beet, orange, & goat cheese salad

This comes from Gi8er Natalie. Thanks for sharing!!

Big pile of greens: spinach, kale, etc.

2 small beets, sliced

2 clementines or 1 small orange slices

1/2 avocado, sliced

1 oz. crumbled goat or feta cheese

4 oz. grilled shrimp, chicken, or tilapia

Cracked black pepper & pinch of sea salt

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Drizzle balsamic vinegar 

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Pile up all ingredients, add EVOO, vinegar & lemon juice.

Sour Cream & Onion Kale Chips

From fellow Gi8er Ingrid...

 Don't be shy!  Give these a try!  If you are still to scared to try the "plain" style kale chips with only olive oil and salt (which are still super good!), give these a try.  They are de-lish and will help satisfy that "I need a salty, crispy snack" craving!  Plus, they are a veggie, so you get points!!  Sounds like a win to me!

Sour Cream & Onion Kale Chips

1 1/2 C raw cashews, soaked for 2-3 hours 

4 T lemon juice

1 1/2 T raw apple cider vinegar (regular is probably okay as well)

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 - 1/2 C water

1 small red onion sliced as thin as you can

1 bunch of kale

Blend cashews, lemon juice, vinegar, salt & water to a consistancy of salad dressing. Pour over kale and mix in onions. Dehydrate in dehydrator until crisp. You could try to bake but I would do it on parchment at the lowest possible setting on your oven so you don't get a burned taste.

Kale Chips

I know what you're thinking. You're thinking I'm crazy and desperate for anything even slightly resembling junk food right now, and you're thinking that kale chips look a far cry from their potato-based brothers. But just hear me out. I thought this sounded crazy too, but after reading lots of positive reviews online I decided to give it a try with some of the kale in my fridge. You guys, they are really good! They have a really satisfying light and crispy texture, and the bitterness of the kale goes away when you roast it. Don't over-salt them like I did - they don't need that much salt and you can always add more later. What a perfect little salty crunchy snack. And if you eat a cupful, you can count it toward your five-a-day!

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
1 tsp seasoned salt
1 Tbs olive oil

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a non insulated cookie sheet with parchment paper.
With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite size pieces. Wash and thoroughly dry kale with a salad spinner. Drizzle kale with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoning salt. Massage oil into kale with your fingertips for a minute or two, just to soften the leaves a little.
Bake until the edges brown but are not burnt, 10 to 15 minutes.

(from allrecipes.com)

Green Smoothies

This is one of my favorite ways to get in 4-5 servings of fruits and veggies in one pop. It's so easy for breakfast when I'm running out the door, and it makes me feel great to know I'm drinking so much nutrition in one bottle! I usually make this smoothie (or something similar) and pour it into a 32 oz Nalgene bottle - it fills the whole thing.

I hate to provide an actual recipe because this is totally adaptable to what you have on hand or what you think would taste good. I've made several different versions and it's never exactly the same. I used to use a little agave nectar to sweeten but now I've gotten used to these and I rarely do. Just get creative and give it a try! Here is one I've been making this week.

1 small-medium orange, peeled
1 small-medium banana, peeled
handful of strawberries (5-6 berries)
large handful of spinach or kale (3/4-1 cup)
1/4 cucumber (1/4 cup)
small handful of baby carrots (1/3 cup)
1 Tbs ground flax seeds, chia seeds, or other power ingredients of your choice
4-5 large ice cubes
water to cover about halfway (you can add more during blending if needed)

Blend it all up and drink!