Smoothie Recipes

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder: Delicious, Nutritious, and So Easy to Enjoy (Review)

August 6, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder

I have an extraordinary new discovery in my world of smoothies, shakes, and smoothie bowls, but first a few words about why this “world” exists in the first place. I have always loved smoothies – even BEFORE “green smoothies” became a thing. When smoothies took off in popularity years back, I kept thinking, “What? Y’all are just now discovering smoothies? Where have you been?”

I can be pretty judgmental when it comes to such things.

For as long as I can remember, a smoothie is as big a part of my mornings as coffee and cats. I love the convenience, the taste, and the ease of digestion after my digestive tract’s long night off. With both Celiac and a hiatal hernia, I like to make things as simple on my insides as possible. Keeps all of us happy.

I made a few adjustments to my smoothie ingredients a few years back when a little thing called a pandemic blindsided all of us and reminded us that our health is not something to be taken for granted or something to be taken lightly.

Yes… absolutely anyone can get covid (or the flu or cancer…) BUT the healthier we are going IN greatly determines the story we have to tell when we come OUT. Healthier individuals and those with their weight under control simply fare better with diseases – in fact, many diseases won’t even show up on their doorstep. I switched from regular milk to using either almond or coconut milk and began experimenting with healthier forms of sweetening. I also began adding healthy ingredients into the smoothie and found that flaxseed and chia seeds are as delicious as they are healthy.

Not even diseases, truth be told. How about falls and other injuries? I hate to brag but I’m a ridiculously accident-prone individual. My best guess is that it’s because I mind and feet go 99 mph, regardless of the speed zone. Last summer, on a rainy afternoon, I fell on a slope while feeding my outside cats. I happened to fall on my ribs on the edge of a steel bowl. The bowl didn’t give an inch and one of my sons-in-law and I could literally HEAR my ribs crack.

Accidents happen all the time in life (I mean, I don’t hog ALL of them), and like facing down diseases from the common cold to cancer, the odds of winning GREATLY swing in our favor when we are as close to “fighting shape” as we can get.

We’re all human, we can all get sick – even athletes get sick – but think of it as a zombie attack. If zombies attack a particular town (before you laugh, consider the news headlines we read every day!), who are the individuals that stand the best chance of surviving?

The ones who can run away (preferably without falling and cracking their ribs)! If thinking about diseases and falls don’t inspire you, maybe the brain eaters will. I’ll try anything to keep you healthy.

When I was contacted about trying one of the Naked Shake Vegan Protein Powders in exchange for telling y’all about it, I jumped at the chance (and, no, I didn’t fall down). As a card-carrying chocoholic, I chose the chocolate flavor to review.

(Review Continued Below…)

Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder Smoothie with Oat Milk

I have enjoyed using Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder in smoothies and smoothie bowls (simply thicker versions of smoothies with your nuts, fruit, and seeds alongside the goodness rather than blended in). I’ve used coconut milk, almond milk, and oat milk and honestly can’t decide which one is best.

While 12 oz of the milk of your choice and one scoop of the protein powder is easy enough in a blender, it’s especially simple if you have a blender bottle (Amazon link) – I mean, really, does it get any simpler than pouring in the milk, adding a scoop of chocolate goodness, shaking it like you’re on American Bandstand (just aged myself, didn’t I??), and getting on with your day?

If you go the blender route, you’ll find that it’s a lot of fun experimenting with ingredients – though, make NO mistake about it, there’s plenty of chocolate deliciousness without adding anything. I love adding a tablespoon of almond butter or peanut butter, especially when I’m making smoothie bowls.

(Review Wrapped Up Below…)

Blender Bottle

While, as a cook and foodie, I’m concentrating primarily on the fun and deliciousness of the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder, I do want to emphasize the best thing about this product is the fact that it contains ONLY the necessary ingredients – simple ingredients. Pure ingredients. Healthy ingredients. There are no artificial sweeteners or additives. It is gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free, and vegan… so it is about as easy to digest as it gets.

