lunchesandlittles on Instagram has shared this delicious smoothie recipe called “You Make My Heart Beet” using her Blendtec to make it:

Today is all about L-O-V-E! And, a little later on I am going to show you how to make what my hubby and I have named our “You Make My Heart Beet” smoothie! Not only is it delicious and healthy, it is also pretty and bright-magenta-pink. ?

I know a lot of you are busy parents just like me, and trust me; I get it! … It can be really hard to keep up with a healthy routine when short on time for yourself, but if you love yourself, you need to take care of yourself too, and smoothies are a great way to get in tons of healthy fruits and vegetables in a snap. ???❤️ And, our @blendtec blender makes it is easier than ever! It’s so fast and easy to use and I love that it gets us eating better.

I will be sharing the step-by-step recipe for this perfect for Valentine’s Day smoothie shortly… Would you believe there are 3 vegetables and 4 different kinds of fruits packed into this thing, and that is it! ??? No extra sweeteners; nothing but real food!

Lunches and Littles on Instagram 

lunchesandlittlesI’ve shared it before, and it’s always a hit, so as promised, here is the recipe for my Quick + Easy Vegan Macaroni and Cheese. This is a great go-to lunch, or dinner side that is both mom and #kidapproved!

WHAT YOU NEED:

? Your choice of pasta (about 2.5 – 3 cups), 1/2 cup raw cashews (soaked), 2 yellow potatoes, 2 carrots, a wedge of white onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/4 cup coconut milk, 1 tsp garlic powder, onion powder and salt, and a pinch of paprika. Chives optional!
? *Make this dish gluten free, by choosing a gluten free pasta!
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HOW YOU MAKE IT:

? Cook pasta like you normally would. While that is cooking start/ complete the steps below.
? Peel and chop potatoes into small pieces. Then boil potatoes for approximately 2 minutes.
? Peel and chop carrots and add to the boil. Boil for another 4-5 minutes.
? Add onion wedge (break it up a bit), and boil for another 5 minutes or until everything is pretty soft.
? Next, drain veggies, but don’t pour out the water you used to boil them. *You need it for the next step!
? Combine the (soaked) cashews, 1 and 1/4 cups of the water from the step above, all of the cooked veggies, garlic, and seasonings in your @blendtec blender (or other blender) and blend until smooth and creamy.
? Depending on consistency, add up to 1/4 cup of coconut milk to thin your sauce.
? Pour sauce over cooked pasta. And, viola! ? Season with salt and pepper to taste, and we top ours with chives; because I just love chives. ?

Baby Organic on Instagram posted this recipe for Rainbow Smoothie Pops on her feed, and kindly agreed to let us reproduce it here. These look absolutely delicious – here is her recipe below:

When asked for tips for picky eaters, I always talk about presentation. Kiddos eat with their eyes, and sometimes all it takes is a change in HOW food is presented for them to eat it right up! Perfect example: Rainbow Smoothie Pops!

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Pink Layer: 1/4 cup frozen strawberries, 1/4 cup frozen raspberries, a few frozen cranberries (optional), 1/2 cup yogurt and 1/2 cup orange juice
• Orange: 1/2 frozen banana, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen peaches, 2 carrots, 1 clementine
• Yellow: 2 frozen bananas, 1/2 cup yogurt, 3/4 cup frozen pineapple
• Green: 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup yogurt, a handful of broccoli, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, handful of spinach (optional)
• Blue: 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen pineapple, small amount of blue food coloring (as needed to achieve desired color)
• Purple: 1/2 frozen banana, 3/4 cup frozen mixed berries, 1/2 cup yogurt and a few beet slices

HOW YOU MAKE THEM:

• For each layer, place ingredients into a blender (like a @blendtec!) and blend until smooth. Add more orange juice to help blend if mixture is too thick.
• Continue blending each layer until you have 6 different colors of mixture (Be sure to rinse out your blender in between colors!).
• Next, alternate pouring various layers into the molds, waiting about 2 minutes between each layer.
• Once molds are full let them set completely (another few minutes). Remove pops from maker and enjoy!
• If using a standard popsicle mold, use a spoon to scoop mixtures into the mold (Your layers will blend a little, but that is fine!) Once molds are filled, freeze overnight and enjoy next day!

* This recipe yielded about 12 pops. Adjust recipe according to your needs.