Vitamix Smoothie: Pomegranate, Orange, Raspberry

1/2 pomegranate
1 peeled orange
1/2 cup raspberries
1/2 cup coconut milk

Place all ingredients in blender. Start Vitamix on variable 1 and increase to 10 then flip to high. Blend approximately 30 seconds. At this point, if it's not cold enough, add a couple cubes of ice and blend or serve over ice. You could also use frozen raspberries and not have to add the ice at the end. Enjoy!

Non-paleo adult only alteration: Add about 1/4 cup of light rum, vodka, or tequila before blending.

Things I love: My Vitamix Blender

About a year ago, I went to the Philadelphia home show. I usually go every year. Most of the time it's just something to do and get ideas. Well, last year, they had a demonstration on the Vitamix Blender. I fell in love and bought one!

I must admit, the price was a bit of sticker shock but the 7 year warranty on it and the fact that the blades move so fast that they can boil water (or cook soup) sold me! I'm eating paleo so it comes in very handy. I had an Osterizer before but I hated the fact that it didn't crush ice and that the seal leaked if it wasn't tightened enough or if the ring got old. The Vitamix doesn't have a removable bottom blade assembly and it's easy to clean, you put some water in it and a couple drops of dishwashing liquid, put it back on the base, blend on high for about 20 seconds and then rinse it out. You're done!

The only downfall of the blender that I've found is that it is too tall to fit under the cabinet on the counter. I have to leave it separated when I store it. Actually, Vitamix fixed that with their newest version and they have the 64oz container that fits under the upper cabinets now on the counter. Oh if I had just waited a year! LOL!

So anyway, I'll be giving you some recipes every now and then for the Vitamix. Keep in mind that you can adapt them to any blender but you may have to cook the ingredients first if it's a soup or that if it's something that uses ice or whole foods that you may end up with chunks of ice or things not quite blended!

Did I mention how much I love my Vitamix?!?!?!

Healthy Eats: Paleo Acorn Squash

I am participating in a "Healthy Holidays Challenge" being hosted by The Chicken Scoop (a blog about "Fitness, Food, and Farming") and one of the challenges was to try something new, specifically, acorn squash.

Now mind you, I HATE acorn squash.  It's mushy, not much flavor, blech... Yeah, I guess you get the point!  So this was a huge challenge for me!  Then someone posted a link to a recipe that didn't sound half bad.  The originally recipe can be found on My Man's Belly but, I'm trying to follow the Paleo lifestyle.  Basically, only all natural foods, seeds, nuts, fruits and veggies are ok but no dairy (eggs are ok but no butter or milk), no refined sugar, no beans and nothing processed.  You should also eat organic if you can.  (For more info, you can go to Mark's Daily Apple). 

So I adapted the recipe to make it Paleo.  This is non-dairy, gluten-free too.  

Paleo Acorn Squash

  1 acorn squash
  olive oil
  2 tablespoons of Coconut Manna or Coconut oil
  1 tablespoon of Raw Honey
  1 teaspoon of orange peel (or 1 tablespoon of fresh orange zest)
  1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg)
  1/4 teaspoon chipolte powder
  Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325.  Cut acorn squash into quarters and remove seeds.  Brush inside of squash with olive oil and place on a pan cut side down (forming 2 halves).  Bake 45 minutes.  

About 5 minutes before it's done, melt coconut manna/oil and raw honey together in a small pan on the stove (if you have one with a pour spout, like one to melt butter in, it helps).  Mix in all the rest of the ingredients when melted, constantly stirring and remove from heat once melted.  DO NOT BOIL!

Remove acorn squash from oven and flip over.  You can do one of 2 things now.  You can either scoop out the squash into a bowl, coarsely mash it up then mix the coconut mixture in with it.  Or you can drizzle the coconut oil on the top of each piece of squash and place them back in the oven for about 10-15 minutes before serving.  The latter makes for a great presentation, the former is good if you want to serve it to a family with children.

Before serving, add chopped walnuts if desired.

I've got to admit, I can't say I hate acorn squash anymore since I was already trying to figure out when I could make this recipe again.  It was also so easy to make.  I absolutely loved it!

Nutrition Facts:  Serves 4
  Amount per serving (without walnuts):  Calories:  140; Fat:  8g;  Carbohydrates:  17.2g;  Fiber:  1.7g;  Protein:  1.4g