The Six O'Clock Scramble LLC. All rights reserved.

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1 y h t l a 10 He E I H T O O M S ecipes R d n a s e i d o B r u O p e to Ke d e z i g r e n E s n i a r B

2 Why SMOOTHIES? Maybe it s because I drank them so often when I was pregnant, but for whatever reason, our kids, Solomon and Celia, have always liked making and drinking smoothies. I ve always loved them, too, because not only are they filling and refreshing, but, we can squeeze so much nutrition into one glass by making a smoothie - sometimes 4 servings of fruits and vegetables plus other extremely healthy add-ins! Last year, our life changed for the better when we got a Vitamix blender. [Disclosure: I received a Vitamix blender for free from the company at the time, but now that I ve had it for over a year, I would absolutely invest in one myself. All the opinions expressed about the blender are my own.] I had cycled through several blenders, even an expensive one before the Vitamix, but none of them were strong enough to really make our smoothies smooth enough, and to easily grind vegetables, nuts and seeds into the mix without leaving them seedy or chunky. My other pricey one had leaking problems that made the whole blender smell bad, was a pain to clean, and generally drove me nuts. At the same time, our son Solomon, who is 16, became very interested in good nutrition and staying in shape for the sports he plays, so he was a very eager participant in creating and testing new smoothie concoctions with me. Now that we have such a simple and powerful blender that s also easy to clean, our smoothies have reached a whole new level in terms of frequency, creativity and nutrition. We now add nuts, seeds, whole vegetables and greens, and just enough fruit to make them taste great. Making them takes 5 minutes or less and cleaning the blender takes a minute, if that, so it s not a big investment of time.

3 I know my family has a healthy dinner because I usually make it. However, when they are out of the house, I don t know exactly what they are eating and I m pretty certain they aren t always getting enough fruits and vegetables, which I believe are the most important component of a healthy diet. So when I make a smoothie for my kids after school or for my husband Andrew to tide him over until dinner is ready, I know I am fortifying them with superior nutrition to keep them strong and healthy. Smoothies are an excellent and easy way to help your family get their 5 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day (nuts and seeds count too). Depending on the palates of your kids (or partner), you may want to start small and sweet by making your smoothies mostly fruit and yogurt or kefir and juice, and adding perhaps a handful of spinach or kale. Then you can try adding a carrot or some almond butter. As your family becomes more adventurous, they may be interested in knowing how many servings of fruits and veggies are in each glass and helping you concoct new recipes and combinations. Like most things regarding nutrition, it s an evolution. In terms of calories, smoothies fall somewhere between a hearty snack and a meal, so if you are watching your weight, you may want to keep your smoothie serving size to 8 oz. and drink it in place of a snack you would normally have. Or, have a bigger serving and make it count as breakfast or lunch. Smoothies are a great way to use up extra fruits and vegetables in your refrigerator, but I also recommend keeping a good stockpile of frozen fruit to add to them. If you can afford to make some or all of the ingredients organic, I believe it s a healthier and more environmentally forward-thinking way to eat (and drink). I hope you enjoy our smoothie creations as much as we do and that you ll use these recipes and the build-your-own-smoothie chart as guidelines and get creative with your own recipes. If you make anything delicious that you think we should try, please share it with me on Facebook at facebook.com/thesixoclockscramble or on Twitter at twitter.com/thescramble or via at aviva@thscramble.com. CHEERS (and drink up)! Aviva Special thanks to photographers Linda Wolpert and Kirsten Wisniakowski and to designer Kendra Cagle of 5 Lakes Design.

4 Build your Own SMOOTHIE ADD Fruit START WITH Liquid 1/2 1 cup per serving, depending on how thick you like it: Filtered water 100% juice (orange, pomegranate, pineapple, grape, apple cider) Kefir Almond milk Coconut water Coconut milk Cow or goat milk Green or ginger tea (brewed) Ice (use in addition to one of the other liquids) ADD Vegetables choose 1 or 2, about 1 cup total per serving: Greens (kale, spinach, chard) Carrots Beets Cucumber Celery Zucchini or yellow squash fresh or frozen choose 1 or 2, about 1 cup total per serving: Bananas Peaches/Apricots/Nectarines Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.) Dates Mango Pineapple Apples Kiwis Watermelon or other melon Grapes Oranges Dried Goji berries MAKE IT Creamy BOOST THE Flavor and nutrition: Lemon/Lime (no need to peel if you have a powerful blender, use about 1/16 of a lemon per serving) Fresh peeled ginger (1 small slice per serving) Fresh herbs (basil, mint, cilantro, parsley) (1 small handful per serving) Unsweetened cocoa powder or cocoa nibs (1 tsp. per serving) Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cayenne pepper or other dried herb or spice (1/8 tsp. per serving or less) choose 1 or 2, about 1 cup total per serving: Kefir (1/8 1/2 cup per serving) Avocado (1/8 cup per serving) Silken Tofu (1/4 cup per serving) Coconut milk or coconut water (1/8 1/2 cup per serving) Whey powder (1 scoop per serving, or 2 4 Tbsp.) Almond milk (1/8 1/2 cup per serving) Bananas, preferably halved and frozen (1/2 per serving) Protein POWER HARD CORE Nutrition Add ins Orange or lemon flavored fish oil (1 tsp. per serving) Chia or flax seeds (1 Tbsp. per serving) Shredded coconut (1 Tbsp. per serving) Oats (1 Tbsp. per serving) Veggie/Green powder (1/2 1 scoop per serving) Peanut, almond or sunflower butter (1 Tbsp. per serving) Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews (add whole if you have a powerful blender) (1 2 Tbsp. per serving) Whey protein powder (1 scoop per serving, or 2 4 Tbsp.) Chia or flax seeds (1 Tbsp. per serving) Sunflower or Pumpkin Seeds (unsalted, 1 Tbsp. per serving) Silken Tofu (1/4 cup per serving) 2012 The Six O'Clock Scramble LLC. All rights reserved.