I could go into further detail about the purity of the ingredients and the health benefits of Naked Nutrition products, but frankly.. I’d rather get you on their website for yourself! I very much want you to see their story and to see how they can greatly benefit your story.

Where can you buy Naked Shake?

You can find the wonderful Naked Shake products (as well as all of the Naked Nutrition products) on their website, in many stores (including Wal-Mart and Target), and Amazon (Amazon link).

Here are a few pages of their website I know you’ll especially enjoy:

Naked Shake Smoothie Bowl Recipes

Foods that Naturally Increase Collagen (because we all want to look good, right??)

Keto Friendly Collagen Coffee Cake Recipe

Naked Shake Supplements

You’ll find so much information, great articles, and amazing recipes on their website, I hope you’ll visit them right away. And don’t forget to check out my new obsession… the Naked Shake Chocolate Vegan Protein Powder!

**** I’m happily experimenting with different smoothies and smoothie bowl recipes and will add them to the food blog as I hit upon my favorite combinations!

Simple and Easy Strawberry Smoothie with Tofu

February 9, 2022 By Joi Sigers

Strawberry Smoothie with Tofu

I love, love, love smoothies – the the point of being absolutely obsessed with them. Pretty sure my youngest daughter and I are keeping the new smoothie place in town in business all by ourselves.

Of course, it isn’t always convenient to run across town for a great smoothie, so having quick “go to” recipes in your mind, along with the ingredients in your kitchen are MUSTs when you’re a smoothie addict. I always keep frozen fruit, tofu, juices, greens, apples, flaxseed, favorite milks (cashew, coconut, oat..).. and other favorite ingredients on hand.

Thing is, I don’t always WANT an elaborate smoothie any more than I always WANT to make one. That’s why this quick, easy, and deliciously simple smoothie recipe is always in mind and often in the blender.

Simply blend 10-12 frozen (whole) strawberries, 1/2 cup tofu, 1 cup cashew or oat milk, and a couple of tablespoons of sugar (or Stevia, Truvia… sugar replacement of your choice) together. IF you like almond milk, feel perfectly free to use it. I personally don’t care for the way almond milk dominates a conversation in my smoothies (same reason I avoid bananas.. none of the other ingredients can get a word in edgewise!). The dominant tendencies of bananas in smoothies is what led me to falling in love with using tofu in their place.

Tofu allows the strawberries to do all the talking… which (for this strawberry fanatic) is a conversation I’m always up for.

Strawberry Smoothie with Tofu

If you’re as into smoothies as I am, you may want to check out something I recently found on Amazon: PopBabies Portable Blender for Smoothies (Amazon link) – the GORGEOUS Apple Green one is pictured below. They come in many different beautiful colors and I think you’re going to want to order one as much as I do. They’re also really affordable and would make great gifts.

Click the link above or the image below for more information.

PBfit Review: Healthy and Delicious for the Whole Family

October 4, 2018 By Joi Sigers

Delicious PBfit – All Natural, Vegan, and Gluten-Free

While I’m normally the class clown, I want to be somewhat serious for a minute.

I guess that’s somewhat of a benefit to being the person who’s never serious, when you ARE serious, people know it’s… well… serious.

Think back to when you were in grade school. If you’re a parent or grandparent, odds are you have trouble thinking of overweight kids or even teachers. I can, honestly, remember the names of the overweight kids because they were so few.

Today, sadly, things are much, much different. You cannot go to the store, it seems, without seeing precious children who are already dealing with weight as an issue – at an age when they’re only “issue” should be homework or keeping their little brother from snitching on them!

I don’t have to tell you how unhealthy and dangerous carrying extra weight is. I won’t insult your intelligence with any diabetes statistics. You know that there is an epidemic in our country – with children and adults. An epidemic that HAS to be confronted head-on with better nutrition.

