Green Lemonade » noelle

Healthy Party Snacks - Celebrate and still feel great

noelle — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:04:53 +0000

This Sunday, I’m looking forward to inviting a few friends over to enjoy a few healthy nibbles while enjoying – what I hope will be – a good football game. I am planning to make a big bowl of this chili and serve it with a big salad (maybe this one). I’m also planning to pick up a loaf of toasty bread from my favorite neighborhood bakery, though my husband is looking forward to also having this creamy corn bread. I have my menu just about finalized, with the exception of one or two small pre-dinner nibbles which I’m still decidng upon. What do you think? I love party nibbles that I can scoop up, with a good, high quality chip or a crunchy vegetable; I’m thinking along the lines of a flavorful guacamole, a nutty salad or a creamy hummus. Do you have any plans to whip together a few Super Bowl party nibbles? Even if it’s just you, why not celebrate with a mini Super Bowl party of your own this weekend? I’ve done it in the past, and it’s a blast! Here are a few tasty and healthy party snacks to get you inspired. Hope you all have a great weekend!

Healthy Party Snacks

Green Goddess Quinoa Tabbouleh (with cucumber rounds or crispy chips)

Kale Pesto (with homemade chips)

Mexican Inspired Hummus (with homemade chips)

Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad with Rosemary (with buttery lettuce leaves)

Surfer Style Nachos (with lots of fresh corn)

Endive Appetizer with Toasty Sesame Seeds

New to Green Lemonade?

Each day Green Lemonade celebrates easy cleansing tips and tricks for body bliss. We provide accessible and friendly ways to both cleanse and nourish your mind, body and pretty much anything around you. The benefit of removing crud from your body and your life, you ask? More energy, an upbeat mood and feel-good, look-good body bliss. Get ready to treat your body like the wonderland it is!

Endive Appetizer with Toasty Sesame Seeds - Get your party on

noelle — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:00:23 +0000

Sometimes I find the most simple foods, are the most satisfying. This Sunday, as you prepare your menu for the Super Bowl, include a snack made with fresh produce. Raw food snacks have a special way of elevating your mood and increasing your mental clarity. They can also help boost your skin’s youthful glow. Learn more about the benefits of eating more fresh foods here.

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Endive Appetizer with Toasty Sesame Seeds

Serving Size: 6 (~130 calories)

Ingredients

6 leaves of Belgian endive*
1 avocado, pitted and cubed
1/4 cup sesame seeds
3 tablespoons parsley*, stems removed, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
sea salt and pepper
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Leafy greens – Leafy greens, including Belgian endive, act as mini-scrub brushes helping to flush crud from your body.
Sesame seeds – Sesame seeds are rich in copper (helps your body utilize iron, fights free-radicals, supports your thyroid gland) and calcium. In Ayurveda, India’s ancient healing system, sesame seeds are also believed to bring clarity, purity and wisdom to one’s body and mind.
Avocados – Raw fats, such as avocados, support healthy joints, nerves and bones. These good fats also contain properties that help to lower the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol, and have proven effects on lowering high blood pressure. Cleansing beauties also enjoy them in moderation to help feel satiated with a meal rich in raw foods.

Directions

In a small skillet over low heat, toast sesame seeds for ~5 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.

In a small bowl, lightly toss avocado cubes, sesame seeds, olive oil and lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange endive leaves on a plate and fill each leaf with a scoop of the avocado and sesame seed mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve!

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High Protein Green Smoothie - Thrive this February on clean, fresh food

noelle — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:15:24 +0000

Extreme diet changes and strict detox plans can be hard to stick with. If you find yourself starting the month of February feeling guilty and frustrated that you’ve fallen back into your old poor eating patterns (we’ve all been there), shake it off. Consider a more gentle shift toward a healthier, happier you this February, instead. Start this week by adding a few more fresh fruits and veggies (especially greens) into your daily diet. I find that a green smoothie for breakfast is one of the easiest ways to get started. Cleansing beauties, who thrive by making little efforts each day to dial up their body’s natural detoxification work, find that a green smoothie for breakfast helps elongate their body’s powerful overnight rejuvenation and slimming work.

