The Case of the Green Drinks

Inspired by a med-school friend of mine, I've been getting in on the green-smoothie trend and actually really enjoying it. The first one I made was not very good, I admit. But after a few different rounds, adjusting the ingredients to my likings and acquiring my taste buds I've found what works for me and am loving the idea of getting in so many servings of fruits and vegetables before the day's even half over!

The Green Drink

Consistent Ingredients

• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 to 1 cup baby kale
• 1/4 to 1/2 medium sized cucumber, pealed and cubed
• 1 to 2 T ground chia seeds
• 1 medium size apple, cubed
• ~1/2 cup water, to desired consistency

Variable Ingredients

• 1 medium sized banana, sliced
• 1 medium sized pear, cubed
• 1 cup frozen or fresh berries
• 1 cup pineapple, cubed
• Other dark greens like chard, etc
• Fresh ginger, parsley or cilantro to taste

The best thing about these smoothies is the variability of what to include based on the seasonal fruits. When I first started making these, summer berries were just at their end so my first few had strawberries/blueberries galore. Now that it's fall and the pears are heavenly, they've been making an appearance almost every day. 

My only suggestion is to blend the water and "greens" alone in the blender until really smooth. My first attempt ended up being chunky due to the fact that I just threw it all together at once. After the greens are blended feel free to add in anything and everything that you enjoy. The flavor combinations are endless. I typically make mine the night before, store it in an empty jar and place it in the fridge over night. This makes it super cold for when I enjoy it for breakfast but using frozen fruit or even ice cubes instead of water will have the same effect if you make one to drink right away. 

I also guarantee that if you have a silly vegetarian pup like I do that this will consistently be the scene when you turn around from chopping fruits and veggies on the counter. Sometimes I indulge him with his own mini-smoothie in his belly with bites of my produce. 

These drinks might appear gross (as I've had J and classmates comment that they look like pesto, algae and pond water) but I assure you that they are quite delicious. Plus, they're packed full of nutrients and help you right along your way to the recommended 4 1/2 cups of fruits and veggies each day!

Have you every tried green smoothies? 

What's your secret ingredient if you have?

Fall Sangria

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Sangria so when it was decided that my med school friends and I were going to have an early Halloween party this past weekend I knew I wanted to create a delicious beverage for us to enjoy as we let off some steam. 

While the summer Sangria was a huge hit, the fruit for it isn't in season anymore so I needed to change things up. Enter this Fall Honeycrisp Sangria!

It would have been wonderful for me to have taken a picture of the final product but that was just asking too much. I'm just happy I was able to pull something tasty together as well as a DIY costume after a morning full of exams. Trust me when I say the drink looks very festive with all the fruit as the final product.
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Honeycrisp Apple Sangria
Recipe from here (with a few changes)
Prep Time: 15 min || Cook Time: 4 hours (or overnight)

• 5 honeycrips apples, cored and cubed
• 1 orange, quartered 
• 2 lemons, sliced into rounds
• 1 lime, sliced into rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/3 cup orange blossom honey
• a pinch of ground nutmeg & ginger
• 1 cup peach schnapps
• 2 750 ml bottles of Chardonnay 
• 2 L club soda
• Ice

Cut up fruit and place in large container with wine, peach schnapps, honey, spices and cinnamon sticks. Stir and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. Add in club soda right before you're ready to start drinking. Serve in sugar rimmed glasses over ice. 

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In keeping with my drink of choice, it seems like I'm going to have to find a winter Sangria for the holidays now. I'm thinking something with cranberries and pomegranate? Maybe using champagne to give it a bit of bubbly? 

Summer Sangria

This past weekend, J and I attended a Surprise Birthday Party (which also turned out to be a surprise engagement party!) for one of our friends. Her now fiancé planned the whole thing & provided the basics and asked that everyone who came bring something for the party. 

Instead of going the typical chips & dip or potato salad route I decided to make Sangria! And it was a huge hit!

This drink totally screams summer to me! An outdoor BBQ wouldn't be complete without a super refreshing, ice cold drink like this. I ended up throwing a ladle into the top at one point during the party and people started munching on those watermelon cubes like hot cakes but I will warn you, the fruit and the drink itself and be quite dangerous if you're not careful. ;-) 

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Cherry Lime Watermelon Sangria

Recipe from here (with a few changes)

Prep Time: 10 min || Cook Time: 4 hours || Makes about 2.5 gallons

• 6 cups of watermelon
• 4 cups of bing cherries
• 6 limes, sliced
• 2 750ml bottles of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay work best)
• 1 1/2 cup white rum (we used Bacardi)
• 2 liters of lemon-lime soda (we used Sprite Zero)

Cut up fruit and place in large pitcher or drink dispenser. Carefully pour the wine and rum over the top. Cover and place in the fridge for 4-5 hours. Add the soda right before you're ready to start drinking. Pour over ice and enjoy!

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This drink will most likely be my go-to summer drink for the rest of the season!

Ollie is Vegetarian

We have been extremely busy lately trying to make a huge life decision (both exciting and nerve-racking but more to come on that on a later date) while also working, getting day-to-day stuff taken care of and trying to find some spare moments to spend quality time together. Needless to say blogging has fallen to the wayside because of it. I haven't had the time lately to craft or cook new recipes or participate in other bloggers events etc etc. Not that I feel guilty about it though.... I guess I'm just the type of person who needs to explain myself.

But now I'm rambling.

And still have a big to-do list for the day.

And I will leave you with a video.

A video of our pup eating veggies. Most people I've talked to find it strange that he loves fruits and vegetables so much. I mean honestly people, he drools uncontrollably if he hears the sound of a knife on the cutting board. Because that obviously means I'm cutting up green peppers or tomatoes or something he thinks is for him. The vet told us that it was all good for him (minus grapes, onions & garlic) so we indulge him.

Ollie the Veggie Monster from Simple Sweet Life on Vimeo.

So tell me, would your dog even entertain the idea of eating a vegetable or would they scarf them down like Ollie?

Summer Fruit Tart

Want to make an easy and delicious treat perfect for summer time BBQs, nights sitting on the porch or even a weekend breakfast? Look no further....

A perfect fruit tart.

All you need is a box of pie crust mix, like the one from Betty Crocker, and fruit of some sort. I've used both green and red apples before and both are perfect for this tart. I'd also suggest stone fruits like peaches. You don't use a pan for this recipe so I would advise against fruit that is too limp/juicy but honestly, I'd give anything a shot because it's such an easy recipe.

If you're using this type of pie crust you'll only be using half of the mix because it technically makes two crusts and you only need one. Mix crust according to the box. Slice your fruit into thin slices/pieces. For these apples I coated them in a mix of cinnamon and sugar until coated well (about a teaspoon cin and a tablespoon sug).
Roughly roll out your ball of crust until approximately 1/4 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet with the fruit in center of the crust leaving 1-2 inches on the edges. Dot with about a tablespoon of softened butter and fold crust around the edges of the fruit. There's no need to be exact with this, it gives it a homemade feel if you aren't perfect anyways.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-45 minutes until crust is golden brown. Remove and enjoy!

Possible final touches can include: serving warm with vanilla ice cream, topping with whipped cream, sprinkling with brown sugar or drizzling with honey. Honestly though it's delicious enough to eat just like it is though.

What are you baking these summer days?