This past week Mother Nature has gifted us with some amazingly warm weather, albeit there have been several severe, tornado-producing storms, the temperature has been quite lovely! With the emergence of warm weather brings my insatiable craving for smoothies.
Recently, I’ve made the decision to decrease my dairy intake, not because of ethical reasons, but more for health concerns. Lets face it, the primary function of cow’s milk is to make baby cows FAT. While I do enjoy indulging in a glass of ice-cold raw milk, it is not something I do on a regular basis. I’m also appalled with the amount of hormones and antibiotics pumped into animals because of the inhumane conditions in which they are raised. Did you know that 80% of the antibiotics produced in the U.S. are for injecting into factory-farmed livestock due to the horrendous conditions in which they are raised? Cattle are packed into manure-laden holding pens, where they stand 2 feet deep in fecal excrement. That, my friends, I have serious ethical issues with!
I have no plans of becoming a vegan, nor am I saying I will never again consume dairy products, because I’m not. Besides, ice cream is one of my FAVORITE foods, and during the summer months I tend to make it on a somewhat regular basis; however, as far as my morning coffee and granola are concerned, I’ve decided to seek out alternative options. Rhubarbs, my local natural food store, has a vast selection of non-dairy milks for the choosing. I’ve replaced pasteurized milk, cream, and half and half with coconut milk.
They also have almond, rice, soy, and hemp, along with several other varieties, all of which I will be sampling. 
Vegan Fruit Smoothie (I don’t measure ingredients, it’s more of a toss and pour till it looks good. Trust me, you can’t screw up a smoothie!)
organic coconut milk
organic soy yogurt, I use wholesoy & company
1/2 a banana (I keep several on hand in my freezer so I’m always ready when the craving strikes)
fruit, the go-to favorite is strawberries and my canned peaches (my stand-alone freezer is still packed full of last year’s local fruit, although, the blueberries come from Jersey; that state grows the best berries!)
agave nectar
dehydrated Swiss chard
ground flax seed
Add ingredients to a tall mixing cup, insert immersion blender, mix till desired consistency is achieved. You can also use a regular blender.
Some alternate additions are ice, honey, pineapple, peanut butter, coconut, espresso powder, plums, pears, avocado…the options are endless!
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To make lemonade all you need are lemons, simple syrup (sugar will not dissolve in cold water), ice and water. That’s it.
Slice and juice one lemon into a glass full of ice. FYI, if you first roll the lemon on the counter top it will juice easier. Add water and simple syrup to taste. Enjoy!
