Craving Smoothies Recipes

I am in phase where I crave smoothies all the time.  I wish I live near a "Blender in the grass", but I don't, so I have to create my own recipe. Here is a few recipes of smoothies I have been enjoying recently. The last one help with nausea if you are looking for a tasty drink/meal to help with those morning sickness.

Pineapple-Mango-Green-Smoothie 

1/3 cup of frozen pineapple

1/3 cup of mango nectar

1/2 cup fresh baby leaf spinach

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup of milk (or soy milk)

  

Banana-Blueberry-Greek-Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup of blueberries

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

2 tbs of maple syrup

1 cup of milk (or soy milk)

Banana-Honey-Protein-Smoothies

1 Banana

1 tbs of creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)

1 cup of milk

1 cup of plain yogurt

1/2 tbs of honey

Peach-Ginger-Stomach smoothie

1/2 cup of peaches (fresh or frozen)

1/2 cup spinach

1 cup of yogurt (plain or vanilla)

1 cup of milk

1/2 tsp of powdered ginger

Photo from Getty Images

Spicy grilled salmon sandwich

This is a very tasty and simple recipe for leftover grilled salmon. 

Prep: 15 min.

Photo from Getty Images

Ingredients (for 2 sandwiches)

-1/2 lbs of grilled salmon (I used grilled lemon and Rosemary salmon from last night)-1/2 mayonnaise-1/3 cup sour chive sour cream-1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar-8 fresh basil leaves-1/3 cup chopped fresh dill-1 chopped scallion-pinch of salt and pepper-1 teaspoon chopped jalapeno-tomatoes -lettuce- multi grain baguette


         In a food processor mix mayonnaise, sour cream,vinegar, basil, dill, scallion, jalapeno, salt and pepper until combined.  Spread the sauce on your bread, add salmon (cold or warm) and add lettuce, tomato or any other toppings you want. Serve immediately. 

Easy, low-fat homemade Ice Cream

With the summer heat, there is nothing like a good and cold ice cream cone. I've been seeing on the  Internet so many different recipes for homemade ice cream. I loved the ice cream in a plastic bag, it's so simple. I've done it a few time with my kid and it was always a huge success. I even started to try my own recipe. Around my son's birthday I saw at the store the Ice Cream Magic as-seen-on-tv. I bought it thinking I will not have to buy plastic bags all the time to make ice cream anymore. I am very please with the purchase. It works the same way as the ice cream in a bag, but you can reuse your container over and over again. We love making our own ice cream. Here are a couple recipes that we love to make when it's getting too hot outside.

Vanilla Ice Cream

1/2 cup of milk (I used 2%, but you can use skim milk or half & half if you prefer)

1 tbsp of sugar

few drops of vanilla extract

Chocolate soy ice cream

1/2 chocolate soy milk

1 tbsp of sugar

Maple Ice cream

1/2 cup of milk

1 1/2 tbsp of maple syrup

You will also need ice and salt and 2 Ziploc bags, one bigger than the other (or you can use the Ice Cream Magic Makers)

In the big bag mix the ice and the salt. In the smaller bag mix the milk, sugar and extract . Put the small bag in the bigger one and shake it for about 5 minutes or until the milk is frozen.  You can add any topping you want after that, like chocolate chips, peanuts, diced fruits, etc...

 Children will enjoy making their own ice cream and you have the control of what they eat as a treat. Perfect for some summer fun!

The moon

Last night the moon was so bright in the sky I couldn't resist trying my new camcorder and recorded it. I have been exploring and playing with my new toy (Sony HDR-XR260V) since I got it. So far, i am very happy with it, it is not the big professional camera, but it does the job perfectly. The only bad reviews about it was that the picture quality was very bad in low light. When I purchased it, I didn't care too much since I usually don't film in the dark. But last night, I decided to see if it is that bad and to my surprise it is not. You have to play with the settings and if you are comfortable enough, use them manually. I made a few short movies and I took a few pictures and I am very please with the result. I can't wait for the full moon tonight.

