Chocolate Smoothies

Learn how to make fresh smoothie recipes, including healthy vegetable, fruit, and a bit of the sweet tooth smoothies!

Smoothies make a healthy, nutritious snack or meal for any occasion; there is little you cannot do with a smoothie recipe. With ingredients from strawberries and bananas to kale and celery, smoothies could be considered the ultimate food, containing all of the body’s daily essential nutrients and fuel, preserving the whole foods concept, and helping you stay fit, healthy and strong. 

Once you have the right blender—and a few key bits of knowledge about food preparation—you are ready to start making your own smoothie recipes. But first, try some of the ingredients you see in this free smoothie video series. Our expert will give you some of those key tips to get started; then learn how to make a basic fresh fruit smoothie. Other recipes include a vegetable smoothie, a detox smoothie, an energy smoothie, an immune booster, smoothies for dessert and more.

Today we start with Chocolate Smoothies:

Let's start with a video for a Chocolate Chili Veggie Smoothie Recipe by clicking here!  She's great to watch and learn.


Chocolate is not the cause of weight gain and sugar highs and lows. The brutes giving chocolate a bad name is the highly refined sugar, milk, and chemicals mixed with the chocolate.
Why is it that you see chocolate toted for its high antioxidant properties, and yet many health experts say to stay away from it? How can we get the benefits of chocolate and stay away from harmful additives?

Chocolate Smoothie Ingredients

I propose for us to look at chocolate from a different prospective. What can give a chocolate smoothie recipe a creamy base?  Nuts, coconut, avocados, oatmeal, beans, and the list goes on!

I have used all of these in my chocolate smoothie recipes. Most of them taste just as good as a chocolate shake filled with ice cream and sugar. But I do have to admit that some of my experiments didn't taste so great. But how do we learn to be better if there are no failures?

What about replacing the refined sugars? My favorite way to sweeten chocolate smoothie recipes is to use dates soaked in water. They are extremely sweet and the flavor blends beautifully with chocolate. It also naturally thickens the smoothie. Plus, it contains healthy nutrients and fiber. Make sure that you remove the pit from the center, as they are as hard as rocks.

Stevia is also another great way to sweeten a smoothie. It contains no calories. Stevia is an all-natural sweetener made from leaves of the Stevia plant. Please, make sure not to put in too much. If you use too much, your smoothie will taste bitter. One to two packets easily sweetens a smoothie.
Another great way to sweeten up a chocolate smoothie recipe is to use frozen bananas. This also creates a creamy base that many people love!


Chocolate that you could indulge in without adding the extra pounds on your hips. Making chocolate with these healthy smoothie ingredients will actually be beneficial for you body!

First, you avoid the unnecessary addictive problems that come with regular chocolate.

Second, you feed your body nutrient dense chocolate that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized.

My #1 tip for making a tasty chocolate smoothie is to blend everything together before adding the frozen fruit and/or ice. That way you will be savoring the smooth texture instead of chewing smoothie ingredient chunks.

Now you know how to savor chocolate without the gut-wrenching guilt. Purchasing raw cocao is a great first step to creating healthy desserts for you, your family, and your friends.

To make your chocolate smoothie recipe even healthier toss in a handful of fresh spinach. Don’t worry... The flavor of the spinach gets covered up by the smoothie.

Here's why green smoothies are good for you:
 http://gotgreensrevolution.com/green-smoothie.html

Pick a chocolate smoothie recipe below and have fun experimenting!

COCONUT BASE

Chocolate Silk
1/4 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup pure water
5 dates, pitted and soaked in the water
1/4 avocado
1 tablespoon of raw cacao
10 ice cubes
Pour the milk and water into the blender with the dates, avocado, and cacao on top. Blend. Add ice and blend until completely smooth. Serves 1-2

NUT BASE

Chocolate Divine
1/3 cup cashew, raw
7 dates
1 tablespoon of raw cacao
1 cup water
10 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients except the ice cubes until smooth. Add the ice cubes and blend again until smooth. Very yummy! Serves 1

Pecan Delight
1/3 cup raw pecans
4-8 dates, soaked in the water (depending on your desire of sweetness)
1 packet of stevia
1 tsp vanilla
1 tablespoon raw cacao
1 cup water
12 ice cubes
First, blend the pecans, dates, stevia, vanilla, cacao, and water. Then, add the ice and blend on high until smooth. Serves 1-2

BEAN BASE

Red Bean Smoothie
1/4 cup coconut milk powder
1 cup pure water
8 dates, pitted and soaked in the water
1/2 cup small red beans, cooked and rinsed
1 1/2 tablespoon of  raw cacao
1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 packet of stevia
8-10 ice cubes
Pour the milk powder and water into the blender with the dates, beans, chia seeds, stevia, and cacao on top. Blend. Add ice and blend until completely smooth.

