I had never done this before, but my initial thought was that it would be possible, but could be somewhat frustrating to have to unscrew the blade a few times in the process to scrape down the sides.

So, I set up to test this out, using my Ninja Pulse. I chose the Pulse for this project because if a Pulse will do it, any other Ninja with a single serve cup can do it.

Top Line: Yes, this is possible. But, if you have a Ninja Kitchen System with a food processing bowl, I would ultimately still choose that option over a single serve cup. It will just be more efficient.

For those that don’t have a KS model, I’ll walk you through the steps below. You’ll still get a decent cashew butter, but, it may be just a tad chunkier than what you could get out of a food processor.

Using the Ninja Single Serve Cup to Make Cashew Butter

First up, the ingredients:

• One cup of cashews of your choice (optionally soaked for at least four hours and rinsed
• One tablespoon of melted coconut oil, or other oil of your choice
• Water, as needed

(I guess showing you the oil in a clear bowl defeated the purpose, huh?!)

Next, add the cashews and then the oil into the single serve cup.

Then, begin to Pulse. Regardless of your model, it is best to pulse your way through this project to not burn out the motor.

After about three pulses, you’ll have chopped up nuts.

Now is where discretion comes in. Keep pulsing, and when you get to a point where nothing is happening, you’ll want to remove the cup, unscrew the lid, scrape down the mixture, and add a little water. How much water is really up to you, but I would start with a tablespoon and go from there. You may need more, but you probably won’t need less. You’ll need the water to get it to blend the rest of the way.

Once you have added the water, continue to pulse 6-7 more times and determine if your mixture is done. At a certain point, it will stop moving again, and will likely be done. If it doesn’t seem creamy enough, add a little more water, always adding in small amounts. It’s easy to keep adding, but hard to remove!

When your mixture is done enough to your liking, take a spoon, stir everything together very well, and you’ll have cashew butter. It probably won’t get quite as smooth as if you’d used the food processor bowl on a KS model, but it still comes out spreadable, even with a few little chunks. The difference of course, is due to the different types of blades. The single serve has more of a traditional blender blade, where as the food processor bowls have more of a traditional “s” blade shape.

The main word of caution about this project is to not try to steady state blend cashew butter with your single serve cup. You could easily burn out the motor.

And, I would only do this with soft nuts (peanuts, cashews), not hard nuts like almonds.

I hope that helps, and, let me know any questions in the comments!

But, in other news, well, some other news!

• Kaiser Permanente recommends plant-based diets for all physicians to prescribe to their patients, especially: “those with high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or obesity.” Y’all know I don’t preach around here, but we do follow a mostly plant-based diet at our place. I thought this was an interesting paper coming from an insurer. Reasoning: they want to spend less for their insureds’ medical care, clearly. Honestly, I think the bigger message comes down to something I’ve been spouting for a while: Eat real food, AKA, whole foods.
• One of the best re-makes of the “MyPlate” concept I’ve seen, from Summer Tomato. Smart, rational, and un-impacted by lobby groups.
• Is all processed food unhealthy? Processed food is between the crosshairs right now, and for mostly good reasons. But, this article breaks down the level of processing in different types of foods to explain the nuances and the types of processing that are really okay. I had never really considered something like canned tomatoes processed, but indeed, if you think about it, they are.

Have a wonderful weekend, try to get outside, and I’ll catch you on the flipside!

And, then one day, I did it. I added spinach to a smoothie.

And, I didn’t notice it in there.

And, I felt pretty darn good afterwards.

Since that fateful day, I have thrown caution to the wind and put all kinds of greens in smoothies, ranging from the standard spinach and kale, to chard, collards, sprouts, and anything else you can think of that is leafy and green. I have even put broccoli stalks in smoothies – and they’re good!

Even though I have come to love green smoothies, I have always said they don’t have to be green. Sometimes, no matter how excited we may be about a green smoothie, a loved one may not be so excited or interested to try said concoction. Sometimes, we have to be creative, especially when feeding kids (or, in my case, a finicky husband).

