Lavender not only classes lemonade up and gives it a smooth finish, it renders it’s soothing, stress-relieving properties to de-frazzle the nerves. This soft purply herb has a very strong flavor, so all you have to do is drop a bouquet of it into a jar of lemonade and it will infuse beautifully. If you don’t have access to fresh lavender, simply use one of those reusable tea bags, fill it with dried lavender, and place into the recipe.
Place all ingredients except lavender in a blender (you’ll get the smoothest results from a high-speed blender like a vita-mix). Blend on hight for 45-60 seconds. Pour into a pitcher or a 2-quart mason jar.
Use cooking twine to tie together the lavender. Drop into the lemonade & allow it to steep a few minutes before serving. The longer it steeps, the stronger the flavor gets. Once the lemonade is gone, you may tie up the lavender in cheese cloth (pictured below) and place it in the tub to bless the next bather with a soothing, fragrant bath.
This smoothie tastes like summertime itself. Freeze any smoothie leftovers in popsicle moulds for a refreshing treat later on.
Place all ingredients in blender (you will get smoother results in a high-speed blender like a vita-mix). Blend on high for about a minute or until it’s smooth enough to your liking. Serve and enjoy!
Rhubarb is one of my favorite spring vegetables with its pretty pink stalks and tart flavor. To preserve that wonderful flavor all year long, I usually make a rhubarb nectar that can be drank in place of lemonade or added to yogurt for a quick and refreshing drink. Be sure to use safe canning pracites when canning this recipe.
Zest the lemons and oranges. Juice the lemons and oranges.
Place the zest, fruit juice, and rhubarb to a pot.
Add enough water to barely cover the rhubarb.
Boil the rhubarb on medium high heat until the rhubarb is very soft and falling apart when picked up with a spoon, about 30 minutes.
Strain the rhubarb and zest.
Place the rhubarb nectar back in the pot and add the honey.
Bring the nectar to a boil
Place the rhubarb nectar is hot, sterile jars leaving ¼” headspace.
Add lids to the jars that have been sitting in a pot of hit simmering water. Add the second piece of the lid and tighten the lids.
Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes.
To serve, use 1 part nectar to 4 parts water.
I make these wonderful smoothie enhancers when my spring and fall garden is filled to the brim with mild green lettuces, broccoli raab, fennel fonds, and spinach.
Place the greens and water in a blender, food processor, or in a wide mouth mason jar for an immersion blender.
Finely chop the greens with your choice appliance.
Fill the ice cube tray with greens. Add any excess water to the green filled cubes. Adding the excess water will allow you to remove the green cubes easier from the ice cube tray.
Freeze over-night.
Remove the green cubes from the ice cube tray and move to an air tight container in the freezer or toss in any smoothie that you want to add extra flavor and vitamins to.
This is a super fast, super delicious smoothie that also travels well, and is a great choice when you need to run out the door! Creamy, smooth, and slightly tangy from the yogurt, it is a refreshing treat on a hot day!
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour in a glass or jar and enjoy!
Editor’s Note: While some may feel okay about using orange juice concentrate, you should be aware that flavorings are almost always added to bottled and frozen orange juices. They reason for this is to make every batch taste exactly the same and also to make the orange juice taste palatable because it has been stored in holding tanks and had the oxygen removed to make it last longer. The removal of oxygen makes the juice flavorless and flavors need to be added back to it, this can be done chemically or “naturally.” It’s best just to stick with juice you make yourself, so you know exactly what you’re getting.
Just in time for the hot days of summer, here is a simple way to make a quantity of “Sun Tea” to enjoy! Peppermint is particularly refreshing and has many health benefits.
Pour the water into a clear glass jar.
Place the peppermint in a small muslin bag or a square of muslin, and tie it shut.
Put the bag of peppermint into the water and cover the jar.
Set the jar outside in the sunlight and leave it there for 4 or 5 hours, depending on how concentrated you wish it to be.