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High Protein Green Smoothie

Serving Size: 1 (~240 calories)

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup strawberries*, frozen
1 scoop good protein powder (I used a goat whey protein)
1/2 banana, frozen
3 small collard green leaves*, stems trimmed
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Goat protein – Cleansing divas occasionally add a scoop of a good vegetarian or goat whey protein powder to their green smoothies. Goat milk (vs traditional cow’s milk) contains a smaller protein molecule which is believed to be less gluey and easier for your body to digest. This means, your body’s energy can more quickly return to its restorative and beautification work. You see the benefits of this work in more youthful looking skin and greater energy.

Directions

Combine the ingredients above into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Thin with water or thicken with ice if desired. Enjoy!

Learn more

You might also appreciate these articles on smoothies.

Frisée Salad with Peppery Watercress and Peanuts - Expand your salad horizons

noelle — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:13:36 +0000

Frisée lettuce has a frizzy texture with yellow-green leaves that fade to white. It is crunchy and has a wonderfully tart bite. It is one of my husband’s favorite salad ingredients, so we have it often. I normally eat it on its own drizzled with a good olive oil, sea salt and pepper, but this weekend I enjoyed it at one of my favorite brunch spots tossed with peppery watercress and bitter radicchio. It was so simple and delicious that I decided to make it again and add my own twist. If you’re looking for a little something to pull you out of a salad rut, I think this recipe may do it.

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Frisée Salad with Peppery Watercress and Peanuts

Serving Size: 4 (~100 calories)

Ingredients

1 medium head frisée*, roughly chopped
1 small head radicchio*, roughly chopped
1/2 bunch watercress*, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, crumbled
1/4 cup peanuts*
3 tablespoons good extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and pepper
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Leafy green vegetables – Leafy green vegetables, particularly watercress, are loaded with chlorophyll which helps extract toxins (heavy metals, pesticides and other crud) from your body.

Directions

In a bowl combine frisée, radicchio, watercress and olive oil into a bowl. Toss well. Add Pecorino Romano, peanuts, sea salt and pepper. Toss again and serve. Enjoy!

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Crispy Collard Green Lasagna - Sneak more greens into a favorite comfort food

noelle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:11 +0000

When I first moved to New York as young analyst, a group of friends and I would gather every Sunday night for a family-style dinner. I loved it. We would rotate among each others apartments, and we usually made something simple and comforting like pasta. Over the years, friends moved away, lives got busier and our pasta night reunions became less frequent. This weekend, though, perhaps out of nostalgia, I was inspired to make lasagna. I was inspired by this Arugula Lasagna. In my version, I left out some of the cheese, added more veggies, made a few swap-outs (brown rice lasagna noodles vs regular white noodles and sheep’s milk cheese vs regular cheese), and added an additional spice (cardamom) embraced by health beauties for its warmth and good-for-you benefits.

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Crispy Collard Green Lasagna

Serving Size: 8 (~225 calories)

Ingredients

6 lasagna noodles (good homemade noodles or packaged brown rice noodles)
1/2 cup almond milk (I like the Blue Diamond brand, Original) plus extra
2/3 cup ricotta cheese, possibly sheep’s milk or goat’s milk (why?)
1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 – 1 teaspoon sea salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
3 cups (packed) collard greens, stems removed, cut into thin ribbons
4 medium zucchini, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli florets, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons organic butter
2 shallots thinly sliced
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Collard greens – Collard greens are believed to contain nutrients that boost your bod’s natural detoxification work.
Cardamom -Cardamom is a warm, sweet spice. It is considered an excellent digestive and believed to have detoxifying properties.

Directions

Preheat oven to 325F degrees.

Prepare noodles as directed on package.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté zuchinni rounds in 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper. Sauté zucchini until slightly golden. Remove from pan and set aside.

Next place broccoli with 1 tablespoon of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add salt and pepper. Cook until just golden. Remove from pan and set aside. Once again, in the same pan, toast up the shallots in butter, and then set those aside too.

