It’s a dazzling day here in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies. The sun is shining, it’s crisp and clear (although a bit nippy at 14 degrees) and I’m ready to launch back into blog posting. I spent last week at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health and am renewed, refreshed and re-energized. I took a 5-day workshop on “Designing and Leading Transformational Workshops” from two brilliant, engaging and delightful teachers.
I’m transformed!
Into what, I’m not sure yet, but I’ve found another avenue for growth, learning and exploration. (Check here for information about Ken and Leslie and their truly enlightened workshops.)
I also found a new best friend and spiritual guide in Swami Pajamananda, mirthful darshan of delight. I’m inspired by the shared wisdom of our group and am ready to toss what I’ve learned out into the universe.
You might want to duck. Seriously.
But first, I’ll share with you one of my favorite early morning, attitude-transforming smoothies. By now you’ve probably heard that green tea borders on being a miracle elixir. I have a tendency to be skeptical about raving health claims or magic potions, but there’s a lot of convincing research available touting the medicinal benefits of this antioxidant beverage. I’ve taken notice and although I’m not much of a consistent tea drinker, I do make jars of green tea to occasionally use in smoothies.
Transformational green tea smoothie
what you need
4 Mejool dates, pitted
2 cups washed lettuce (the green leafy kind)
2 cups green tea (steeped and chilled)
1 ripe banana or pear
1 cup frozen cherries (organic, no sugar added)
1/2 cup peeled and diced cucumber
2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
what you do
Soak pitted dates in the 2 cups green tea for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until soft and icky looking (they do look rather nasty looking). Place pumpkin seeds and chia seeds in a grinder (I use a coffee grinder specifically for grinding nuts and seeds) and pulse until well blended. Place all ingredients in a blender and blitz well. You may need to add more tea or some filtered water to gain the consistency you like. Adjust or substitute as needed. Sip and soak in all that antioxidant goodness. Makes 4 servings.
You might also like –
Watermelon chia seed smoothie
Napa cabbage and beet drippings smoothie
Hemp protein smoothie
Peace, love and transformational goodness!
Melissa
Tags: gluten-free, green tea, Kripalu, smoothie
So that’s where you were! Makes me think of Elizabeth Gilbert’s time in India in Eat, Pray, Love. You didn’t run into Richard from Texas, did you?
I’m excited for you and your new possibilities-seriously. I’ll check out the links you shared.
Would it matter if one use decaffeinated green tea? I like green tea, but don’t need the caffeine. I have most of the ingredients for this smoothie and am always looking for transformation.
Welcome home, dear!
Shirley
Love it when a new experience turns out to be life-changing! Transformation is good, and it reminds us of our purpose in the world.
Love that powerhouse smoothie you’ve got going there… judging from the ingredients, I’m thinking you have a Vitamix. Yes?
(another thing on my wish list!!)
Lo,
Much to my dismay, I do NOT have a VitaMix. I have a cheapo $20 blender, but at least it’s the glass version and not some nasty plastic. A VitaMix is on my wish list as well. I’d probably use it all the time, but it’s hard to plunk down $400 for a blender. My gosh, that’s more than my season pass cost me (to my local ski area).
xo
I am a huge fan of all sorts of smoothies - this sounds wonderful!
yup, I’ll have me some of that transformational stuff - the food and the work, it all sounds good.
But seriously, pajamananda? Pajama - nanda? I hope that this is some lovely spiritual tomfoolery, because just saying pajamananda makes me chuckle and spirituality is much sweeter with a good dollop of humour.
Thank you for your lovely words on my blog. I just had to come over and give you a virtual hug. x x x
Melissa,
I don’t want to click the link for the Kripalu Center because I’m imagining it to be an ancient temple above cloud level at the top of a Himalayan mountain and I don’t want my bubble bursting.
So glad you enjoyed the workshop and I’m looking forward to seeing the new, transformed you. Somewhat unrelated, but I recently discovered homeopathy and I feel 10³ºººººººººººººººººº times better! (these get worse, I promise!)
The thing that gets me about your smoothie recipes is that there is always something left-field and exciting in there. I would never have dreamed of a green tea smoothie but now you’ve put it out there I’m 200% convinced that I want one right this minute.
Welcome home and what a lovely post!
GDave
Melissa,
Don’t you just love GDave…. oh how we’ve missed him. So glad that homeopathy has been helpful… I’ve used it many times over the decades. As for your green tea smoothie, well sign me up immediately, sounds like another winner to beat the continual winter blues. As a little aside, I’ve found a UK company who produce pure beetroot juice in glass and it’s fabulous, plus it avoids all the pink splatters on my kitchen walls (damn that juicer)
Melissa, I’m ready for spring and the dawning of a tie-dye revolution in this household…. if it doesn’t move quickly it’ll be shibori tied and dunked pronto
Great post my friend, very inspirational as always.
