Receding Snow, Snow Smoothies

I've never been much for ice in my drinks. So typical of my timing, then, that I should acquire a penchant for "snow smoothies/ice cream" just as our epic snow streak starts to dwindle. Especially at the edge of the bluff, the snow is receding fast...

...although we still have a snow field back from the bluff. Last night I don't think it even froze here.

A glass of snow blended with spirulina and other ingredients makes a wonderful soft-serve type lunch, as I shared in my last post, or just mix the snow with water and chosen flavor (as in this rosewater cordial) for a refreshing mid-afternoon lift. Unfortunately, snow drinks tend to make me chilled as well, but I'm enjoying the taste and texture so much right now that it seems worth it!


So far this week, I've stayed off the caffeine pills and caffeinated tea, and I've stayed off the cacao, and I've slept at least more than I had been, and gobbled down meds like a good girl. But I still wanted my snowy spirulina lunch, and I discovered that it could be just as delicious without the cacao!

This one was: 
1/3 cup nut milk (I used unsweetened Almond Breeze)--just enough to spin the blades
1 cup fresh local snow (I'm going to have to start thinking of alternatives)
1 spoonful spirulina
1 teaspoon lucuma
1/2-1 teaspoon mint extract
stevia and xylitol to taste
1 pinch lecithin granules and/or 1/2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum


Blend until smooth in a high speed blender.
Mint ice cream! OK, maybe not quite, as there's no fat in there. You don't miss it, though. Definitely mint sorbet--refreshing, a little sweet, delightful.


NB I know that this is very light on calories. However, it's also very easy to make into a more substantial offering. You could use full-fat coconut cream instead of unsweetened almond breeze. You could add some melted coconut oil, which would make it more ice-cream-like and creamy in general, and would add good nutrition too. You could triple the amount of lucuma, and add some tocotrienols, which are also creamy. You could even add some flax seeds, although you should make sure to blend very well so that they're not gritty. Carob powder? Carob goes beautifully with mint. Protein powder? Sure. I feel spirulina offers a good dose of protein, but doubling up would be good too. And you could substitute some of the snow with frozen nut milk. 


One of the things I love about smoothie-type recipes is how infinitely elastic and versatile they are--so easy to make your own. 


On a very different note, RIP Adrienne Rich, role model and inspiration for poets, especially women poets, for over half a century.

Harbingers of Spring from Full Circle--Two Wonderful Strawberry Recipes!

As snowy as the ground remains here, look what a treat was in our Full Circle box this week!

I almost couldn't believe it--strawberries in March in Alaska, fresh and organic, in our own little box!

They arrived when Phil was away at the end of last week, and I was careful to save plenty for him (it was only an 8oz box). However, I made myself one delicious breakfast and one delicious lunch using three strawberries each time, with plenty left to welcome him home.

For both meals, I put my agar gel to use, armed with the better knowledge that it needed to be blended down! The breakfast was a white pudding type thing, and the lunch was a thick green smoothie that turned out not green at all!
Strawberry Breakfast Pudding
1/4 cup agar gel (per the linked recipe)
1/4 cup flax milk or other nut milk
1/4 teaspoon stevia
splash vanilla, or pinch vanilla powder
optional: 1 tb vanilla protein powder, or lucuma, 1 tsp slippery elm powder
3 strawberries, chopped

Blend everything except the strawberries together. Even a handheld blender works fine for this.
Stir in the chopped strawberries, and garnish with a few mulberries if you wish.

I do love mulberries, and they're a garnish on the lunch too. Can you believe there's a cup of spinach in the below smoothie? This smoothie also features maca--I mentioned recently that maca and coconut have a wonderful affinity; well, I happen to think maca and strawberries complement one another just beautifully also.

Pink Green Maca Lunch Smoothie (which of course would be fine for any meal!)
1/4 cup agar gel (per the linked recipe)
1/4 cup flax milk
1/4 cup water or cooled herbal tea of choice (e.g. gynostemma-rhodiola)
1 tsp slippery elm powder
1 tsp maca powder
1/4 teaspoon stevia
1 teaspoon erythritol (substitute any preferred sweetener)
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup frozen peas (love these in my smoothies!)
3 strawberries (if you wish, freeze these for an hour or two before blending)
1 small piece of beet (this is what gives it that wonderful color
vanilla
Blend in a high powered blender until creamy smooth; garnish with mulberries.

Such a pleasant lunch on a sunny snowy day!
Have you had fresh strawberries yet this year? What's your favorite flavor combination with strawberries?