pomegranate raspberry green smoothie.

(green smoothie in disguise.)

also known as the prettiest color of smoothie.

however, when you're making a literal green smoothie and you can get it to look actually green and not brown, that's also the prettiest color of smoothie. :)

i want all my smoothies to be JUICY JUICY. not icy and bland.

but, i recently had a revelation. just because you're adding as much fruit as you can possibly fit to the tippy top of your blender, it doesn't really mean it's that much healthier for you. that's actually a ton of sugar. natural sugar, still, but an overdose! 

so, your ratio of greens has to be huge to balance out the fruit sugars. or you might as well just go have a milkshake!

kidding, but think about it.... you'd never sit down and drink a tall glass of orange juice, eat 2 bananas, 1/2 a pineapple, 8 strawberries, whateverwhatever..... but somehow if we're able to blend all those items into smoothie form, it makes it all "okay" and actually, "supa healthy!" which is probably not the case at all.

anyway, i've just been more aware of the greens to fruit ratios lately.

i find that a mixture of orange juice and pomegranate juice makes for the j u i c i e s t smoothies.

i also always add a bit of ginger to my fruit smoothies because i love it and feel like it heightens the juiciness factor - but if ya hate it, skip it. 

the gourmet gardens ginger paste is super delicious and much easier to deal with than real ginger, so i love using it in smoothies. it speeds up the process a lot. people say you don't necessarily have to peel fresh ginger to use it, but i don't like the hard skin chunks so i always take the time to peel it. pete & i also use the gourmet gardens garlic paste when laziness strikes in the kitchen - so, all of the time. ha! 

you want the greens to make up at least 50% of the smoothie, or else it's kind of a fruit sugar overload. spinach has essentially zero sugar. you can't even tell theres at least 2 heaping cups of greens smashed in there, and you can't taste it either. dat stealth 4 your health. 

i plopped some fresh raspberries in the finished product as well. they're a fun little smoothie surpriZe when you get 'em. 

Pomegranate Raspberry Green Smoothie

Serves 2

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen raspberries + a handful of fresh raspberries
• 1 large banana
• 2 heaping cups spinach or juicing greens
• 1/2 cup 100% orange juice
• 1/2 cup 100% pomegranate juice (+ a splash extra if necessary)
• 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, or 1 TB of Gourmet Gardens ginger paste

Instructions-

In a high speed blender, add the juices on the bottom and the remainder of ingredients on top. Blend on high for 2-5 minutes to pulverize the spinach or greens. Taste occasionally and add extra raspberries or pomegranate juice if necessary.

qp

black cherry old fashioned.

this old fashioned knows we're almost through the winter.

i have an insatiable hankering for old fashioneds during the winter. a really goooood old fashioned, though. and to sit in a dark cozy bar. one that's not so loud i have to scream at my friends. and not seated next to the door where people keep letting the cold in. preferably with a fireplace. and a big fluffy dog next to it. and then a smaller cute dog for my lap. is that sew much tew ask??

they just warm yer soul right up and come in a fun glass with fun tastes and fun stuff inside!

i'm not much of a mixologist at home - i leave that to bartenders out in the world and usually don't even think to make a cocktail at home because i am clueless on the cocktail front. but when i think of something sounds good and i don't think it generally exists in the world - i make it mahself!

i love this old fashioned with equal parts black cherry juice to whiskey or bourbon. the tartness of the black cherry juice balances out that sharp zing from the whiskey and the fresh orange zest adds SO much aroma and flavor. if you prefer a boozier cocktail, just alter the ratio of whiskey to black cherry juice.

this drank is cozy & heartwarming to enjoy during the bitter end of february, but it's also refreshing & juicy with signs of springtimes ahead. yaaaaas.

also, happy valentine's day!!!!!!!!!!!

Black Cherry Old Fashioned

Makes 1 Cocktail, easily multiplied

Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. agave nectar (or simple syrup or a sugar cube)
• 3-4 dashes of angostura bitters
• 1 1/2 ounces rye whiskey or bourbon
• 1 1/2 ounces 100% black cherry juice (I used R.W. Knudsen brand)
• orange zest
• orange twist and/or cherry garnish

Instructions-

Lightly stir or muddle the agave/sugar and bitters in the bottom of your glass. Add the whiskey or bourbon and black cherry juice and stir. Add a cocktail ice cube, grate some fresh orange zest over the top, and add a cherry and/or orange peel twist for garnish & flavor. Serve immediately!

qp