Ginger Green Smoothie - My Jamba Juice CopyCat

Pretty sure a daily green smoothie is the only thing keeping my husband alive! (...His words, not mine.)  This particular green smoothie has slowly crept onto the entire family's "Favorite List" - starting with me at the beginning of a race weekend...

A few years ago, when we met up in Utah for a long trail race, my sister Nicole insisted I order the “Greens and Ginger” smoothie from the airport Jamba Juice before we headed out.  

I was skeptical -  :0/  GINGER???  

I’ve never been a fan.  Unless it’s in baked goods...

But then I tried it... and oh man!  What can I say?  I don't have the words to describe - but Cindy, my yoga friend, phrased it perfectly:  it is de-lush.

All my kids now ask for it  -  and I regularly make this twice a day to have a spare for myself in the fridge.

Lucky for me  -  the 2020 winter garden "smoothie bed" can finally keep up with amount of kale needed for these green smoothie requests!

Ginger Green Smoothie -  My Jamba Juice CopyCat

If you have a commercial grade blender - layer in this order and blend until throughly mixed.  Keep an extra 1/2 cup of water nearby if mix is too thick to finish blending. 

If you do not have a commercial grade blender, still blend in this order and throughly mix one layer at a time instead of mixing all at once. 

2  cups water 

4  TABLESPOONS  dry lemonade mix  

(OR  USE:   1  lemon, juiced  AND  3  TABLESPOONS  honey)

4  cups washed kales leaves and stems

1/4  cup frozen ginger pieces 

1 to 2 cups frozen mango pieces 

2  cups frozen pineapple pieces 

1/4  cup ground flaxseed 

  

Wash your fresh ginger
- then break into pieces.
Using a paring knife,
flatten the edges of
your ginger pieces
and cut away the peel.

Cut your ginger pieces
into a stackable shape
and then dice into
medium/small chunks.

Fresh on the LEFT.
Frozen on the RIGHT.
It will darken a bit once frozen.

2  cups water 

4  TABLESPOONS  dry lemonade mix  

(OR  USE:   1/2  of a lemon, juiced  

AND  3  TABLESPOONS  honey)

4  cups washed kales leaves and stems

1 to 2 cups frozen mango pieces 

2  cups frozen pineapple pieces 

1/4  cup ground flaxseed 

Cindy, my yoga friend,
phrased it perfectly: 
it is de-lush.

This is a true life
before and after photo...
The smoothie shown above was a photo
taken 24 hours before this photo.

If you have leftovers after
blending this recipe up - 
store in the fridge for up to
48 hours.

Be sure to shake or stir
in the water portion
that separates from
the more fibrous part.

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HONEY-MULLED APPLE CIDER

HONEY-MULLED  APPLE  CIDER

*Use either honey or brown sugar to sweeten the drink.

6  cinnamon sticks

20  WHOLE cloves

20  WHOLE allspice

2  large apples, sliced and cored  (one green Granny and one Gala are preferred)

1 gallon  apple juice 

1/2  cup honey OR packed brown sugar  

OR - skip adding honey or brown sugar all together!  The handsome Bret Sr.'s recommendation is "don't add any extra sweetener... the apple juice is sweet enough."  But let's be real.  Sugar addiction and recipe habits are in play here...

PLUS  -  I'm about to add two optional toppings:

Caramel sauce

Whipped cream

Press all of the whole cloves and whole allspice into apple slices. 

You may not have enough spices for all your apple slices - that's okay!  Be sure to get all the apple slices INTO your cooking pot. 

Carefully pour apple juice into a very large cooking pot.

Add your apple slices with spices and cinnamon sticks to the apple juice in the pot.

Add honey or brown sugar.  Stir in gently.

Cover.  

Bring to a gentle boil and either turn off the heat and let steep, or keep on low for a few hours and let your apple cider linger-longer on your stovetop for easy mug refills...

Top with whipped cream and caramel sauce.

FOR A Crock Pot / SLOW COOKER:

1/2  the recipe

Cook on LOW: 5 to 6 hours

HIGH: 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

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Muddy Hot Chocolate Mix

NOTE:  Large quart jars hold 6 servings, 
and pint jars hold 3 servings. 
In total this recipe makes 24 servings.

Baby, it's cold outside!  Okay... it isn't right now in Texas, but I'm sure it's cold somewhere!  And once in a while, it does actually get cold enough to have hot chocolate.  

This one is my favorite.  It is very similar to a hot chocolate I used to buy in Twin Falls, Idaho from a coffee house that made their own Mexican Hot Chocolate with a touch of cinnamon.  

Mine offers three (yes!)  THREE different kinds of chocolate... FOOD  IS  LOVE ...and your tastebuds will be feeling the love for more than a few servings if you decide you'd rather not share.

5  1/2  cups powdered milk 

5  1/2  cups sugar 

3  1/2  cups cocoa powder 

3  1/2  cups chocolate chips - Milk Chocolate and DARK Chocolate (60%-75%)

2  TABLESPOONS ground cinnamon 

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix well with a wooden spoon and then store in a dry, airtight container. 

To make the hot chocolate, simply add 1 cup of water per 1/2 cup of hot cocoa mix. 

Heat water and added hot chocolate mixture in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring consistently with a whisk. 

Heat until hot, but DO NOT boil.

About 6 to 7 minutes.

OPTIONAL:  serve with marshmallows (because you're having hot chocolate...). 

NOTE:  6 ingredients...
3 of them are different chocolates!
You're welcome.

(I never measure...
it's just one regular bag of milk chocolate chips
and one bag of EXTRA DARK chocolate chips)

COSTCO sized baking cocoa powder because 3 1/2 cups is a lot. 

When I am done combining all the ingredients,
and there are no remaining pockets of sugar or dry milk,
I will transfer the hot chocolate mix into my storage/gifting
container using serving size measuring cup.

Using the actual serving size amount
is ideal when I get
to the bottom of my mixing bowl.

I usually only have a few extra
Tablespoons to distribute among my jars
- these are pretty darn close-to-exact-amounts.  

NOTE:  Large quart jars hold 6 servings,
and pint jars hold 3 servings.
In total this recipe makes 24 servings.

If you do decide to share this loveliness, 

make sure your gift has instructions.

ENJOY!   :0)

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