Purple Paradise Smoothie

I went to lunch with a girlfriend at an amazing smoothie cafe the other day. From the first sip of my smoothie, I was wondering where this place had been all my life. A-ma-zing! They have every kind of smoothie you can imagine. Everything from super health nut smoothies with spinach, kale, whey protein, you name it … to fruity smoothies … to peanut butter cup smoothies (and everything in between). I haven’t tried them all, but the ones I’ve had were on the fruity end of the spectrum and were creamy, luscious and oh so flavorful.

As much as I love this little smoothie paradise that’s just minutes from my front door, my wallet can’t handle this new found craving. It’s like having a Starbucks around the corner when you suddenly realize you’re a coffee drinker. The only solution was to master a make-at-home version, so that’s just what I did. Meet the Purple Paradise Smoothie, my new best friend. It’s got blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and the richest purple color. Gorgeous.

Oh, and it turns out the littles are big fans, too. Don’t you just love his purple mustache?! (It’s cuter as a mustache than it is on his shirt!)

Purple Paradise Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 banana, peeled
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Makes 2 large smoothies.

TV Interviews + Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joes

I have been traveling a little bit lately. Not a ton, but just enough to scratch the itch of getting out of town for a while and being around some amazing, brilliant people (and great friends, too!). I couldn’t pass up the opportunity last week to travel to Florida to tape an interview with The Balancing Act on Lifetime Network. The host, Julie Moran, asked me all kinds of questions about food, farming and GMOs.

Kelsey Pope, a rancher from Colorado, also did an interview about her ranch and how they care for their cattle. I hadn’t met Kelsey before, but was so impressed with her and loved hearing about her ranch. I’m thinking a trip to Colorado for a nice, juicy steak on her ranch might be in order.

Working from home and around the farm these days doesn’t lend itself to getting dolled up much anymore, so having someone do my hair and makeup was an added bonus! After the interview, Julie Moran gave us a tour of her dressing room and wardrobe collection. If she wasn’t an itty bitty size 2, I might have asked to borrow something. Kidding (kind of).

My interview is scheduled to air on Lifetime Network in April and Kelsey’s will be on in May. I’ll let you know when the exact dates are set.

When I’m gone, I try to make things at home as easy as possible. And I try not to travel during the crazy busy times on the farm (like planting and harvest). It’s not that the hubby can’t handle it. It’s just that kid duties, house duties and farm duties are a bit much for one person. I make sure the fridge is well stocked and that there are a few easy, kid-friendly meals ready to go (that do not include PB&J and mac and cheese!).

Before I took off last week, I whipped up a batch of my sister-in-law’s sloppy joes. (I changed up the recipe a bit, but the base is her recipe.) The kids like them, they keep in the fridge (or freezer) well, and can easily be used in a taco salad or other recipe that calls for flavored ground beef. I had a few packages of ground beef from a local farmer in the freezer, which was an added bonus.

Here’s the recipe:

Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joes

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons vinegar

In large skillet, brown ground beef. Drain. Add onions. In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Add to ground beef. Cover and cook on low for one hour. Serve over toasted buns.

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Purple Paradise Smoothie

TV Interviews + Kid-Friendly Sloppy Joes

New York City Media Tour + Oyster Cornbread Stuffing