Cid
Alta,
Mixing in green tea adds a new element to smoothie making. Plus, it’s healthy stuff and easy to keep on hand.
Naomi,
Keni (Swami PJ) is deLightful and on a mission to “lighten” up our spiritual journeys. It’s nice to find someone who adds a quirky element of humor to the enlightenment process. Sometimes we’re just too darn serious for our own good. Swami PJ reminds us of that. He’s such a sweetheart and the purveyor of good will and yogic laughter. We all need more of that, right?!
GDAVE!!
We have missed you beyond measure. Cid and I were about to call out the Mounties (or whatever they’re called in Scotland) to search for you. Now that you’ve found homeopathy, I’m wondering what lead you there. I’m hoping all is well and that your home brew making and testing hasn’t caused some sort of systemic imbalance. We wondered if maybe you blew up your flat.
Anyway, your sparkling wit and quirky humor has been sorely missed.
Welcome back, my friend.
GDave,
By the way, the lovely Naomi (comment above) is a homeopath in London. She’s not the one who has set you straight, is she? What a small world. If so, she’s probably got you on a gluten-free diet.
Cid,
Yes, we’ve missed him, haven’t we!? We better keep a closer eye on him from now on.
As for the beet root juice, I must say, your new kitchen is so fabulous that I’d certainly be hesitant to be messing with beets in a juicer. You know the Native American Indians used beets to dye their horse blankets. Beets are serious vegetables.
Tie dyes.
Cid, you’ve come to the right place. I’m a child of the sixties, half my wardrobe was tie dyed. My sheets were even tie dyed. We have another use for our beet juice and green tea. Oh, and chlorophyll. We can’t forget that. It makes for perfect natural green frosting. It should also work perfectly for textile dying.
Our possibilities are endless. We need a good agent.
xo
This SO looks like my kind of smoothie. Fresh and green: yum! Your Watermelon Chia Seed smoothie looks awesome, too. Must admit the pic set off some serious summer longings in this body…
So happy for your trip to Kripalu. May the transformation be ever deepening, ever evolving…
xo diana
Melissa,
Miles and Rod have agreed to be models for our fashion empire…. anything to get out of washing up in the Soup Kitchen
Check out ‘how to use a furoshiki’…. turns out I’ve had one for years and never known what to do with it.
Cid
Cid,
Sounds perfect. And as usual with you and your international word choices, I had to go look up furoshiki before I could even check out how to use one. Japanese wrapping cloth? Hmmm? We’ll have to be very creative with our use of our tie dyed organic eco cloths. Right now I could use one as a hair wrap.
Diana,
Thanks for your comment. I especially appreciate it coming from the smoothie queen herself! It’s snowing here right now, although I’m not complaining as I’m planning on going skiing this weekend.
Yes, Kripalu was amazing and I’m definitely going back! Next time you’re there, don’t miss yoga dance with Toni Bergins. I loved that! I went every day at noon. She only taught it one day, but she was amazing. I also liked Dan, the other yoga dance teacher. It was SO much fun to dance for an hour at lunch! Wild woman!
Melissa,
“By the way, the lovely Naomi is a homeopath in London.”
I don’t need a 5-day yoga workshop to be able to fit both feet in my mouth at the same time. Sorry Naomi!
GDave
GDave,
You didn’t say anything that warrants a “foot in mouth” apology. I thought you were feeling better from the treatments. Naomi is rather super womanly-ish, but kind and sweet. I doubt you said anything to bother her.
Love your 5 day yoga workshop comment! We’ve missed your clever choice of words.
Wow Melissa, your green tea smoothie sounds incredible, uber nutritious, and tasty!
Melissa,
My first attempts at Shibori turned out better than I expected. I’ve started with cotton muslin before tackling heavier weight cotton, silk and velvets. I shall send a hair-wrap piece over for your approval once I’ve mastered the craft. If it turns out to be on the large side, we’ll call it a furoshiki
Cid
Shirley,
Well, I’m not ignoring you! It’s just that I always find you hiding out in my spam folder. Must ask my tech guy about that. Anyway, this green tea I used was decaf. I agree, especially when you’re using 2 cups at a time! No need to end up with the transformational jitters!
Ali,
We’re always on the same wavelength with our smoothie recipes. Tasty and nutritious can go together quite nicely.
Cid,
I’ll email you later about some textile dying information. Tevis will be taking a year-long class in something like that. I’ll send you the link to where she works. You might find it interesting.
More later!
Melissa,
That contains many of my favourite ingredients so why didn’t I think of putting them all together? Pumpkin seeds are a staple snack at Maison Collins.
A great idea.
Miles