The best way to make a green smoothie that isn’t green is to mask it with red ingredients. Well, honestly, to really make sure, put a little bit of a raw beet in whatever you’re making on top of whatever else red you’re using. Beets make a great “food coloring,” and you don’t need much at all to change the color of your smoothie from sorta-red to really, really red.

So, next time you’re compelled to add some greens to your smoothie – or your kid’s, or your spouse’s – and don’t really want to know they’re in there – throw in 1/2 – 1 raw beet, and poof, green no more!

Here is an example for you of a filling and super nutritious green smoothie meal replacement, that comes out, well, beet red. There are about 550 calories in this, so it’s not a snack, but is a great way to start your day!

Raspberry Beet Green Smoothie

Print this Recipe!

Makes: 1 drink

Best Ninja Jar Choice:

• Ninja Pulse: 40 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Professional Blender: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Kitchen System: 72 ounce jar with standard blade
• Ninja Mega Kitchen System: 72 ounce jar with standard blade

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces unsweetened almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 2 handfuls chopped spinach or kale
• 1/2-1 small beet (raw, but peeled)
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 small frozen banana
• 1 scoop Amazing Grass Amazing Meal (vanilla)
• Small chunk of fresh ginger
• Sprinkle of dulse powder (if you have it, no worries if not)

Method:

• Add milk and kale to the jar of your blender until combined
• Then, add all the remaining ingredients; Pulse 4-5 times to begin blending, and then blend on “2” (hold down Pulse lid) until you reach a consistency you like, probably about 1 minute)

Nutritional Breakdown

Made with Trader Joe’s unsweetened almond milk and using the 1/2 beet portion.

The “problem” with juicing – if there is one – is what to do with the leftover pulp. Whether you’re juicing with a Ninja Blender or traditional juicer, unless you are doing “whole food juicing,” you’ll have two products from your endeavors: 1) Juice and 2) Pulp.

Before you throw that pulp away, consider turning it into crackers!

I certainly didn’t get this way overnight, and, I’m not perfect by any means, but in general, when it comes to snacking, I try to keep it healthy, and juice pulp crackers are an amazing solution to the night time snacking conundrum. You may think I’m absolutely certifiable, but, with some juice pulp, a little flax or chia seed, and a dehydrator, you can create a unique cracker that you can feel good about eating. I can’t keep enough of these in stock!

My go-to juice lately is carrot/beet, so I’ll use that example to walk you through making these simple snacks. To make the juice, I use 4-5 large carrots, 1/2 a beet, and 8-12 ounces of filtered water. Then, I strain the pulp from the juice using a mesh strainer over a bowl.  I mix the pulp with some flax seed (yay for being able to eat flax again – for years I thought I had a sensitivity to it!), and then dehydrate.

Now might be the time to mention that in addition to being on a juice kick, I’m on a dehydrating kick. Poor 2Chili can’t catch a break – there is always some machine going at full tilt in our humble home. Now might also be a good time to point out you could also do this with the pulp you have leftover from making almond milk.

Juice Pulp Crackers

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of leftover juice pulp – just use whatever flavor combination you have leftover. If you like it in juice, you will like it as a cracker
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed or chia seed

If you used your Ninja Blender to make the juice and strained it, you likely won’t have to add water. If you used a juicer and have a very dry pulp, you’ll need to add water at your discretion to help everything blend together.

Method:

• Combine the juice pulp, flax or chia seed (and a small amount of water, if using – start with just a couple tablespoons) in a bowl and thoroughly integrate
• Spread mixture into an even layer on a dehydrator fruit roll sheet. If you are looking for “orderly” crackers, use this time to score the shapes you want. I don’t bother with this step. You want the layer to be at least 1/8” thick so you actually have something leftover when all the water dries out. A paper-thin layer will just leave you with crumbs.
• Dehydrate for 2-3 hours, and then, flip the mixture onto a second fruit roll sheet so the other side can dry. If you can’t seem to flip them from the sheet, use a spatula to manually flip sections.
• Continue to dehydrate for another 2-3 hours, or until the crackers are crispy
• Let sit in the open air for about 15 minutes to cool before putting in an airtight container to store

Here is what it looks like when you spread it onto the jelly roll sheet. Go for a consistent thickness. Yours may vary in color, of course, depending on your pulp.

