Simply real blended food, Day 1

The Farmer in Dale loves to tell people about real organic food.  How it is raised, grown, processed and consumed.  It seems like lately, I have had many people tell me that they just don't know how to eat healthy.  They don't know how to "cook" or prepare many of the veggies I grow.  Could I help them simply to make some changes to a more healthy diet?  How do they start?

I recently posted this on my fb The Farmer in Dale page and I thought it was such and easy way to make some changes toward better eating. 

Real Food in 20 weeks  (alexstuart.com)

1. Pick one processed food you/your kids eat
2. Pick something REAL to replace it
3. Repeat for 20 weeks.  Keep a list
4. Look back and be proud

My exercise class is one group that has asked for some help to learn to "cook" and incorporate more healthy foods into their diets.  I decided to start with a Blended "green" smoothie drink.  People often tell me at the farmer's market that they don't eat leafy greens, or don't know how to prepare them.  Getting raw fruit and veggies into a blended drink could not be an easier way to consume greens. 
You don't need to own a fancy juicer or blender like a VitaMix, although those are nice.  Just a regular blender will do if you don't over pack it and use enough liquid to help it incorporate all those veggies into a palatable drink.

Here is what you need:  Organic if at all possible,  1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, 1 apple cut into a few pieces.  Smaller pieces if you have a regular blender but just put into the blender and add some water or coconut water or even juice.  Blend to a liquid stage and then add 1 raw beet quartered, the tops of the beet if they are there, and a handful of greens like kale, swiss chard or spinach.

This is your basic Green Smoothie, although it might actually be Red if you use the beet :) 
There are many variations to this.  My daughter loves to add a banana.  I love to add half a cucumber with the skin on and a handful of parsley or cilantro.  The combinations are endless, but the sweetness of the apple, beet, and/or banana will be enough to entice any kid or adult to drink their veggies and get a lot of raw enzymes and nutrients in a glass.  When would you ever sit down and eat 1 carrot, 1 celery, 1 apple, 1 beet, and a handful of greens for a meal ?  Probably never, but what a great way to start or end your day.  :)  Many people take this with them to work in a glass jar for lunch.

You can wash your greens, tear off the tought middle stem and tear the greens into pieces and put them in a ziploc bag to freeze.  You can also peel a ripe banana and break it into three or four pieces and freeze that for a smoothie.  I buy organic strawberries or blueberries when I can get them and wash them, lay them out to dry on a towel and then freeze them for smoothies.  I also like to pour my blended drinks over ice, especially if I didn't use any frozen fruit or veggies and then squeeze fresh lime juice on top. 

My passion if real organic food.  Life giving, nourishing food.  I am a Weston A Price fan, a Nourishing Traditions cookbook owner, a maker of fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kombucha and sauerkraut.  I am also a farmer.  I raise pastured Dorper sheep, cattle and chickens for meat and eggs.  I grown veggies and fruit and love seeing a sustainable farm grow and nourish people. 

I would like to give 19 more ways in the next 19 weeks to help people transition to real organic foods.  Simple cooking tips and methods that will be easy to incorporate into your life and make a difference in your health and the health of your family and those around you.  Get started blending !

Sonii, The Farmer in Dale   www.thefarmerindale.com