Chocolate PBfit Smoothie with Apple and Banana

The problem is… kids have incredible appetites! They’re growing and busier than any self-respecting Type A bee, so that’s only natural. Starving them is most certainly NOT the answer. Fun activities and healthy food are the answers needed and, fortunately, healthy food couldn’t be easier.

I’ll let you in on a little secret, too. It’s delicious! In fact, eating healthy is so delicious – and makes you feel so much better – that the entire family will benefit.

PBfit is one of my family’s newest obsessions and it will surely become one of your family’s as well. With 87% less fat than traditional peanut butter and 1/3 the calories, all natural PBfit makes meals and snacks healthier and even more delicious than ever.

You simply mix a little water with the PBfit mixture and… badabing!… delicious and creamy peanut butter. You only make the amount you need for the moment, so it’s always fresh and fantastic. If you want to add a little chopped peanuts or even a mashed banana, have at it. While the options are endless, it’s never better than when it is in its simplest form – good old fashioned peanut butter.

Chocolate PBfit Peanut Butter

It’s wonderful spread on bread, toast, or English muffins (with or without banana slices – YUM!) but I actually prefer dipping apple slices into the peanut butter. I also love making smoothies with the traditional PBfit as well as the Chocolate PBfit (it makes outstanding peanut butter, too… very reminiscent of Nutella).

When making your favorite smoothie, simply toss in some PBfit for extra protein and flavor. It is absolutely perfect in chocolate and banana smoothies. I usually throw an apple in, too, for good measure.

After all, an apple a day and all that…

There are a lot of excellent sounding PBfit recipes on the official website. I’m slowly but surely going to workmy way through each of them. Seriously, this is outstanding – you are going to love each of these – Chocolate PBfit, Organic PBfit, and the Original PBfit.

Kids will get a huge kick out of “making” their own peanut butter and you’ll never have to let them know how much healthier it is for them. Heck, even I get a kick out of “making” my own peanut butter and my qualification for “kid” expired quite a while back!

Each of the three varieties is IDEAL for smoothies and even milkshakes. They smoothly incorporate into the other ingredients – seemingly even better than traditional peanut butter does. I’ve actually been surprised just how smooth and creamy my smoothies are.

Below is a recipe from PBfit that’s a perfect example of the options when it comes to smoothies.

PBfit & Jelly Smoothie

1 cup frozen blue berries
4 tbsp pbfit
1 scoop vanilla protein
1 tsp low carb sweetener, monk fruit
3/4 cup milk of choice
*** optional, 1 tsp goji berry powder for color added nutrients

Blend and enjoy!

Find more recipes, nutrition information, and a lot more on PBfit.com.

PBfit sent me the samples in the picture above in exchange for telling my readers about their product. They also graciously shared the PBfit & Jelly Smoothie recipe (and photo below) with us. The raving words and opinions are all my own, of course (as are the rest of the pictures). I was blown away by PBfit – I honestly had no idea how delicious it would be, for one thing, or how many different ways it could be used for another.

You can find PBfit in most grocery stores as well as on Amazon (Amazon link). I hope you’ll check it out – you and your family will absolutely love this.

350 Best Vegan Recipes: Great Cookbook for ANYONE, Vegan or Not

February 20, 2017 By Joi Sigers

One of the cookbooks I’m currently getting the most use out of is Deb Roussou’s 350 Best Vegan Recipes (Amazon link).

Am I a vegan? No.

Am I a vegetarian? No.

Am I a vegan half the time? No.

Am I vegetarian half the time? Not so much.

And yet… this is a cookbook that I use regularly for recipes, ideas, and inspiration for my own recipes.

The last part of that, “inspiration for my own recipes” is probably the number one way I use cookbooks. While I almost always make it the way the recipe states first, I do love to take a great recipe for a joy ride and see what wonderful other sights we can see.

I’ll be posting a recipe in a few minutes that’s actually based on one of the smoothie recipes in 350 Best Vegan Recipes (Amazon link). The original “Desert Sunrise” is delicious, as are the other variations I’ve tried. Adding aloe vera juice and sparkling water makes for some out-of-this-world smoothies. As soon as I post the recipe, I’ll come back here and link to it right about here.

