3 Key Ingredients for a Nourishing Smoothie [Video]

A smoothie in the morning is my favorite kind of breakfast because it's quick, nourishing, and delicious. It's important that we know how to put together a balanced smoothie, so that it can provide us with lasting energy and leave us feeling full. Check out my latest video for my 3 Key Ingredients for a Nourishing Smoothie. These ingredients can be used as staples to create many different variations of smoothies. Get creative.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86JU7auuYkM

I'd love to hear what your favorite way of mixing these 3 ingredients is. Please comment below or share with me on facebook.

x,

Giovanna

Captures of Yoga & Superfood Smoothies Workshop

What a wonderful weekend. We were so happy to share smoothies and knowledge with everyone at the Yoga & Superfood Smoothies Workshop on Saturday. There was some great Q & A and hopefully everyone is trying out their new recipes this week! We're grateful for Dave Ford's yoga practice, our amazing helper, Maddy Smith, the beautiful well-lit space (aMuse Art Gallery & Meeting Place) in the Mission, and everyone who brought their good energy. It was pretty cool to do yoga in an art gallery. Let us know if you'd like to see a similar event, we'd be happy to host if there's interest - contact Regina at reginafelice@apurifiedlife.com

xx

The Easiest Green Drink

Some days there seems to be no time to even blend something for breakfast and take it on the go. On those days, I like to make something that only takes less than a minute, yet is filled with vitamins and minerals. Vitamineral Green is a powdered blend of green superfoods to enhance detox, support the immune system, balance blood sugar, rejuvenation, aid organ function, and support longevity. I simply mix this magical supplement with a few magical ingredients in a jar of spring water to get a healthy start.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 Tablespoon of Vitamineral Green

Splash of lemon juice

2-3 drops of Vanilla Stevia

 

Get going on a good, green note! 

Captures of February Brunch Club

Brunch Club was a hit - we are GRATEFUL for the amazing help and everyone who came together to celebrate a Sunday. We had a wonderful time sharing about seasonal foods and enjoying a gluten-free, organic feast made with whole ingredients. We're already wishing we had some leftover coconut whipped cream! Hope to see you all again for March Brunch Club on the 14th. Happy Monday :)

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Captures of Valentine’s Day Chocolate Making Workshop

There’s no such thing as getting your hands dirty when it comes to chocolate. But if there were, I guess you could say that’s how we spent our Valentine’s Day. At the Chocolate Making Workshop we made rose and fig truffles, chai spiced chocolate mousse, and dark chocolate bark. Everyone got to build their own dark chocolate bark with nuts, seeds, fruit, and superfood powders. There was a lot of love in the air (and in the chocolate) on Saturday! We’re grateful for everyone’s great energy and company.

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Brunch Club: Farewell Winter Harvest

Change isn’t always easy, but all we can do is embrace it and CELEBRATE it. At Brunch Club we’ll be saying farewell to the winter harvest before welcoming the bright vegetables of spring. Come enjoy a three-course meal and learn about the importance of eating for the seasons. All ingredients are organic, local, vegetarian friendly, and free of gluten and refined sugars. You’ll take home new recipes and connect with some awesome people. Check out photos from January Brunch Club to see what you’re in for.

There’s also an optional yoga practice before brunch (10am). Francesca Gobeille will be starting us off with a gentle, all-levels yoga practice to ease in the day. Visit Francesca's website to learn more about her teaching practice.

Hope this menu makes you ‘MMMMMmmmmmm’ as much as us!

FIRST COURSE

Green Winter Smoothie

A balanced blend of seasonal fruits and vegetables with an added superfood bonus of spirulina, seeds, and raw honey.

Kombucha by House Kombucha

Lavender lemonade House Kombucha.

Grindstone Bakery Gluten-Free Bread with Homemade Almond Butter

Served with sides of fresh bananas and ground cinnamon.

SECOND COURSE

Sweet Potato and Brussels Sprout Scramble (Vegan Option Available)

Organic eggs and vegetables cooked in coconut oil and seasoned with warming spices. Topped with herbs and served with avocado.

Grapefruit pancakes with coconut whipped cream

Coconut flour pancakes with fresh grapefruit zest and cinnamon. Topped with coconut whipped cream, pure maple syrup, and sliced kumquats.

THIRD COURSE

Apple pie breakfast bars

Raw dates, apples, coconut, almonds, cinnamon and sea salt.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it?! Get your tickets on Feastly. See you on 2/22 .

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Herbal Vanilla Latte

Perfect for a chilly night, this herbal vanilla latte is calming and comforting. Besides the anti-inflammatory and digestive support properties of the herbal tea, I sneaked some extra superfoods in there to make it an even more nourishing treat. Recipe was created for Oh My Drifter.

Photography by Micaela Hoo.

Ingredients

4 Tablespoons raw hemp seeds

1 cup spring water

3 cups hot herbal tea (chamomile, mint, nettle, rose)

3 Tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil

2 teaspoons maca powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

4 drops vanilla stevia or 1 teaspoon raw honey

Pinch of sea salt

Procedure

1. Place hemp seeds and water in blender and blend until smooth to make hemp seed milk.
2. Add remaining ingredients to milk and blend until smooth and frothy.
3. Serve and garnish with extra cinnamon.

Holiday Feast Workshop

I’ve always loved the way that food brings people together. I’ve connected with so many amazing individuals over a whole-foods meal or simply geeking out about the benefits of eating organic. I recently ran into Cassandra Gates (Cassandra's Kitchen Sink), a Nutrition Consultant who also studied at Bauman College – we instantly clicked and decided to combine forces.

We are excited to share our foodie knowledge with you at Well Fed, a holiday feast workshop. Well Fed will be hosted at a friend’s house in San Francisco, where we'll gather in the kitchen to learn some of my favorite cooking techniques. Then, we’ll have appetizers and wine while we engage in nutritional conversation with Cassandra. Lastly, we’ll hang out and feast on the food we created in the kitchen together.

Grab a ticket for our educational dinner party experience, we’d love to see you there. We’re keeping this event casual and intimate so that everyone gets a chance to really connect. There are only a few tickets left, so check out the menu and grab yours here!

Xx

Giovanna

Strawberry-Tahini Milkshake {dairy-free}

While I prepare pumpkin everything for my upcoming fall brunch club, I'm also still holding on to summer for as long as I can. When strawberry season was at it's peak, I loaded up on them every time I visited the farmers market and froze them so I could later use them for delicious recipes such as my simple strawberry-matcha sorbet and this milkshake/smoothie I'm about to share with you.

I just love using strawberries in my smoothies since they give it just enough sweetness and add anti-inflammatory and skin nourishing properties. Tahini also provides tons of health properties. It is made out of sesame seeds, which are an excellent source of copper, selenium, manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and fiber. All these minerals are important for many functions of the body, but especially nourish the skin, bones, and aid with PMS. Tahini is also a great source of plant-based protein, which stabilizes blood sugar and will leave you feeling satisfied.

I hope you enjoy this taste of summer as we move into the chillier days. Perfect for breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups frozen strawberries

2 Tablespoons tahini

1 cup coconut milk (or any nut milk of choice)

1 teaspoon raw maca powder, optional

1/2 teaspoon ground vanilla bean

1 drop vanilla stevia (I use Omica Organics brand) or 1 teaspoon raw honey

Pinch of cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

Procedure

1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Top with toppings of choice: shredded coconut, bee pollen, sliced strawberries, cinnamon

Serves 1

Enjoy! x