Green Lemonade

Yes, it’s green. Yes, it’s deliciously thirst quenching. And yes, it tastes like lemonade.

At least 12 stalks of kale

1 Granny Smith apple (if it’s not organic, peel it)

2 sweet apples, like Braeburn (peeled, unless they’re organic)

2 lemons, peeled

1 nub of ginger

1. Place all ingredients in a juicer (kale, ginger, apples, lemons).

2. Drink

Carrot Cake Energy Bars

Look what I made! I had a food processor and an idea—actually two ideas: I want to make my own energy bars and carrot cake is yummy—and I created something delicious and practical. Please excuse my exuberance. I’m always a little bit stunned (a.k.a. shocked and amazed) when something that seems like a good idea in my head actually turns out to be a good idea in real life.

Note: Due to said exuberance, I’m posting this without checking the measurements. If you think you should add more of something, you probably should.

3 carrots (2 fairly big carrots and 1 scrawny carrot), peeled and sliced into pieces that won’t kill your food processor

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced into manageable chunks

shredded coconut (probably between ½ cup and ¾ cup)

raisins (about ½ cup)

walnuts (about ¾ cup)

1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

2 tbsp. hemp protein

honey (about 3 tbsp.)

1. Combine all ingredients in food processor and mix until everything is chopped up and well-mixed.

2. Transfer mixture to a baking dish, flatten to desired thickness and cut into bars.

3. Transfer bars to individual pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap. Toss in a freezer-safe zip-top bag and freeze. (They’ll be edible right away, but will be much easier to handle after an hour or so in the freezer. And they’ll never freeze completely.)

Black Bean Soup

Warning: This soup doesn’t need you. It wants to be left alone—for 3 hours.

You know those people who have their s*** together enough to start a soup and leave it simmering on the stove while they go to yoga and teach spinning? I hate them, but I was one—for approximately four hours one day in January. It was a little bit fabulous.

(Adapted from Lobsters Scream When You Boil Them: And 100 Other Myths About Food and Cooking…Plus 25 Recipes to Get It Right Every Time)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tsp. dried oregano

finely grated lime zest (at least 1 tbsp.)

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage

8 cups vegetable broth

2 cups (1 pound) dried black beans, rinsed (and quality-controlled)

2 tbsp. (or more) lime juice

plain organic fat-free Greek yogurt

optional:

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

¼ cup minced cilantro leaves

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium meat.

2. Add the onion and green pepper. Cook for about a minute and then add the garlic (and chipotle, if using). Stir, and then add the oregano, lime zest and sage.

3. Add the broth and stir to make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom of the pot.

4. Add the beans and stir.

5. Jack the heat up to medium-high and bring the soon-to-be-soup to a low boil, stirring occasionally.

6. Put the lid on the pot and turn the heat to low, allowing the soon-to-be-soup to simmer.

7. Walk away. (But please don’t leave the house unattended. That wouldn’t be safe.)

8. It’ll be done in about 3 hours, when the beans tender, but not mushy.

9. Add the lime juice (and optional cilantro) and serve. Top each serving with a dollop of Greek yogurt.