Here is a sample cracker. I end up with random chunks because I don’t bother to score them. These may not be formal crackers that you would serve to guests, but they are tasty and sort of addictive. If you crave salt, you could add a dash of sea salt or Himalaya salt to your mixture before you dry it, and end up with a saltier snack that can take the place of your chip craving!

Blink. It’s Friday.

That’s about how I feel lately. I have a big work project going right now that will culminate in about six weeks, and time has just been flying by!

I know you know this feeling – it’s something to which everyone can honestly relate. We’ve all had a time in our lives when things are just so hectic that we have to remember to breathe, and I remind myself daily to slow down, calm down, and relax. Thankfully, we finally have our couch home (it sounds silly, but imagine living nine months without a place to sit and relax in the evening), so much more relaxing has been going on. This week has been one of the best we’ve had in a long time, all because of something as simple as having a place to relax.

An-y-way, here are a few random tidbits and thoughts from this week that I wanted to share:

• Michael Pollan on how reclaiming cooking can save our food system, among other things. This is a pretty long interview, but if you like what Mr. Pollan has historically had to say, you will probably enjoy!
• Trader Joe’s ginger could have lead in it. This one is for the ginger lovers. The truth is, I’m guessing, that a lot of ginger could have lead in it, and it’s likely due to the soil in which its grown. Am I going to stop eating ginger? Nope. But, it’s good to at least know these things.
• I’ve been in a dehydrating phase lately, and have been making juice pulp crackers. I’ll share more next week, but, juice pulp makes a pretty decent cracker you can feel good about! Nevermind that mine are currently red – it’s all about what you put in the juice that determines what the cracker looks like.
• Here’s a video with a former guest contributor, Bianca Osbourne, giving us a lesson in why it’s good to soak your almonds, as well as a recipe for vegan almond mayo. I’m a no-mayo kind of gal – it has never been my thing – but for the mayo people, you may want to check this out!
• Lastly, a thought that has been on my mind for a while. As we approach summer, so many people (myself included) want to get in shape quickly and be ready for swimsuit season. It’s easy to get caught up in pounds and calories and all sorts of other things that don’t really matter in the grand scheme of your life. If you’re on a healthy eating/healthy living journey, what’s important is progress, not perfection. The journey, not the destination. Make small changes every day and you will see big change. Choose the right thing to do today, and it will more than likely carry over to tomorrow.

As I bid you adieu, here’s what’s on tap for my weekend – lots of time on the bike. For once, the weekend will not involve any kind of paint or paint-related project. We are taking a fun weekend to celebrate finishing our great room! And, you can’t tell in this picture, but this bike outfit is a custom Brobst Design Works powered by Test Kitchen Tuesday get up. 2Chili and I made up custom bike outfits for his business, and little ‘ol TKT got a small part in the action. We’ll wear these at bike races and triathlons this summer.

Have a great one, and I’ll catch you on the flip side!

But, for those that just want a Cliff’s Notes version, here are a couple of before and after photos.

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

(Disregard all that junk behind the fireplace – that is the location of the eventual kitchen, but we are just storing stuff there for now.)

We are missing the concrete counter that goes on the window bench, and the TV needs to be mounted to the wall, but, that was close enough for us to bring home some furniture. The last little items will be finished up this weekend.

Now, if we could just blink and have the rest of the house look like this! Where is Jeannie from “I Dream of Jeannie” when you need her?!

In the end, this place is finally starting to feel like home. It’s funny how you can go so long without some of the modern comforts and adapt to not having them. But, I have to say, having our couch back has been wonderful – even the kids are happy.

We are taking a few weeks off, and then it’s time to tackle the kitchen. Can you believe I haven’t had a kitchen since July of last year? Me neither. Luckily it’s about halfway done, as we have put in the floor and ceiling already. We’ll be picking that project up with cabinets, which is a nice place to start.

As always, thanks for reading!

Making your own kale chips is easy, fast, and way cheaper than store bought. – and you get way more.

Kale chips are quite literally, as easy as 1-2-3:

1) Get some kale

2) Add seasonings to your taste

3) Use a dehydrator or oven on low heat to dry for a couple of hours

Here, I’ll walk you through it.

