Every now and again, it is good to post some vivid colors and remind the world that veggies smoothies really are great. There is a critic for every cure, as I like to say. (Disclaimer: Absolutely no guarantee is provided, by this blog or anywhere else, that supports veggie smoothies as a cure or remedy for any disease.) In any case, I just thought that I would share some of the delightful smoothies that we have made over the past few months...    

          Our lives are like a mirror: what we do reflects who we are. Our actions reveal our character. The first brothers of this earth’s history, for example, thought about obedience very differently from each other, and this is best seen in their different ways of sacrificing.           God required that each person kill a lamb upon an altar as a sacrifice for sin; for the wages (or cost) of sin is death, according to Romans 6:23. God would then accept the sacrifice as payment for the wrong that was done throughout the day. You see, God had a pattern: The lamb represented Jesus, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Jesus came to earth and lived and died because He wanted to – he wanted to save us from sin. Hebrews 12 tells us that Jesus consider it a joy to die on the cross for us. He paid for our sins: he died so that we can live. We can see that in Romans 5:11 and Isaiah 53:4.     ...

What is the fear of the Lord?  It is the beginning of wisdom. What does that look like? It looks like awe.           When we know God as it is our privilege to know Him, we will realize just how wonderful He really is. We will be unable to fathom His greatness; and as we stand in complete silence, with no words to utter, we will feel the sheer awe of the Beauty of Holiness. Let's look at Job. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~           Yet there was a missing link in Job's connection with God. Does Job know who God really is? Nope, not yet. By the time we reach chapter forty-two, he does know; but not before.            You see, Job's view of God was along the same thought process as Jonathan Edwards. God was someone to be feared, too big to mess around with -- too big to mess up with. God was -- and is -- the judge of the earth. "And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me...

Long time no see. =) Because I have neglected this blog for so long, I decided I should treat you with something special. Green smoothie, anyone? I would argue that this smoothie is more of an introductory one: -- the flavor is pleasant and sweet, which is perfect for a child being introduced to this for the first time. The baby spinach does not assert its own flavor, so the banana is dominant. Diabetics will probably want to cut back on the amount of fruit that is in here.  The Verdict: Delightfully mild and gently sweet. Easily assimilated and digested. (To assimilate  is "to take in; to absorb and integrate".) Spinach Banana Cradle  (Makes 5 twelve-ounce glasses) 1 cup of baby spinach 1 large carrot ( at least half of a cup when chopped) 1.5 bananas (they were frozen -- they could be fresh or both) 1 small apple (about half of a cup when chopped) 1 six-ounce container of soy yogurt (we used WholeSoy's Mixed Berry Yogurt) 1/4 pumpkin ...

"The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole, and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme, of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption. He should understand the nature of the two principles that are contending for supremacy, and should learn to trace their working through the records of history and prophecy, to the great consummation. He should see how this controversy enters into every phase of human experience; how in every act of life he himself reveals the one or the other of the two antagonistic motives; and how, whether he will or not, he is even now deciding upon which side of the controversy he will be found." Taken from Education, p. 190

This is a smoothie from a few days ago, featuring prized ingredients: I do not know very much about the health benefits of figs; but I love them! I enjoy black mission figs fresh, while I prefer Turkish figs dried. Either way, they are spectacular. I am aware that they contain substantial amounts of calcium (considering that they are fruits). Three dried mission figs provides approximately eighty milligrams (80 mg) of calcium. That's pretty good! Recipe 6 - makes 5.5 cups 2 cups of beet greens, stems, and beets 2 cups of carrots 1/2 of a lemon with some skin and all seeds 1 cup of figs Personal Take:  Pretty good smoothie. It definitely tasted like vegetables, though the figs gave a slight sweetness. The carrots impacted the color again, but it did not bother anyone. I left more of the zest this time, and you could taste it. Again, not bothersome to me or anyone else (I think). My mom did mention the thickness; I am going to have to use more water. =)

Each day brings more and more benefits. Do it for yourself, and you will see. ;) Here is the smoothie we had today: Recipe 5 - makes 7.5 cups  (why I made so much, I am not certain...) 2.5 cups of spinach with stems 1/2 lemon with some skin 2 large  carrots (about two cups worth) 1 apple 1 cup of mango Lots of water Personal Take:  This smoothie tasted more like fruits -- it would be a great introduction to the realm of vegetable smoothies. However, I've already been introduced. Also, we have been on a nearly-no-sugar diet, so this tasted rather sweet to us (it is amazing how one's taste buds adjust). Other than that, it was a great smoothie. The color was different because there were more carrots in this batch (it is usually only one cup). I still thought that it looked pretty though. This required more blending (hence the suggestion for "lots of water"). I was able to manage though, because  I used part frozen mango; and that kept the smoo...