Healthy Green Smoothie

I've seen at least 4 blogs with recipes for this "green" smoothie drink. I kept wanting to try making it and finally today I had a chance. It was so tasty and healthy too! I've had store-bought green juices before, but not in a smoothie form and homemade with all the fiber still in it. There is many various recipes I've seen for this, but I came up with my own recipe and used what I happened to have on hand. I'm excited to try some other combinations too! ~My Green Smoothie Recipe~
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen peaches (or pears, blueberries, etc...)
1 cup of plain almond milk (some people use juice or soy milk)
1 huge handful of raw spinach leaves (could add kale or other greens)
a few raspberries...would have put in more, but my son was eating
them up...lol
(some recipes had a sweetener of some kind...I didn't think it needed it.)
Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth.
In spite of the healthy greens this is very delicious!!
My son (who will eat raw spinach) wasn't too sure at first about the
color, but when he finally tried it, he loved it and gulped it down
and agreed it was yummy! :-)

Enjoy! One of my inspirations...love her blog... http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.housewifeintown.com%2F2011%2F10%2Fspinach-and-kale-smoothie-with-pear.html&h=1AQB88AEc
If you've made green smoothies before, what do you like to put in them?
~Crystal Dawn...Homemaker and Mommy

Homemade Bread

I've been making bread since I was around 10 years old, over the years I developed a wheat bread recipe and I'm always changing it and trying to make it better...My mother is the one who taught me how to make bread and now I'm teaching my son. Colton has helped me make bread many times, he started helping me when he was only 2 years old...he is now 3 and he still loves to help and is even starting to understand the process more. He likes to eat it also...lol. ~Homemade Wheat Bread~
This recipe is for two loaves, but sometimes I double it to make four loaves.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS yeast
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup sweet molasses
1 TBS lecithin granules (find in health food stores)
1 TBS sea salt
1/8 cup of gluten flour
1 cup white flour (sometimes I leave that out if I want 100% whole wheat bread)
4 to 5 cups whole wheat flour
also you might need a little extra white or wheat flour for kneading.
Mix water, yeast, and molasses together-sit 5 minutes and make sure yeast activates.
(I use my Kitchen Aid Mixer that my sweet hubby bought for me...)(Little boys love machines...or at least mine does...lol.)
Next mix in the oil, lecithin, salt, and gluten flour.

Now slowly add the flour, one cup at a time, you might not need all the recipe calls for,

it just depends on the consistency, add more if sticky, less as it forms into a nice dough...

I always take my dough out after mixing it so that I can knead it by hand, because I use to make bread totally by hand with no mixer and I still like to knead that way to make sure it is the right consistency and Colton loves helping with that part too!

Knead into flour, until no longer sticky. (baby Cherish is interested also and has started watching us now...It will be fun to teach my girl to make bread too, when she is old enough!)

Put bread dough in large bowl and let rise for one hour or until doubled in size.

Than shape into loaves...another favorite thing for my little helper to do...

Let loaves rise in pans for 1/2 hour until doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.

Love the smell of fresh bread baking in the oven...Mmmmm.

Yummy healthy wheat bread...Enjoy!!

~Crystal Dawn...Homemaker and Mommy~