1) Get some kale.

I like to use this Trader Joe’s organic kale because it is already pre-chopped. One bag has a lot and it’s only $2.99. You guys have heard me whine on and on about how we don’t have a kitchen right now (because we don’t), so, I am definitely convenience-oriented. I use this kale for a bunch of stuff, including smoothies, but it also makes great kale chips.

If you are chopping your own, just rough chop it – you don’t need to remove the stems, and you can leave the pieces fairly large in size.

2) Season to your taste.

You can knock yourself out here, but I like to use simply a bit of olive oil and salt. For a single serving,  I put about 2 big handfuls of kale, one tablespoon of olive oil, and a dash of salt in a big bowl that has a lid. Then, I shake it up to get everything distributed, and proceed to the next step.

You could really use any seasonings here: Grated hard cheeses like parmesan or asiago, coconut oil instead of olive oil, powdered garlic and herbs, and the list goes on and on. Just remember to use a bit of oil to let whatever you’re adding stick to the kale, and you’re golden.

3) Use a dehydrator or oven on low heat to dry for a couple of hours.

I use my dehydrator for this step – just place in a single layer on a tray, and dry for about 2 hours. Below is what it looks like before and after.

If you are using the oven, pre-heat to 275 degrees F, place on a cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.

Before drying:

After drying:

And, in the end, you have a healthy snack that even kids will eat (I have validated this with several friends with kids). Since this can be a dehydrator project, it’s a fantastic one to even get the kids involved in making. Let them choose their flavorings and load up the dehydrator – it is fun to watch the leaves transform.

In other news, I’m excited to report that we brought our couch and table home from storage late on Sunday after a hectic weekend of completing punch list items. We are still unpacking some boxes and getting organized, but I will share some finished great room before and after photos soon! Here is a sneak preview. For the first time in nine months, I had a legitimate space to do this blog post!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!

In the remodel front, I do believe I will have photos for you next week of another finished room. Or, at least I hope I will. I am always worried I will jinx something by promising a finished room, but this time, I’m hoping the cards fall as they should, and we’ll finish our great room this weekend. In Oregon, they call the great room the “Oregon Room.” Perhaps I will call ours the “Washington Room,” which sounds presidential but really isn’t! Ha!

While I am over this remodel already – not an uncommon feeling when one gets into the heart of a renovation – this view in the evening does not get old. Someday soon I hope to sit on our front porch and actually take this in instead of scurrying past it en route to my next chore.

Moving along, here are a few interesting nuggets from the past week.

• New York City elementary school adopts an all-vegetarian menu. This is unheard of, and impressive. Children often lead the way when it comes to progress, and these NYC kids, who preferred a vegetarian menu over a standard school lunch menu, are inspirational.
• Make your own deodorant. Okay, I haven’t tried this yet, but, it’s very simple and uses ingredients you likely have on hand. Worth a shot to save yourself from the aluminum found in most store-bought deodorants.
• Here is a compilation of 24 healthy smoothie recipes from a variety of food blogs. So much good stuff!
• Starbucks has 34 million Facebook followers. This is an interesting story of how a big brand manages its social media presences.
• 6-story rubber duck floats menacingly into Hong Kong harbor. This is just amusing and a nice way to start the weekend! Have a great one!

Apparently, I have been doing just this without realizing it! You see, in the last couple of weeks, several people that don’t know each other have made comments to me that indicate they think I spend a ton of time cooking.

“I thought of you when I was making a dish that took 2 hours.” Or, “I just don’t have the time you do to cook.”

Holy cannolis, I have no idea why my friends think I spend hours in the kitchen (especially since we don’t have a kitchen…still). While we do eat  most meals at home and I do like to eat fresh, healthy, seasonal food, I most definitely do not spend hours preparing it! Between working full time, remodeling a house, and, trying to stay in shape, it is just not physically possible for me to slave over my double burner hotplate like that!

For those curious about the remodel, we have a goal to have a finished kitchen by the end of July. I should probably write up a post on how we have lived for 9 months without a kitchen!