OATMEAL BASE

Chocolate Oatmeal Smoothie
3 tablespoons of uncooked oatmeal
5 dates, pitted and soaked in the water
1/4 cup almonds
1 tablespoon of coconut powder
1 tablespoon of  raw cacao
1 packet stevia
1 1/4 cup water
10 ice cubes
Pour the water into the blender with the everything but the ice on top. Blend. Add ice and blend until completely smooth. Serves 1-2

SUGAR FREE CHOCOLATE SMOOTHIES

Chocolate Cashew Dream
1/4 cup cashews, raw
1/4 avocado, large
1 tablespoon of raw cacao
1/4 cup coconut milk powder
2 tsp stevia
1 cup water
11 ice cubes
Blend all ingredients except the ice until smooth. Then add the ice and blend again until smooth. Enjoy!

Chocolate Green Smoothie

Yummy Chocolate Cabbage Smoothie
1-2 cups cabbage
1/2 cup almonds, raw
7 dates, pitted
1/2 tsp stevia
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon raw cacao
1 cup water
7 ice cubes
1 banana, frozen
Blend the first 7 ingredients until smooth. Add the frozen ingredients and blend again. Serves 1-2

Carob Smoothie

Almond Carob Smoothie
1/2 almonds, raw
6-8 dates, pitted
1 1/2 tablespoon carob, powder
1/4 tsp stevia
1 cup pure water
12 ice cubes
Pour the water into the blender with the almonds, dates, carob, stevia on top. Blend. Add ice and blend until completely smooth. Serves 1-2

If you need some places to purchase the raw cacao, carob, stevia, etc. online here are some places:

http://mountainroseherbs.com/
http://www.iherb.com
http://www.vitacost.com

I shop at all three of the above online stores for my needs. None of the links contain referrals because I'm not in this to make any money from anyone.  

How do you feel about these smoothies?  Much better than the kale ones?  Are you looking forward to fruit smoothies tomorrow?  What are your favorite fruits so I can have some ideas of what to post for you!

Tomorrow: Fruit smoothies!

Eye Make Up: Color Blending

As some of you know I'm sell make up for Avon and teach gals how to apply their make up.  Today we're talking about COLOR BLENDING.

Instructions

When to apply eye make up

1. • Apply eye makeup after a foundation or base has been placed on the skin. Makeup on the eyes will blend better when a small amount of liquid foundation is applied to the eyelids and the area under the eyebrow.
   • Brush on eye shadow with a loose brush rather than a foam applicator to start with a more natural look. Eye make up is easier to blend when you do not start your application with strong lines.
   • Apply the medium-colored eye shadow from a pre-packaged eye shadow trio to the eyelid. Highlight the area under the brow with the lightest color in the trio. Add the darkest color last, on the crease of the eyelid.
   • Use a clean finger to gently blend the dark color in the crease with the medium color on the eyelid. Wash your finger. Blend the dark color in the crease up and out into the highlight color.
   • Apply a thin line of eyeliner to the upper brow to emphasize the eyes. Use a cotton swab to blend the eyeliner into the underlying eye shadow.

The actual blending of the eye make up

1. • Blend eye makeup only after you've applied all the eye shadow shades you want to wear. Apply all three eye shadow colors if you're planning to wear highlighter, midtone and accent colors. For the best effect, the highlighter color should be your lightest eye shadow color.
   • Wait to apply eyeliner and mascara until after your eye shadow is blended; otherwise, you'll end up with a big mess to clean up.
   • Use the brush you used to apply your accent color to blend your eye makeup so that you don't get your darker accent color on the brush you use for your other two lighter eye shadow colors.
   • Buy a tapered blending brush for applying and blending eye makeup if your budget permits. You'll get a much better end result than if you use the small eye shadow brushes that accompany discount store makeup. Better yet, splurge on high-end eye makeup for the best application.
   • Move the makeup brush lightly across eyelids and under the eyebrows to blend eye shadow and remove any excess makeup.

Here's a video at youtube to help you. 


If you would like to purchase any Avon products from me, please visit here:  Carolyn, AVON REP


For more help: 
How to Apply Eye Makeup in 8 Steps

Just For Kids Giveaway - Over $250 In Prizes!

Welcome to the Just For Kids Giveaway! We’ll be giving away five gift certificates to some of our favorite children’s online retailers for a total of $275 worth of prizes.

Our sponsors are fabulous so be sure to visit each of their websites to see all of the awesome children’s products they have available!  Here are the prizes we’re giving away:

1. $50 gift certificate to Glow Baby
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3. $50 gift certificate to Lilly James
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Five prizes means you have five chances to win, so be sure to do as many entries as you can! This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and ends on June 18th at 11:59 PM EST. Good luck!

And now the RAFFLECOPTER!

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