Lemon-Lime Green Smoothie & China Study All–Stars Collection Review

You all know I love cookbooks!  For me they have to have a few things for me to love them – great color photos, easy to find ingredients, quick to make and of course dairy free recipes!

Loving this China Study All-Stars Collection for all these reasons!  It has recipes from a few of my favourite plant based bloggers (Happy Herbavoire, Plant Powered Kitchen, Blissful Chef to name a few!) and a few that I haven’t heard of yet (but need to look up!)

I always judge a good cookbook by how many pages I have folded down “to make!” And this one is fully dog eared!   Lots of the recipes are kid friendly too (well my little kiddo would be a fan!)

I get a chance to share a recipe with you guys and I decided to choose something that includes a few of my very favourite ingredients –lemon, lime and kale!  Why did I never think to put these ingredients together in a smoothie before? Silly silly me?  This is amazing!

LEMON-LIME GREEN SMOOTHIE

MAKES 1 SERVING RECIPE BY TRACY RUSSELL

1/2 cup water

1/4 lemon, peeled

1/4 lime, peeled

1 small frozen banana, peeled

1/2 cup green grapes

1 cup curly kale, stems removed

1. Add liquid to blender, followed by soft fruit and remaining ingredients. Add the greens to your blender last.

2. Blend on high for 30–45 seconds (depending on your blender) or until the smoothie is creamy.

This smoothie is a bit sweet, a bit sour and perfectly creamy!  Delish!

I decided to pair them with a new energy ball recipes for a perfect quick easy breakfast (or perfect snack!)  Lemon, Lime, Banana, Coconut?  Yes please!

I make these little babies for my little baby!   It was a way to get in a ton of healthy fats into my little monster!

Balls of YUM!

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup chia seeds

2x TBSP softened coconut oil

4-5 medjool dates (1/2 cup soaked regular dates)

Blend oats, chia & pepitas in the food processor until broken down into a flour like consistency. (you can leave them in a bit bigger chunks if you like – I like it smaller for toddlers!)  Add coconut oil and dates and whiz in food processor until all ingredients are incorporated!   Place into the fridge to let the coconut oil harden.  If it’s not sticking together – add more dates – they should easily roll into ball shapes!

Roll into balls!  Size dependant on who’s eating them!  I like to make some larger ones for myself and then I make finger pinching bite size ones for the monster!

These have been toddler approved by 3 kids and a few mommies too! This is just a base recipe also you can switch up ingredients too  (swap quinoa for oats, hemp hearts for chia!) You could also add some spice if you like – cinnamon, a dash of vanilla etc!

 

ONTO THE GIVEAWAY*!

What better way to welcome the spring than with a cookbook full of enticing plant-based recipes that will help clean up your diet!

Want a chance to win your very own copy of China Study All Star Collection! Comment here and tell me why you’d like to win this book & how you like to welcome Spring!

1 entry per person and its’ open to US & Canada (No PO Boxes please), do not have to be a blogger to enter!  Contest closes May 9th at 8pm!

*winner will be announced on my facebook page &  will have 48 hours to respond!

Ready set – GO!

**Review Copy & Give away copy provided by BenBella Books, Inc.