Hoff's Caramel Apple Smoothie

Hoff's Caramel Apple Smoothie
Yields: About 7 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pitted Dates
• 3-4 Golden Delicious Apples
• 2 frozen Bananas
• 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds
• 1 tsp. All Spice or Pumpkin Spice
• Cold Water

Directions:

1. Place Dates in a high-speed blender (Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water to cover
3. Let soak for about 20-30 minutes
4. Rough chop Apples and add to blender
5. Add Bananas
6. Add Chia Seeds & Spice
7. Fill with cold Water just until 1/2" of food is left exposed
8. Blend until smooth & well combined

Raw Till 4 Food Pyramid

Hoff's Mango Raspberry Smoothie

Hoff's Mango Raspberry Smoothie
Yields: about 6 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant 


Ingredients:

• Water
• 6 Ice Cubes
• 1 handfuls Spinach
• 2 Mangoes (chopped)
• 1 pint Raspberries
• 3-4 pitted Dates
• 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (ahem, Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water until there is 1/2" of ingredients uncovered
3. Blend on high until thoroughly combined, using tamper if necessary
4. Feel the base of the container to ensure the smoothie is not heating up (add more ice cubes if necessary)

Hoff Thoughts: Typically I like to use frozen fruit in smoothies and avoid the use of ice cubes.  There's nothing wrong with using ice cubes, especially when all the ingredients are fresh; they just don't add anything other than coldness.  Freezing leftover juice as ice cubes is an excellent way to enhance a smoothie.

Hoff's Blueberry Peach Smoothie

Hoff's Blueberry Peach Smoothie
Yields: about 6 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant 

Ingredients:

• Water
• 1-2 handfuls Greens
• 2 cups frozen sliced Peaches
• 1 cup frozen Blueberries
• 3-4 pitted Dates
• 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (ahem, Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water until there is 1" of ingredients uncovered
3. Blend on high for about 2 minutes or until thoroughly combined, using tamper if necessary

Chocolate Date Milk

Chocolate Date Milk
Yields: about 4 cups
RawTill4 Compliant


Ingredients:

• 4 cups Water
• 20 Dates
• 6 Ice Cubes
• 2 droppers Liquid Stevia Vanilla Flavored
• 2 tbsp. Raw Cacao Powder

Directions:

1. Blend all ingredients in a Vitamix or high powered blender for 1 minute
2. Enjoy!

Hoff Thoughts: This drink tends to "foam up," be sure to use the tall 8 cup container and not the short 6 cup container if using a Vitamix to avoid overflow issues...

Freezing Fruit

Hey Healthy Hoffers!

Over the weekend, I hit a local Farmer's Market to see what goodies I could find for my daily smoothies!  I was not disappointed. 

I landed some stellar Black Plums, Nectarines, Peaches and Figs!

I got to work Sunday morning washing, chopping, pitting & then throwing each into their own freezer Ziplock bag.  I don't bother removing the peels (lots of fiber) because the Vitamix makes those babies disappear and I also don't bother freezing the fruit on a tray first.  I find that if I don't over crowd the bags and lay them flat to freeze, that I have very little sticking.

This little bounty should satisfy me nicely for the week when paired with additional smoothie ingredients.  I have no plan for any of it; I will just wing it and post the successful recipes for you guys. 

So get out there, buy what looks tempting, experiment & enjoy the fruits of summer!

Cheers!

Fig & Brazil Nut Snack

Hey Healthy Hoffers!

My post about my trying RawTill4 has generated a lot of interest.  I have been contacted by a lot of you wanting to know what I'm eating.  So to help you out, I have created a new category called...RawTill4; where I will be posting raw recipes, inspirations, tips & tricks and whatever else I come across. 

Today, I share with you one of my fav snacky snacks!

Pictured above is a snack that I love to have when figs come into season (June-October).  Check out my post Finicky Fantastical Fresh Figs to get more info on dealing with these delicious wonders. 

I simply wash and chop each  in half and then pair with a handful of raw Brazil Nuts.  It's a super quick and tasty snack that is RawTill4 compliant!

Enjoy!

How to go Raw Till 4 Vegan - 5 easy steps!

Raw Till 4 Diet 7 Day Food & Exercise Planner

Hoff's Carrot Apple Ginger Juice

Hoff's Carrot Apple Ginger Juice
Serves: 2

RawTill4 Compliant


Ingredients:

• 4-5 Carrots
• 4-5 Apples
• 1 Organic Lemon
• 1 tsp. Fresh/Frozen Ginger

Directions:

1. Using a Juicer, push 2 Carrots through, then 2 Apples, then the Lemon, then the Ginger, finish with remaining Carrots & Apples
2. Strain through a fine wire sieve
3. Server over ice

Hoff Thoughts:  The amount of Carrots & Apples you use depends on the size you have and how much juice you want.  I use an Organic Lemon because I juice the peel as well and therefore the pesticides aren't so rough.  Look in your freezer section for Frozen Herbs such as Ginger in convenient 1 tsp. cubes.  Straining isn't absolutely necessary, but it gives me peace of mind. Want more juice?  Use a funnel to run the leftover pulp through the juicer a second time.

