta for spring

 

While away on our spring break trip, I wanted to cook something for my parents. My mom requested a pasta dish and my dad loves asparagus, so I combined the 2 for a light, fresh spring pasta dish.  Add a salad and baguette for an easy yet elegant spring meal.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus,- cleaned and trimmed and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
14 ounces pasta
zest and juice of one lemon
12 ounce block of firm tofu
3 tablespoons fresh basil
3 tablespoons fresh italian parsley
2 cloves garlic – finely diced
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

 

Method:

preheat oven to 395. toss asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on cookie sheet in a single layer. roast for 15 minutes, turn spears over and roast an additional 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned. drain and mash tofu with a fork then stir in juice of lemon, 1 glove garlic, 2 tablespoons basil, 2 tablespoons parsley and 1/4 teaspoons salt then set aside. prepare pasta according to package directions, drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water. toss drained pasta with 1/2 of the tofu mixture, lemon zest and asparagus adding pasta water and olive oil as needed to thin and create a light sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste. top each serving with fresh herbs and remaining tofu ricotta.

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April 26, 2012 - 11:59 am

Barb@ThatWasVegan - I love lemon-y asparagus-y pasta dishes! Yum!

April 26, 2012 - 9:49 pm

Laural Out Loud - I NEVER would have put those ingredients together. What an interesting dish! I can’t wait to try it out on my family. Well, to the adults in my family. I’m still working on getting the kids to like tofu (it’s a battle I WILL WIN, lol).

Sesame Street Live ~ Elmo makes music

Who can resist the draw of Elmo, Big Bird, Bert, Ernie and Oscar?!
Well, certainly not me, and definitely not my girls or husband. Yesterday we attended Sesame Street Live at the Valley View Casino Center and had the best time!

The show itself was wonderful, I didn’t know the Sesame gang could dance so well! When Ernie came on stage in his white disco suit, I was seriously delighted in a great way. It’s clear that the show has been updated to reflect today’s music and dance styles, I couldn’t even count the number of kids literally dancing in the aisles, it was SO cute. It’s difficult to tell who has a better time, the adults or the kids, because everyone was singing , laughing and dancing together.
To sum it up, I think  my 5 year old daughter’s words  say it best.  me ~ “So Teagan, did you like the show”   Teagan~”Like it? No, you mean LOOOOOVED it! That was great!”

 

 

here are just a few iPhone snaps as my real camera wasn’t allowed to attend the show:-)
Sesame Street Live with Sunny Vegan

and since it was Earth Day, here is a link to some fun Sesame Street ( and pbs kids) Earth Day activities for you and your family to enjoy.

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April 24, 2012 - 3:12 pm

wendy - how fun for your girls. mine is 4 and i really don’t know if she’s still into sesame street (though she loves PBS kids). i think she thinks it’s for babies since she’s watched it from birth almost!

happy earth day, don’t forget to watch Chimpanzee.

It’s here- Happy Earth Day 2012! I wanted to remind you that if you see Chimpanzee in theaters this week,  Disney Nature will make a Donation to the Jane Goodall Institute. Visit Disney Nature for showtime details and additional info. What a great way to make your kids, chimps, and Jane happy.

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earth day, every day.

earth day chalk drawing clip art ideas

 

It’s almost here. Earth Day 2012!

While many of us try to think about our impact daily, I feel that Earth Day is a great way to remind and encourage others that working together, we DO make a difference.
As a family, we have things planned, but in case you don’t, here are some resources to get you going.

Earth Day.org  make your personal pledge to help
Sierra Club – sustainable food info
The EPA 
NautreConservancy 

 

I’ll be sharing photos of our Earth Day (weekend really) adventures next week.
Happy Earth Day!

 

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April 26, 2012 - 5:36 am

brooke @ babybearhugs - your website is beautiful!! We also eat mostly vegetarian, so I am so excited to try some more things. I get lots of friends asking for my vegan popsicle recipe that tastes like ice cream but it is banana!!

I am from SITS….follow back! XO

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