Remove the peppermint packet and pour your tea into a container to keep in the refrigerator. Add 1/8 teaspoon stevia and stir to dissolve. Refrigerate.
Serve over ice!
This is a tasty way to enjoy probiotic-rich milk kefir. These can be frozen into popsicles, too.
Put all ingredients in the order listed in blender. Blend on high for 45-60 seconds, or until smooth.
A twist on the classic orange julius recipe made with raw milk and fresh oranges. With a little bit of raw honey, fresh ginger and chia seeds, this smoothie is transformed into the ideal post-workout recovery drink.
Peel and slice 2 navel oranges, and chop fresh ginger.
In a blender, add the chopped oranges, 2 tablespoons chopped ginger, 1 cup raw milk or dairy-free homemade nut milk of choice, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons raw honey, 2 tablespoons chia seeds and 1/2 cup of ice cubs, and blend for 30 seconds to crush ice, and liquefy. If you wish, add the egg yolks and blend to incorporate.
Drink and be merry!
I love beet kvass, but getting my family to drink it is an ordeal. Beet Kvass is known for it’s medicinal qualities and also provides beneficial bacteria to the gut. This green smoothie is a great way to get it into them along with some greens. This smoothie is more like a juice as far as consistency and is completely dairy-free. I serve this type of smoothie alongside a nourishing egg breakfast. It is not filling enough to use as a meal replacement.
Rinse spinach well.
Blend water, kvass and spinach until thoroughly combined. This creates a smoother smoothie by blending the greens first.
Add the frozen berries, cinnamon and optional honey. Blend until smooth and frothy. Skim off the foam or allow to settle before drinking. I kinda like it, personally. 🙂
A naturally sparkling, lactofermented beverage made with sweet carrots and ginger. Adding a second fermentation makes it even extra tasty!
Place carrots in a quart sized mason jar. Add salt, whey and water. Cover tightly and shake to dissolve salt. Loosen cover and let set at room temperature 3-5 days. Strain out carrot solids, squeezing out the juice. Refrigerate. Save solids for baking or soups. Reserve some liquid and use in place of whey to inoculate future batches.
Optional Second Ferment
I found doing an optional second ferment makes it much tastier and effervescent. Once you’ve strained the kvass, pour into flip top bottles or a mason jar, about 2/3 full. Add juice to top it off. Seal tightly and leave at room temp for another 8-12 hours. Remove to cold storage. I made one with apple and one with carrot juice. Both are great.
Beet kvass that actually tastes good? Is it even possible?! I’ve been determined to make a beet kvass that I not only can drink but actually like. I think I found it thanks to Jenny from Nourished Kitchen’s Fermented Beets with Orange and Ginger. I thought I would add orange zest and ginger slices to my normal beet kvass recipe. That is exactly what was needed. It tastes great as is but add a second fermentation with orange or apple juice for some extra yum!
Place beets, ginger, orange (zest and juice), salt and culture in a 1 gallon jar. Top with filtered water and cover loosely. Let set at room temperature for 3 days. Strain and bottle the rich red liquid. Use strained beets again for another batch.
For a second fermentation, fill air tight bottles like these flip top bottles, about 3/4 full. Fill the rest of the way with orange juice (apple juice is great too) cover tightly and set 12-24 hrs at room temp. Move to fridge and enjoy!
Refreshing and re-hydrating drink for hot summer days or when you’re feeling a little run down. Tastes great after a hard workout or strenuous day.
There are two ways to prepare this drink, depending on your preference:
1. Chop the cucumber and parsley and add to a quart jar.
Add the stevia, coconut water, lemon juice, and ice.
With a tight fitting lid, shake vigorously until combined.
Serve immediately.
(When you get done with the beverage, you’ll have a fresh little salad in the bottom of your glass. Some people might think this is weird, but it tastes great!)
2. In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend to desired consistency.