Berries and Greens Smoothie

 

It’s officially summertime! Which to me means pool parties, late nights, fireflies, and fresh berries. Growing up, we would pick blackberries and blueberries every Father’s Day; it was always hot, and there were bees everywhere, but we would run and hide in the bushes, sampling all our berries while filling up buckets full! That night, we would come home sticky, tired, and covered in thorn scratches, but we would sit down to a cool, refreshingly sweet bowl of berries and cream. This smoothie is an homage to the berries and cream of my childhood summers – berries and greens! Also cool and refreshingly sweet, this smoothie is delicious and packed with antioxidants (which gives it the pretty purple color), vitamins, healthy fat, and fiber. It’s as easy as tossing some ingredients in a blender, and I guarantee your whole family, kids included, will gulp it down! Your toddler may get super messy and turn purple, and may even have some chia seeds stuck in her hair the next day (true story), but messy, healthy fun will be had by all!

Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

• Two large bananas – ripe with brown spots
• 1.5 cups of frozen berries – I used a blackberry/blueberry/raspberry medley
• 1 cup, packed down, of fresh spinach leaves
• 2 tbsp of ground flax seed
• 1 tbsp of chia seeds
• 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup of unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender
• Blend and enjoy!
• Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator and give it a shake/stir before drinking

I hope you give this short and sweet recipe a try – smoothies are a great breakfast or snack in the summer heat, and you’re giving your kiddos essential vitamins and nutrients! Without them complaining about eating veggies…which is an extra bonus 😉 If you like breakfasts in a jar/cup, be sure to check out my Chocolate Covered Strawberry Chia Pudding and my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats, and for more summer-y treats, check out my No Bake Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust, No Bake Chocolate Date Cake, and Chocolate Banana “Nice” Cream. Wishing a happy start of summer to everyone! Get your antioxidants and vitamins in, stay cool…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small commission for me – helping me earn extra money to keep making recipes. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy!

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Flax and Oat Pancakes

You groggily open your eyes one Saturday morning. Spring is here; this fact is made evident by the warm sun streaming through the blinds and the cheerful songs of the birds outside your window. You hear your children and spouse giggling down the hall, you smell the freshly brewed coffee, with a light and happy heart you head to the kitchen and…pour the same tired, old, strangely-reminiscent-of-cardboard cereal for breakfast?! No! Such a perfect spring Saturday morning calls for pancakes! And, believe me, these hearty and healthy pancakes will have everyone around the table full, happy, and ready to enjoy their spring break adventures without a sugar crash.

Makes about 12 pancakes, depending on size.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups of whole wheat flour (could be made gluten free by substituting GF flour)
• 1 cup of old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar
• 2 tbsp of whole flax seeds
• 1/2 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened almond milk
• 3/4-1 cup of water
• Optional toppings:
  • butter
  • coconut oil
  • maple syrup
  • honey
  • chocolate chips
  • unsweetened coconut
  • chopped fruit
  • chopped nuts

Directions:

• Heat your skillet over medium-low heat, and grease with desired cooking oil
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour through salt)
• Add egg, oil, and almond milk, stirring until combined
• Add water about 1/4 cup at a time, until it makes a fairly thin batter
• Spoon batter (your desired pancake size) into hot pan
• Once bubbles form and pop, flip and cook on the other side
• Repeat with remaining batter
• Serve warm with desired toppings
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge – they reheat fine in the microwave, good to grab and go!

I hope you and your family can enjoy a slow Saturday morning breakfast together; I’d guess that these pancakes could rouse even the most sullen teen out of bed 😉 For more breakfast ideas, check out my Whole30 Breakfast Hash, Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bake, Fruit and Nut Granola, Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal, or Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats. I hope this season, in all of its newness, starts off wonderfully for you. Have some quality time at breakfast…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

 

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

This post contains promo codes and affiliate links. If you purchase using the links, it is of no extra cost to you, just a small pantry fund for me. Thank you for supporting A Pinch of Crazy.

Sibling Rivalry

When the mornings get chilly and the windows get frosty, that means it’s time for steaming hot bowls of oatmeal for breakfast. Growing up with four sisters, my mom would buy the giant variety packs of instant oatmeal, and I distinctly remember arguing with my big sister over the last packet of strawberries and cream…more than once. I think my mom would have us take turns; she could have the last strawberries and cream this time, and I could have the last one on the next box. When it wasn’t my turn for strawberries and cream, I would always snag cinnamon apple. Yum! Looking back now, cinnamon apple was better because it didn’t turn your oatmeal a strange pepto pink…

Now, I like to make us cinnamon apple oatmeal for those chilly mornings because it’s warm and comforting, with plenty of fiber and healthy carbs; I feel kind of silly for even writing this out as a “recipe”, but it changes up the breakfast routine of cereal, and it takes about 10 minutes tops! I’m sure you have most, if not all, of these ingredients on hand, and could make a pot for your family tomorrow morning. I know everyone will love the sweetness (shh…the kids don’t need to know that it’s refined sugar free), and it will make you feel good to get your family going with a healthy, hearty breakfast.

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

Serves four to five, and could easily be doubled or halved if needed.

Ingredients:

• Two cups of water
• One small gala apple, skin on, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup unsweetened raisins
• One cup of old fashioned oats
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup, or according to taste
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Optional toppings:
  • walnuts
  • more raisins

Directions:

• Combine water, apples, chia, raisins, and salt in a medium pot
• Place pot on stove and turn burner to high
• Once boiling, add remaining ingredients
• Let boil, stirring frequently, until all the liquid is absorbed
• Serve hot with toppings, if desired

We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but it also includes the most important beverage of the day: coffee! Use this promo code to get 20% off some delicious cold brew coffees along with 10% off these delicious, dairy free, sugar free creamers. These promotions end soon, so grab them while you can! If you would rather prep your oatmeal the night before, you would probably like my Peanut Butter and Chocolate Overnight Oats, or my Fruit and Nut Granola for a quick grab-and-go breakfast. If oats aren’t your thing, I also have a Whole30 Breakfast Hash and a Turkey Sausage Breakfast Bake for you. I’m sure you can find something you like! Get a healthy and hearty breakfast…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!