Visit at the Ostrich Farm.

While my family was visiting me a couple months ago, we went to the Indian Point Ostrich Farm in town. It was a great little tour and we learned a lot about those big birds. I took my new camcorder with me to do a few testing. The result is not exactly what I want it, but it's a start. Enjoy this short video about our trip there. If you want to know more about the Indian Point Ostrich Farm visit their website http://www.indianpointranch.com/

DIY: Scarf hanger (or tie or belt)

A few days ago I went to Ikea and saw this very cool multi-purpose hanger. I always been a scarf lover and started to have quite a collection over the years. But I always had a hard time to store my scarves. They always ended up everywhere and every morning I couldn't find the one I want to wear. I loved this hanger at Ikea, but it seems I wasn't the only one. They were back order. I went back home a little bit disappointed, but with an idea. What if I try to make my own hanger. I love crafts and this look to be a simple challenge. I was able to do it for about $5 (Ikea sale it for $8)
I needed: -1 hanger
              - 25 plastic bracelets (found at the dollar store)
              - hot glue gun and sticks (as a craft lover, I already had them)
              - pretty ribbon (optional, but will make your hanger look nice)

I hot glued the bracelets together 5 rows of 5 bracelets. I reinforced them by wrapping the ribbon around them. After, I hot glued them to the hanger and did the same with the ribbon. Voila, I had my own scarf hanger. I worked perfectly, but later on I had to used a stronger hanger (wood one) because the other broke from the weigh. I have a LOT of scarves. An easy and simple craft, for when the store doesn't have what you want.

The best Camping list

Our family loves to go camping, but in the past it seems we always forget one thing or another. Sometimes it was something very easy to find it at the convenience store near by. But a few times  it was impossible to get what we needed on the spot. So after some research and identifying the needs of my family, while in the wild, and I came up with this list. I decided to share it with you, since you might be like us, and forget stuff (it also work great when it's time to go home and not leaving anything behind). Feel free to let me know if there is things you bring during your camping adventure that I forgot to put on the list. 

Camping list for the whole family

Living space

o Tent

o Sleeping bags

o Air mattress and yoga mat (for kids)

o Air pump

o Ground cover

o Pillows

o Blankets

The kitchen

o Cookware

o Cooking and eating utensils

o BBQ utensils

o Can opener

o Meals

o Snacks

o Water

o Spices/condiments

o Plates

o Cups

o Lighter/matches

o Charcoal

o Paper towels

o Cooler

o Trash bags

o Dish soap

o Dish towels

The Bathroom

o Toothbrush

o Toothpaste

o Body soap (biodegradable)

o Hair brush

o Shampoo & conditioner

o Towel

o Toilet paper

Clothes

o Shoes/boots

o Pants & belt

o Shorts

o T-shirts

o Socks & extra socks

o Hat

o Sweatshirt /Jacket

o Underwear

o PJ

o Rain coat

o Swim suit & Towel

o Laundry bag

Other essentials

o Backpack

o Flashlight

o Batteries

o First aid kit

o Sunscreen

o Bug repellent

o Warm clothes

o Camera

o Map of the area

o Wood

o Camp chairs

o Flip-flops/shower shoes

Extra nice to have on hands

o Ziploc bags

o LED headlamps

o Picnic table clothe

o Sunshade

o Camp stove

o Aluminum foil

o GPS

o Work

o Bikes & helmets

o Hammer

o Small shovel

o Bungi cord/straps

o Duct tape

o Wipes

o Scissor

o Small sewing kit

For the little ones

o Backpack

o Books

o Outside toys

o Crayon & Note book

o Bug catcher

o Magnifying glass

For your hairy friend

o Bed

o Food

o Food & water  bowls

o Leash

o Toy

o towel

Printable version click here