5 1. Mean Green Smoothie Incredible Hulk Power Smoothie Over the holidays, I let my normally healthy diet go off the rails a bit. I may have indulged in a few too many cookies, cocktails, scones and fried latkes. But the holiday season is officially over, it s a new year, and probably like you, I m ready to get back to good nutrition and moderation and to fit a little more easily into my favorite jeans. I m also ready for my family to get back to healthy meals and snacks after too many treats in December. So I m starting the first day of the year with a healthy green smoothie for the whole family to try to clear out those sugar cravings and power up our bodies with vitamins, antioxidants, fiber and calcium. Even though this smoothie is green, which may be off-putting at first to some family members, it s plenty sweet and creamy from the fruit and yogurt. Adding greens like kale or spinach to smoothies gives them added nutrition and doesn t affect the flavor nearly as much as you might think you really can t taste the greens. You can add a cup of blueberries or raspberries, but they will change the color of the drink to more of a purplish-brown. If you are not familiar with chia seeds, they are derived from a desert plant in Mexico called Salvia Hispanica, known to be the primary source of fuel for the Tarahumara long distance runners in Northern Mexico. They are a wonderful and easily digestible source of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, and they also tend to keep you full between meals. To encourage your skeptical kids to try a green smoothie, you may want to tell them it s an Incredible Hulk Green Shake or Popeye Power Smoothie. Some other creative name ideas suggested by some parents on my Facebook page are Witches Brew, Monster Slime, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Shake, Mean Green Muscle Machine, The Green Monster, or Lucky Leprechaun try whatever you think will strike your kids fancy. Whatever you call it, it s a creamy, refreshing and oh-so-nutritious way to start the year! 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 1 cup low fat fruit flavored kefir or vanilla yogurt 2 cups kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped or ripped 1 cup fresh spinach ½ avocado, to make it creamier and more filling (optional) 1 banana, fresh or frozen (I always break bananas in half before freezing for easier blending) 1 apple, cored and coarsely chopped (no need to peel) 1 cup ice 1 Tbsp. chia seeds Calories 193 Total Fat 5g, 7% Saturated Fat 1g, 4.5% Cholesterol: 3mg, 1% Sodium 64mg, 2.5% Total Carbohydrate 35g, 11.5% Dietary Fiber 6g, 21.5% Sugar 22g Protein 6g

6 2. Super Foods Smoothie My son Solomon and I decided to make a smoothie out of all the super foods we could think of amazingly we had all of these in our kitchen. (Bananas aren t really a super food, but they make the smoothie taste better.) 1 ½ cups pomegranate juice 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen 2 cups kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped or ripped ½ cup walnuts 1 ½ bananas, fresh or frozen ¼ cup dried goji berries, or use dried cranberries 3 Tbsp. chia seeds 3 Tbsp. cocoa nibs, or 1 ½ Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 2 cups ice Calories 342 Total Fat 12g 18.5% Saturated Fat 3g, 14% Cholesterol 0mg, 0% Sodium 41mg, 1.5% Total Carbohydrate 55.5g, 18.5% Dietary Fiber 10g, 39% Sugar 27.5g Protein 8g 3. Donut Detox After a weekend of over-indulging in the most delicious fresh cinnamon donuts at Hotel Monaco in Philadelphia, we felt the need to reset our health with this healthy concoction. ½ cup low fat plain or fruit flavored kefir ½ cup unsweetened almond milk ½ cup orange juice, preferably fresh squeezed 1 orange, peeled 2 stalks celery, cut into thirds 3 kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped or ripped 1 banana, fresh or frozen 1 cup frozen strawberries ½ cucumber, cut into thirds 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 1 cup ice Calories 145 Total Fat 3g, 4.5% Saturated Fat 0.5g, 1.5% Cholesterol 0mg, 0% Sodium 36.5mg, 1.5% Total Carbohydrate 41g,13.5% Dietary Fiber 8g, 32% Sugar 14.5g Protein 6g

