It Has Arrived!

I had a very productive morning and early afternoon and was even more excited when I pulled into the driveway and my Vitamix had been delivered! I flipped through one of Sarma's cookbooks and decided to make the Grape and Fig Cleansing Shake, which looked and sounded delicious. Using dried figs, I thought this would be the perfect first test for my Vitamix. If everything people say is really true then pulvarizing those figs should be a walk in the park. And it was! I am super pleased with my first Vitamix session.

This shake is really great for you. Grapes are rich in Vitamin A, C, B6 and folate. Grapes are also high in flavonoids, important antioxidants that combat free radicals (and aging). Figs are rich in calcium and, like, grapes, flavonoids. This shake packs just as much of a flavor punch as it does nutrition. Yum!

This really looks a lot like the Cherry PB shake from last post but its a different one!

Grape and Fig Cleansing Shake:

from Raw Food Real World

makes 2 very big servings or 4 normal size

4 cups grapes

1 cup dried figs

1 cup water

2 cups ice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

Blend grapes in high speed blender until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and blend until pureed. Enjoy!

Last night for dinner we had veggie lasagna and my Aunt Nancy's Strawberry Spinach Salad. Her strawberry salad is a real crowd pleaser. Even non-salad eaters seem to like this salad. I am thinking of making the dressing with agave syrup next time rather then sugar, because other then the refined sugar in this recipe it is really a very healthy salad. 

Aunt Nancy's Strawberry Salad:

1 pound spinach lettuce

bean sprouts to taste (we do a 4:1 of spinach:spouts)

1/2 red onion, sliced
1 pint strawberries, sliced

Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 T poppy seeds

2 T sesame seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried onions

1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon paprika