Some of the recipes in this cookbook:

Pan-Fried Onion and Potato Hash Browns
Basic Pizza Dough
Quick Cherry Tomato and Pesto Pizza
Manicotti Florentine
Orecchiette Pasta with Eggplant Garlic Sauce
Roasted Red Pepper and Chipotle Dip
Ranch Dressing
Fragrant Rice-Stuffed Peppers
French Onion Soup with Croutons
Lemon Cucumber Tabbouleh
Stacked Green Chile Enchiladas
An a lot more – 350 in all.. and more when you “tinker” with the recipes and create new ones.

While this is not a “gluten-free” cookbook, substitutions are always possible and it’s usually as simple as replacing a regular pasta with a gluten-free pasta. Easy peasy.

350 Best Vegan Recipes (Amazon link) is perfect for anyone’s cookbook collection, because even if you aren’t a vegan or vegetarian and even if you (like me) have zero intention of becoming one (my love for burgers and fish are simply too strong), the healthy, creative, and delicious recipes will add both flavor and nutrition to your meals.

If you ARE a vegan or vegetarian… you’d better go ahead and order this book today because you will love it with all your vegetarian heart.

Raspberry Bliss Smoothie Made Extra Fast (and Tasty) with SlimFast

July 22, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Raspberry Bliss Smoothie - with SlimFast Smoothie and Chia Seeds

As I’ve said before, I am beyond obsessed with raspberries, strawberries, and chia seeds. They don’t just float my boat – they power it, steer it, wash it, own it… At least my obsessions are healthy ones. Although the whole strawberry sundae addiction might raise a few question marks.

As you’d imagine, I try to work the thrillsome threesome into my life as often as possible. My Applesauce Raspberry Parfait recipe is a quick way to get my raspberry and chia seed fix, as is a smoothie I have on a regular basis – my beloved Raspberry Bliss Smoothie. It is, of course, just as delicious with other berries – strawberries, blueberries, blackberries… just use whichever berry is your own personal obsession.

This smoothie all begins with a cold bottle of SlimFast – if you have to/choose to eat gluten free, be sure you check the front of the bottle or case for the magic words GLUTEN FREE. You can experiment with the flavors, but I usually go with Vanilla (unless Strawberries are the star of the day, then I go with Strawberry).

Pour the cold SlimFast into your blender and add:

1 Cup Frozen Raspberries
2 TBS (or however much you want) Chia Seeds

Blend until you have a beautiful smoothie staring you in the face.

{Health Benefits of Raspberries Below}

Health Benefits of Raspberries

Given the rich antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrient mixture found in raspberries, it’s not surprising to see studies showing raspberry benefits in cancer prevention. Chronic excessive oxidative stress and chronic excessive inflammation can combine to trigger the development of cancer cells in a variety of human tissue. By providing a rich supply of antioxidants, raspberries can help lower risk of oxidative stress, and providing a rich supply of anti-inflammatory nutrients, raspberries can help lower the risk of excessive inflammation. When combined, these results mean decreased risk of cancer formation. In animal studies to date, the cancer types most closely examined in relationship to raspberry intake are cancers of the breast, cervix, colon, esophagus, and prostate. – WHFoods.com (Click the following link to read more about the health benefits of raspberries!)

As you can see in the picture above, I use The Raw Food World Organic Chia Seeds (Amazon link) – you can find them for a great price on Amazon. Naturally, any Chia Seeds you have will be awesome. You could even leave them out if you wanted to… though I’m not sure why you’d do that. They’re healthy, delicious, and… let’s face it.. fun to eat.

You could also throw in a little flaxseed for extra nutrition. It doesn’t alter the flavor and, although I didn’t this particular time, I often do sprinkle at least a tablespoon in.

Review: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water: Pretty (and Delicious!) in Pink

June 17, 2016 By Joi Sigers

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie (Recipe Below)I’ve been obsessed with all things coconut for as long as I can remember. In fact, I remember when I was a little girl my mom would have to buy two bags of coconut when she was making a coconut cake – one for the cake and one for me.