Mix together 1/4 cup milk, ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg and cardamom.

Sauté collard greens in a tablespoon of butter just until wilted. Add minced garlic and sauté for about one minute. Add all but 1/4 cup of the collard green mixture to ricotta cheese mixture.

Add 1/4 cup milk to 8″ x 11″ casserole dish. Cover bottom of casserole with 3 homemade or prepared lasagna noodles. Layer with zucchini slices and half of the cheese and collard green mixture.

Add another layer of 3 lasagna noodles. Top with a layer of broccoli and the remainder of the cheese and collard green mixture.

Top with 1 cup Pecorino, remaining collard greens and sautéed shallots.

Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 15 minutes. When you remove foil, if corners look dry, add a little milk to each corner.

Let lasagna rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. I enjoyed mine with a big leafy green salad. Delicious!

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Tata Harper Detox Facial - Pamper yourself this month

noelle — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:31:09 +0000

I recently indulged in a purifying facial from all natural beauty queen Tata Harper. As some of you lovelies may know, I’m a huge fan of hers. She makes handmade batches of 100% natural beauty creams and serums from her farm in Vermont; You will not find a single toxic ingredient in her stuff. Over the past few years now, I’ve been gradually migrating my beauty tote to include several of her cleansers, moisturizing serums and oils. When I was pregnant I actually lived in her Revitalizing Body Oil which helps moisturize and soothe a growing belly. Overall, I find the Tata Harper beauty line to be beautifully packaged and delicately rejuvenating, but also highly effective. If you are looking for a way to treat yourself this January (after a solid effort with your New Year’s resolutions, perhaps?) consider investing in a Tata Harper Skincare Facial. I just completed the 60 minute treatment recently, and my skin has never looked more radiant.

Learn more

The Tata Harper Detox Facial ($175) is available at The Spa at Equinox.

5 Easy Raw Salad Recipes - Ideas for when you want to move beyond kale

noelle — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:57:26 +0000

As you beauties know, raw foods are packed with enzymes that your bod uses for its cleansing, healing and beautification work. You often see the benefits of this work in a strong immune system, glowing skin and a sleek physique. Dial up your veggie quotient this week with one of these easy raw salad recipes.

5 Easy Raw Salad Recipes

Learn more

Why eat more raw foods?

Thankfully there’s more to cleansing than drinking “just juice”

Freshly Pressed: Fantasy Spas of the West: Cal A Vie - Weekly Article Roundup

noelle — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:00:20 +0000

It’s raining and cold here in NYC. I’ve got warm, sunny thoughts on my mind. I’ll be organizing and unpacking this weekend. I’m finally back home in my apartment after a long touch up project. I’m wondering how I accumulated so much stuff! How about you? What’s on tap for the weekend?

Weekly article round up

The following are a few of the articles I enjoyed reading this week.

Gluten-Free Wasabi Parsley Biscuits – The Healthy Apple

Fantasy Spas of the West: Cal A Vie, California – Well and Good NYC

Investing in a Vacuum with a HEPA Filter – Mindful Momma

2-Ingredient Chocolate Pumpkin Mini Cakes – Savoring the Thyme

Why Day One Is Always the Hardest, But Also the Most Neccessary – Fit Bottomed Girls

My Intentional Food-Related Goals for 2012 (Q&A) – Simple Bites

Miso Sesame Winter Squash – 101cookbooks.com

How to control cravings, with trainer Gunnar Peterson’s tips – Fit Sugar

Feeling Exhausted? You May be Low in Vitamin B12 – Blisstree

New to Green Lemonade?

Mayonnaise Free Chicken Salad Recipe - With sun-dried tomatoes, capers and rosemary

noelle — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:06:36 +0000

I have received a few requests for some additional insight into the meals I often eat for lunch and dinner. This week I was craving chicken salad – but without the heaviness of mayonnaise. So I added flavor through a combination of a olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, capers and rosemary instead. This salad is wonderful warm and it also saves beautifully in the fridge. Learn more about the simple, everyday ways to “eat to cleanse” here.