Anyway, today, I have a recipe for something that is tasty, easy, fast, and makes a lot – exactly the kind of recipe I like. I made this Saturday evening after a full day of home improving, and it came together in a snap.

This recipe was inspired by a soup I picked up at PCC Market a few weeks ago, from CookSF. While their soup was delicious, and made from ingredients you would recognize, it was also expensive – I think it was around $6.50 for a container. Ouch. I knew right away I needed to recreate it!

Carrot ginger soup uses simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, and you can make a big pot for way less than $6.50! Here’s my take, but you could really go any number of directions with this depending on your tastes. I think next time I may add some turmeric root as well – the color of this soup just screams that it would like some turmeric.

Serve with a spinach salad topped with pears, walnuts, and dried cranberries on the side for a hearty and filling – and super healthy – meal.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Print this Recipe!

Makes: About 8, 1 cup servings

Time Required: 10 minutes prep; 45 minutes to simmer

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 6 medium/large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 3 tablespoons peeled, minced fresh ginger root
• 1 large apple, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
• 4.5 cups vegetable stock (make your own and save money!)
• 1, 12-ounce can of coconut milk (must be from the can, not carton – I used Trader Joe’s Light Coconut Milk because that is what I had on hand, but whole fat is likely better)

Method:

• Heat the coconut oil in a 2-quart stockpot over medium heat until melted.
• Sauté the carrots and onion, and cook for several minutes, stirring often, until softened.
• Add the garlic, ginger, and apple. Sauté until the garlic and ginger
  are fragrant.
• Add the stock and salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
• Ladle carefully into your blender and puree the soup until smooth. This will fit in one batch in a 72 ounce jar of a Ninja Blender, but you may have to do two batches if you have a smaller blender jar.
• Return the soup to the pot, add the coconut milk. Taste test to determine if you need more salt, and heat until warm before serving.

Nutritional Info

Based on homemade stock without added salt, and Trader Joe’s light coconut milk. Store bought stock will add sodium.

It won’t be much longer, and that’s a good thing, as 2Chili and I are pretty much worked to the nub right now!

When life gets hectic, it’s even more important to watch what you put in your body, and make sure you nourish it with quality foods to help it cope with the pressure. I’ve been having lots of big salads and big, blended smoothies, packed with things like turmeric, cinnamon, and maca root to help up the nutritional ante. And, aside from just not having enough minutes in the day, this strategy is helping a ton with letting me stay even-keeled! I have quite a list of things I want to make for the blog, including a carrot ginger soup re-make, so stay tuned for some new recipes in the near future.

Here a few random items on my mind this week:

• I have been reading a book called The Hormone Cure, written by a doctor I heard on a podcast a while back. It’s fascinating, really. If you have weird signs and symptoms you can’t pinpoint, I highly recommend picking up this book to help you decipher your body. This is mostly written from a female’s perspective, so I don’t know how much use men would find from it. Happily, all is right with my world these days, but this would have been a really helpful book about a year ago when I started exhibiting signs of hypothyroid.
• I stumbled on a new-to-me blog this week that is really fantastic. It’s called Summer Tomato, and is written by a foodie/scientist, so her perspectives are unique and different from your standard food blog. She emphasizes points that I totally agree with: Eating real food, getting off the calorie counting train, and puts a scientific approach to things, which I’m sure many of you will enjoy.
• Man stores McDonald’s hamburger for 14 years, and it remains exactly the same. I don’t need to say any more on top of that headline!
• I picked up a FitBit Zip a couple weeks ago and have been trying it out. I was planning to write a review, but honestly, I can tell you what you need to know in a paragraph. It’s a good idea, but the average person is going to have a hard time keeping track of this thing! It is tiny, and unlike a BodyMedia, it doesn’t attach to your body. You have to remember to clip it to your pants, and you have to remember to remove it. I see lots of potential for it to end up  in the washing machine. Overall, it’s very step-based, so if you want a good digital pedometer with a readout right on the device, it is great! If you want something that tracks all your activity without you having to input things after the fact, I’d still lean more towards a BodyMedia or other more robust tracker.

And that’s it for now. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll catch ya on the flip side!