Hoff's Berry & Black Plum Smoothie

Hoff's Berry & Black Plum Smoothie
Yields: 8 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant 

Ingredients:

• Water
• 2 handfuls mixed Greens
• 2 cups frozen Strawberries
• 2 cups frozen Blueberries
• 4 frozen Black Plums
• 1/4 cup Raw Cashews
• 3-4 pitted Dates
• 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (ahem, Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water until there is 1" of ingredients uncovered
3. Blend on high for about 2 minutes or until thoroughly combined, using tamper if necessary

Hoff Thoughts: I froze the Black Plums by cutting in half and removing the pit, leaving the skin intact and placing in a freezer Ziplock bag.  The Raw Cashews really kick up the creaminess, making this one richly satisfying smoothie.

Hoff's Black Plum & Blueberry Smoothie

Hoff's Black Plum & Blueberry Smoothie
Yields: 5 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant

Ingredients:

• Water
• 1 Banana
• 2 cups frozen Blueberries
• 4 frozen Black Plums
• 4 pitted Dates
• 2 tsp. frozen or fresh Ginger
• 1 tbsp. Chia Seeds

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (ahem, Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water until there is 1" of ingredients uncovered
3. Blend on high for about 1-2 minutes or until thoroughly combined, using tamper if necessary

Hoff Thoughts: I froze the Black Plums by cutting in half and removing the pit, leaving the skin intact and placing in a freezer Ziplock bag.

Hoff's Black Plum & Raspberry Smoothie

Hoff's Black Plum & Raspberry Smoothie
Yields: 4 cups
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant

Ingredients:

• Water
• 1 Banana
• 1 cup frozen Raspberries
• 4 frozen Black Plums
• 1/4 cup Raw Cashews
• 3-4 pitted Dates
• 1 tbsp. Flaxseed

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender (ahem, Vitamix)
2. Add just enough Water until there is 1" of ingredients uncovered
3. Blend on high for about 60 seconds or until thoroughly combined, using tamper if necessary

Hoff Thoughts: I froze the Black Plums by cutting in half and removing the pit, leaving the skin intact and placing in a freezer Ziplock bag.  The Raw Cashews really kick up the creaminess, making this one richly satisfying smoothie.

Raw Till 4...

A few years ago, I got hooked on a YouTube channel featuring Freelee the Banana Girl.  Freelee is an Australian chick, who advocates a raw, vegan lifestyle and while I was vegan at the time and still am, I had no desire to go raw (um it snows in Ohio like 5 out of 12 months and sometimes if feels longer).  But, I continued to watch because, well she's cool and she's positive and she has good things to say and she's real and I like her and her little dog too...

Recently, Freelee has evolved her diet to be Raw Till 4, a concept in which you eat raw until 4pm.  So breakfast, lunch and any snacky snacks are raw and then come dinner time, you "carb the fuck up" (Gee, why do I like her so much...) with a high carb, no-oil, vegan meal.  P.S. I'm generalizing, get the full Raw Till 4 rules, here!

Once the winter winds & snow left Ohio and summer descended, this diet seemed doable.  I decided to give it a go.  I'm a working girl & time is scarce, so my plan of attack was to have a smoothie for breakfast and a smoothie ("A Shake for Breakfast, a Shake for Lunch and a Sensible Dinner" - sound familiar? Yeah, I did that.) for lunch as well as some baby carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and homemade pickles.  Freelee would keep it all fruit till 4 and monomeal - check out her videos to learn what that is & more.  In order to work this into my schedule, I make my lunch smoothie the night before and store in mason jars.  Then I trek off to work with an insulated lunch bag, works great!

I feared that this would be boring and monotonous and well, not enough food to get me through the day.

I'm two months in and well...I LOVE IT!!!

I'm not bored; in fact, I'm craving freshly made smoothies.  I am having a blast coming up with new smoothie concoctions, some winners, some not so much.  I'm even freezing my own fruit, fresh from the farmer's markets!  I have more energy (on the spur of the moment, I did 216 sun salutations in 80 degree sun - 60 people started, 2 hours later, 20 people finished and I was one of them!!!), my skin is glowing (I'm not conceded, that's what people are telling me), the love handles have disappeared and I'm loving the freedom of the minimal, quick prep-work.

I really hope I can keep this going into fall & winter, but time & weather will tell.  Since it's like winter in my office yearlong, my body might not notice the difference.  Either way, I'm glad that I took the leap into the raw food world and can't wait to see what good things follow!

My job here is done, I have now planted the Raw till 4 (FB support group) seed in your mind.

What will you do with it?

Check it out!

Hoff's Bulk Green Smoothie

Hoff's Bulk Green Smoothie
Yields: About 64 oz
dairy-free, egg-free, oil-free, soy-free, gluten-free
RawTill4 Compliant
 

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Spinach
• 2 cups Mixed Frozen Berries (strawberries, raspberries, black berries, etc.)
• 1 cup Frozen Blueberries
• 2 packets Stevia
• 2 tbsp Whole Flax Seed
• 1 tbsp Spirulina
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• Water

Directions:

1. Place Spinach in Blender
2. Top with Berries
3. Add Flax Seed, Spirulina, Cinnamon & Sea Salt
4. Add enough water to cover the top of the fruit
5. Blend for about 1-2 minutes

My2Cents: A Vitamix is the only blender that I have found that can grind through those little berry seeds.  Try experimenting with different fruit and veggie combinations, the 5 Magic Veggies for Smoothies is a great place to start!  This recipe makes enough to last two people, three days, which is about as long as you want to keep your smoothie around before the nutritional value is depleted.  Yes, you could make it fresh everyday, but that's a pain.  Instead, I store my smoothies in re-purposed Snapple bottles.  Then each morning when dashing off to work, I can just grab my smoothie and go!  If Stevia is not your thing, try 2 pitted Dates or straight up Sugar.