7 4. Creamy Green Citrus Dream This smoothie is light, cool and refreshing, and if you close your eyes while you sip it, the tropical flavors may momentarily transport you to sunny island beach. 1 cup orange juice, preferably fresh squeezed 1 cup low fat plain or fruit flavored kefir, or use unsweetened almond milk 1 cucumber, cut into thirds ½ avocado ½ lime, with skin 4 kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped or ripped 1 cup frozen mango Calories 135 Total Fat 3.5g, 5.4% Saturated Fat 1g, 4% Cholesterol 0mg, 0% Sodium 12mg, 0.5% Total Carbohydrate 52.5g, 17.5% Dietary Fiber 6g, 24% Sugar 17g Protein 4.5g 5. Pink Power Punch Adding beets and watermelon to smoothies gives them a little sweetness, a nutritional boost, and a gorgeous bright pink color. 1 beet, raw or cooked, quartered 1 cup low fat strawberry kefir 1 cup frozen strawberries 2 cups watermelon (1 large wedge) 1 carrot, cut into thirds 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 1 cup filtered water or ice Calories 152 Total Fat 4.5g, 7% Saturated Fat 1g, 4% Cholesterol 2.5mg, 1% Sodium 64.5mg, 2.5% Total Carbohydrate 22.5g, 7.5% Dietary Fiber 7g, 27% Sugar 14g Protein 6.5g

8 6. Four-Veggie Blast This one s a little tart but even with all those veggies, it turns out dark pink and very drinkable. Cut the tartness with the optional sweetener, if desired. 1 banana, fresh or frozen 1 cup low fat plain or fruit flavored kefir 1 cup filtered water 2 Tbsp. chia seeds 1 carrot, cut into thirds 1 stalk celery, cut into thirds 1 cucumber, cut into thirds 1/2 cup kale leaves, stemmed and coarsely chopped or ripped 2 cups frozen mixed berries handful of fresh mint 1 Tbsp. honey or maple syrup or 1 date (optional) Calories 200 Total Fat 4.5g, 7% Saturated Fat 1g, 4% Cholesterol 0mg, 0% Sodium 37mg, 1.5% Total Carbohydrate 63g, 21% Dietary Fiber 12.5g, 50% Sugar 20.5g Protein 6.5g

9 7. The Psycho Monkey One of my kids favorite after school snacks is a Monkey Milkshake, where I combine milk, frozen bananas, peanut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder and a dash of cinnamon. Here I stepped it up a little by using cocoa nibs (which are unsweetened bits of roasted cacao beans), chia seeds and coconut. 1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk ½ cup ice ½ cup filtered water 2 frozen bananas 2 Tbsp. natural peanut butter ¼ cup cocoa nibs, or use 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon 1 Tbsp. chia seeds Calories 241 Total Fat 13.5g, 21% Saturated Fat 7g, 34% Cholesterol 0mg, 0% Sodium 38mg, 1.5% Total Carbohydrate 24g, 8% Dietary Fiber 5g, 19.5% Sugar 9.5g Protein 6g 8. Lightweight Smoothie This is an ideal smoothie for beginners who aren t quite up for green smoothies yet. 1 cup low fat strawberry kefir 1 banana, fresh or frozen 1 apricot or peach, pitted 1 carrot, cut into thirds 1 cup ice Calories 155 Total Fat 1.5g, 2% Saturated Fat 1g, 4.5% Cholesterol 5mg, 1.5% Sodium 89mg, 3.5% Total Carbohydrate 31g, 10.5% Dietary Fiber 3g, 12.5% Sugar 21.5g Protein 7g

10 9. Cucumber Lime Elation If you have a powerful blender, you can add thick skinned fruit like limes, clementines and kiwis to the smoothie without peeling them first, and they may have extra health benefits this way. 2 cups low fat strawberry or raspberry kefir, or use almond milk 1 small cucumber, cut into thirds 1 mango, preferably frozen 1 frozen banana or avocado juice of 1 lime handful of fresh basil handful of fresh mint (optional additions: 1 Tbsp. chia seeds, a few slices of fresh ginger) Blend all ingredients until smooth and serve Calories 148 Total Fat 1g, 1% Saturated Fat 1g, 4.5% Cholesterol 5mg, 1.5% Sodium 66mg, 3% Total Carbohydrate 30g, 10% Dietary Fiber 2.5g, 10% Sugar 22.5g Protein 7g 10. Chocolate Cherry Chia Smoothie This healthy smoothie tastes a little bit like chocolate covered cherries, which are one of my favorite treats. But it s got plenty of protein, vitamins and fiber, and can be enjoyed as a dessert or a snack. 1 cup almond, soy or cow s milk 1 scoop chocolate whey powder or chocolate flavored protein powder (sold at Trader Joe s and health food stores), or use 2 Tbsp. chocolate syrup and 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups frozen cherries 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or ground flax seeds Calories 240 Total Fat 5.5g, 8.5% Saturated Fat 1g, 3.75% Cholesterol 15mg, 5% Sodium 104mg, 4.5 Total Carbohydrate 34.5g,11.5% Dietary Fiber 6.5g, 25.5%,