'How is Claire not the size of a house?' That question was posed to one of my friends by a friend of hers who reads my blog. With the number of sweet and somewhat naughty recipes I post here you'd be forgiven for thinking I was enormous. You know I'm very anti-diet and believe that food is something to be enjoyed not feel guilty about but having said that, I don't eat cake all day every day.
They key is balance or as Nigella says 'everything in moderation, even moderation.' I exercise nearly every day, just a long walk, sometimes run if I feel like it, nothing hard-core and I start most mornings with a super healthy smoothie. I haven't shared a recipe before because for one, they're a really gross colour and two if you saw the ingredients you might be a little disgusted and I don't really follow a recipe either, it's more a throw-it-all-in thing.
I thought I probably should start sharing the healthy things I eat too just so you don't think I'm a sugar feind so I am going to start experimenting with breakfast smoothies. First off the mark is a raspberry and almond smoothie. The original recipe is made with almond milk but considering almond milk is pretty much almonds and water, I broke it down to its roots and added whole raw almonds.
I am lucky enough to have a super duper Vita-mix blender that can pulverize whole nuts in a few seconds but if yours is a little less powerful, you might want to use almond milk instead. Once you've blended everything together it's best to taste it. My raspberries were quite sour so I added a little extra honey to sweeten them.
If you like it quite runny so you can drink it through a straw, add a little extra water. I like mine nice and thick so I can eat it like gelato so I add less liquid. It's a simple, healthy and very tasty way to start the day and balance out any naughty little treats you might have later. Enjoy!
What about you? What do you usually have for breakfast?
Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g frozen raspberries
- ½ cup raw almonds
- 2 cups cold water
- 2 tablespoon rolled oats
- 2 tablespoon honey plus extra to drizzle
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth.
- Serve immediately.
The Food Sage says
I had to laugh when i read your first line. My mam used to describe people as being "the size of a house", or like "the back end of a bus" - and my sister and i still pepper our conversation with those phrases today, even though we're both quite small. I've also just made myself a "Green Juice" using chlorophyll using the Thermomix that i am trialling for a review - so feeling healthy, too. I'll try to find time to try our your smoothie recipe before the machine is picked up on Thursday. Thanks for sharing!
Claire says
That sounds super healthy! I'd be interested to see what you think of the Thermo mix. I've heard great things!
The Café Sucré Farine says
You're so right Claire, moderation and balance are hugely important, especially when you're running a blog. Love your smoothy, I also love the ones with cucumber, spinach, etc but true, they aren't always the prettiest color!
Claire says
Nope not usually pretty at all. Mine is quite often an army green verging on brown color.
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
This sounds really good. You couldn't possibly eat only the rich food you share on your blog because you're slender and fit so I knew you were sneaking in healthy stuff. :)
Claire says
Haha why thank you Maureen!
celia says
It sounds healthy AND delicious, Claire! Gorgeous colour too! :)
Claire says
It's much nicer looking than my usual Celia!
Hotly Spiced says
I always start the day with an almond milk smoothie too but our recipes are different! I use almond milk and add bananas and frozen raspberries and blueberries too. It's a great way to start the day and I feel like I'm doing the right thing (but I did have bacon and eggs this morning!) xx
Claire says
I usually add a whole lot of different fruit and veges Charlie depending what I have in the freezer. It's always a different concoction.
Kirsty @ The Natural Foodie says
I get that question a lot too! I guess if you follow me on Instagram it might seem like I'm ALWAYS eating, but it's mostly healthy too!. I LOVE Almond smoothies and I am so super jealous you have a Vitamix... I'm tossing up between that or a dehydrator for my next kitchen purchase - there's way too many options and not enough money (or storage space) in my case.
Your smoothie looks and sounds pretty great!
Claire says
Get the blender Kirsty! It's brilliant. I sympathise with you on the space issue. My poor bench has been overtaken by appliances.