I can still taste the coconut as I retrieved it from the bag! One little handful after the next.

So it’s no wonder that coconut water is one of my favorite things in the history of favorite things. Not only is coconut water insanely delicious, it’s healthy. One of the healthiest things it does for you, of course, is it keeps you from reaching for soft drinks!

It’s also excellent for upset stomachs. Whenever I’ve accidentally digested gluten or wheat, coconut water comes to my rescue. I can’t explain WHY but it makes my gluten-ed up stomach pain much better.

Not surprisingly, I’ve found ways to work coconut water into my daily life. Harmless Coconut Water makes this as easy as it gets – Not only is their coconut water fresh and delicious, the bottles are designed in a “hand friendly” way that makes them ideal for carrying on walks or hikes.

I love when drink companies think things through.

Actually, they’ve thought a lot of things through at Harmless Harvest. It’s as though the phrase, “Doing things the right way” was invented for them.

Harmless Harvest envisions a world where nutritious, clean, organic and healthy food and beverages are the standard rather than the exception; where all people involved in creating the product are treated with fairness; and the planet is treated harmlessly. – Read more of the Harmless Harvest Story…

Harmlessly.

{Review Continued Below….}

Harmless Coconut WaterWhen you buy a bottle of Harmless Coconut Water, you might find that the water is actually pink. It’s completely natural and, if you ask me, pretty cool. What can I say? It wears it well.

Since I am nowhere near a scientist and couldn’t sound remotely scientific if I were paid to, I’ll let Harmless Harvest explain the “Pretty in Pink” phenomenon: Coconut water contains naturally occurring variations in levels of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, that can turn pink. All of our coconut water is clear when bottled; however some bottles turn pink with time when the antioxidants interact with light. Darker pinks are usually associated with a higher expression of PPO (polyphenol oxidase), one of the many active enzymes in our water. A higher PPO count can be due to the particular crop, season, etc. Read More…

Harmless Coconut Water: Oh So Pretty in PinkObviously, a coconut fiend like me is going to love her coconut water straight from the bottle – I’m so hardcore like that – but my favorite way to enjoy Harmless Coconut Water is actually in smoothies. It has a more intense, nutty flavor than other coconut waters on the market which makes it perfect for smoothies.

When it comes to smoothies, part of the fun is choosing your own fruits and “extras,” but the recipe below is my go-to smoothie recipe of the moment. Sometimes I’m a little more heavy-handed with the frozen raspberries than the peaches and other times I flip it and go nuts with the peaches.

Chia Seeds are one of my favorite “extras” for smoothies. They’re delicious, very nutritious, and… let’s face it… they look mah-ve-lous.

Harmless Harvest Coconut Water and frozen pineapple (as you’d imagine) also make knock-out smoothies. While I’m deathly allergic to them, personally, I’d imagine that mangoes would also rock in a Harmless Coconut Water smoothie.

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie

16 oz Bottle Harmless Harvest Coconut Water
1 TBS Raw Honey
2/3 Cup Soy Milk or Coconut Milk
2 TBS Chia Seeds
8 Frozen Peach Segments
1/2 Cup Frozen Raspberries

Blend. Get Comfortable. Enjoy!

I will be experimenting with a lot more Harmless Coconut Water Smoothies and will post the recipes on Get Cooking. It’s that time of year when I just can’t get enough smoothies and Harmless Harvest Coconut Water has opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

Look for Harmless Coconut Water in your grocery store. I’ve found them at Meijer’s and Kroger. They are found in the refrigerated section, hanging out with other delicious and healthy food. See the Locator page for more information.

Connect with Harmless Harvest:

Raspberry, Peach, and Coconut Water Smoothie: Beautiful!

I was sent coupons to try Harmless Coconut Water in exchange for telling you all about them. The review, recipe, opinions, and photos are straight from me.