So, I Made Homemade Mayo....

I admit that I've fallen off significantly from my little health and fitness kick I was on last year. After feeling like a lazy slob and with a renewed desire for bikini-worthy abs, I'm slowly but surely easing back into it. To start, I need to get back into eating healthier. That doesn't mean I'm gonna become a vegan or anything (because lord knows I love a good sausage, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich) but the least I can do is start making healthier choices in my diet.

I was over on a website/blog called 100 Days of Real food started by a mom who took the challenge with her family to cut out processed foods for 100 days. That's a bit much for me and I know I couldn't just jump into it. They also have a 10 day challenge which I may start at a later date. For now, the idea of slowly cutting out processed foods appealed to me.

My homemade mayo. I think it looks pretty good.

I've never been one to read labels but you'd be surprised at all the extra crap in everyday food. Things like mayonnaise for example. Anyway, long story short I was inspired to try to make my own mayonnaise and the results were pretty good. This is the recipe I used ---> click here.

I only had two real issues with my results. At first it came out more like a creamy salad dressing than a mayo but after being in the fridge a couple of nights the consistency is more like real mayonnaise. I also don't care for the olive oil taste. It's a bit strong for me so next time I'll either add a bit less or use a different type of oil (some have suggested grape seed.) Try it for yourself and enjoy!

And again....yum!

Banana Pancakes Recipe

This is a simple, 2 ingredient recipe once again from blogilates.com. I tried it for the first time this morning and it was really good and also super easy to make. Give it a try for yourself!

Here's how mine turned out (I promise they taste better than they look lol)....

                               

Banana-Pineapple Smoothie

This should be pretty brief but as I said it my last post I have two favorite smoothie recipes that I really like so far. Again, the recipe doesn't include measurements so I'm just going to tell you what I put in to give you a basic idea. Honestly the only thing different from this recipe and the previous one is the use of bananas instead of strawberries. If done correctly, this smoothie tastes like a virgin pina colada. In the future I may add my favorite rum into the mix for a little smoothie party.

                             

Banana-Pineapple Smoothie
-Frozen bananas (I tried using fresh but they ended up going bad from not using them so frozen works better)
-Crushed pineapple
-Coconut manna
-Goat's milk yogurt
-Vanilla extract (again, a little goes a long way)
-Honey
-Kale

Frozen bananas....

                                                

Looks gross I know lol. Yogurt, kale, pineapple, bananas on the bottom.

                           

And there you have it, one of my favorite smoothie recipes. Enjoy!

My Favorite Smoothie Recipes

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've started making my own fruit smoothies at home as a way to try to add some healthiness to my diet. Lord knows I don't eat anywhere near the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables each day. Right now I'm sticking with fruit but maybe someday I'll branch out into vegetables or mixing the two together. I haven't decided yet but we'll see.

                           

Let me preface this by saying that I never measure anything with my smoothies (or cooking in general for that matter) so I'm just going to give you the ingredients I use and a general idea of weather it's a good amount or just a pinch. Personally, I'd say to just add things based on your personal taste and preference. That seems to work well for me. After a bit of trial and error I've found two smoothie recipes that will be my staples. To be honest I haven't tried very many varieties and mixtures but I'd rather just stick with what I know I like for now. Check them out below:

Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie
-Frozen strawberries (you can use fresh if you want)
-Crushed pineapple (I prefer to just buy cans and put the leftovers in the refrigerator)
-Goats' Milk Vanilla Yogurt (you read right, goat's milk...it's actually pretty tasty)
-Coconut Manna (after melting it I add a few tablespoons)
-Kale (I just take a few leaves and break them up into the mix)
-Vanilla Extract (less is more so I'd say no more than a teaspoon)
-Honey (no idea how much, just let it drip for a bit)

Coconut manna and goats' milk yogurt both bought from Whole Foods.

                                   

Like I said, I never measure anything. Just use your best judgement. Blend and taste test until you get your desired results.

Stay tuned for my other favorite smoothie recipe in the next post!