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Mayonnaise Free Chicken Salad Recipe

Serving Size: 2 (~230 calories)

Ingredients

1 cup baked, organic chicken breast*, shredded (~1 medium chicken breast)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
1 tablespoon capers
1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary*, stems removed, finely chopped
1 tablespoon good extra-virgin olive oil
1 ounce Feta, crumbled
sea salt and pepper
(* Buy organic, if possible. Learn more here.)

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Organic chicken – Organic chickens are fed natural, hormone and antibiotic free foods. This crud, found in most conventionally raised chickens, weighs on your body’s natural cleansing and rejuvenation work.

Directions

Combine chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, rosemary and olive oil into a bowl. Toss. Season generously with sea salt and pepper. Gently fold in Feta cheese. Serve salad tucked into crunchy a leaf of baby red leaf lettuce or serve on top of a spinach salad. Enjoy!

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Learn more

You might also appreciate this article: (Thankfully) There’s More To Cleansing Than Drinking “Just Juice”

Aloe Vera Smoothie Recipe - Say what?

noelle — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:02:29 +0000

As you beauties know, I enjoy a good shot of pure aloe vera juice on occasion. Be forewarned though, aloe vera juice can take some getting used to, but this smoothie makes for an easy way in. Play around with the recipe until it works for you. Learn more about aloe vera here, and why it’s for more than just sunburns.

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Aloe Vera Smoothie

Serving Size: 1 (~275 calories)

Ingredients

1 shot good aloe vera juice (I like the Herbal Answers brand)
1 cup coconut water* (fresh or boxed is fine)
1/4 cup young coconut meat*
1/8th TEAspoon Stevia or 1 tablespoon of good honey or maple syrup
handful of ice

Better-for-you ingredients

Learn more about the better-for-you ingredients in this recipe:

Aloe vera juice – Cleansing gurus are famous for regularly taking a shot of aloe vera juice in the morning to flood their body with an extra dose of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. Taken in the morning and on an empty stomach, a shot of aloe vera juice also fires up your body’s natural detoxification work and eases constipation (a frequent complaint during a deep raw food or juice cleanse).

Directions

Combine the ingredients above into a Blendtec, or good powerful blender until smooth and creamy. Thin with water or thicken with ice if desired. Enjoy!

(* Note: One young coconut typically offers ~12 ounces of clear, fresh coconut water and just over a ½ cup of white, tender coconut meat. If you are interested, this is how I recommend safely opening one to access the sweet juice and the tender meat.)

Learn more

You might also appreciate these articles on smoothies.

Green Lemonade » noelle

Healthy Party Snacks - Celebrate and still feel great

Healthy Party Snacks

New to Green Lemonade?

Endive Appetizer with Toasty Sesame Seeds - Get your party on

Endive Appetizer with Toasty Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

More healthy recipes

High Protein Green Smoothie - Thrive this February on clean, fresh food

High Protein Green Smoothie

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

Learn more

Frisée Salad with Peppery Watercress and Peanuts - Expand your salad horizons

Frisée Salad with Peppery Watercress and Peanuts

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

More healthy recipes

Crispy Collard Green Lasagna - Sneak more greens into a favorite comfort food

Crispy Collard Green Lasagna

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

More healthy recipes

Learn more

Tata Harper Detox Facial - Pamper yourself this month

More on the Tata Harper Facial

Learn more

5 Easy Raw Salad Recipes - Ideas for when you want to move beyond kale

5 Easy Raw Salad Recipes

Learn more

Freshly Pressed: Fantasy Spas of the West: Cal A Vie - Weekly Article Roundup

Weekly article round up

New to Green Lemonade?

Mayonnaise Free Chicken Salad Recipe - With sun-dried tomatoes, capers and rosemary

Mayonnaise Free Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

More healthy recipes

Learn more

Aloe Vera Smoothie Recipe - Say what?

Aloe Vera Smoothie

Ingredients

Better-for-you ingredients

Directions

Learn more