Two Quick and Heart Healthy Recipes #FreshFinds

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The summer that I started my blog I was in the midst of a significant weight loss. I remember being so proud of myself, and how hard I'd worked in losing that weight. I remember how close to my goal I was, about 2/3 of the way there. At the time I started this blog I had so many delicious and wonderful recipes that I wanted to share, and soon learned I had to recreate and photograph many of those before I could share them. Of course, since I love these foods and they are many of my favorite meals, my family and I would be consuming it all. Everything I make and share here is eaten by myself and my family. I see food bloggers that pose the question to other fellow food bloggers, asking what do they do with all that food once it's made. Some say they take it to work and share with co-workers or give to their husband to take to work and do the same. Some give it to neighbors or family close by. I think that's all crazy! I have a huge family and there's no way I could donate the amount of food that I create, what would my family be left to eat? Don't get me wrong, I definitely have a giving spirit and if you come to visit I will feed you, but the food I make we definitely eat. I have three teens and two little ones and they all have huge appetites. Now, of course there's many meals we make that we don't share here, sometimes I'll just create a new recipe and don't even think to write it down. I'm usually left kicking myself because it was really good, and I don't remember how I made it. A handful here, a pinch there. Needless to say I've started keeping a notebook in the kitchen to jot things down on.

I digress. My point is, I enjoy food blogging. I love it, but possibly a little too much, because all that weight that I lost has made it's way back to my midsection. This makes me sad, since I'd worked so hard and was so proud of myself when I lost it all. Now I'm starting over again, so I'm enlisting your help in the process. You'll notice a few more healthy recipes sprouting up here and there. Of course I have a backlog of creations I still need to share so there's a good mixture of indulgent foods and healthy choices. At this point Big G and I have decided it's time to get a handle on things. So yesterday when I went grocery shopping at Save Mart, I was excited to see some delicious heart healthy foods on sale. I love berries, and there was a Buy One Get One Free Sale, so I just had to pick those up. I also found some new salad mixes called Organic Girl that looked really good (and the cute packaging was pretty awesome too!). I decided to whip a few things up to share with you how easy it is to make heart healthy choices on the cheap at your favorite grocery stores. I bought two of the salad mixtures, Organic Girl Baby Spring Mix and Organic Girl Baby Kale Mix.

Ever since I got my new blender I've made smoothies almost daily. I quickly discovered that Kale is an excellent choice to add to smoothies, you can't taste it AT ALL, (promise!) and it's also a superfood! Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables you can get, it's packed with vitamins A, C, and K, it's full of fiber and contains many beneficial minerals and it's high in antioxidants. The Organic Girl Baby Kale Mix also includes spinach, which is another vitamin and antioxidant packed green. I thought this would be a perfect addition to my daily smoothies, so I immediately put it in my cart. I also picked up the Organic Girl Baby Spring Mix which I thought would be delicious in a simple salad with some of my favorite fruits and veggies, topped with an easy and lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast cut into slices. Since I was getting the berries at the buy one get one free price, I decided to make a raspberry vinaigrette to take this salad to the next level.

This was a simple and filling meal, which goes to show that you can eat a full plate of delicious food and not feel guilty one bit! Everything was healthy, packed with nutrition, and easy to put together! Hooray for healthy eating! Check out the rest of my shopping trip at Save Mart, and also be sure to look up all the other creative and delicious Fresh Finds while you're at it!

Raspberry Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon blue agave (or honey)
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Raspberry Vinaigrette Directions:

• Combine all ingredients (minus oil)  in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Once smooth, blend oil in. 
• Serve and enjoy! 
• Be sure to refrigerate any remaining.

I served with 1 1/2 cups Organic Girl spring mix, 1/4 of an avocado - sliced, 1/4 pear - sliced, 1/2 tomato - cut in wedges, thinly sliced red onion, one small & lightly seasoned grilled chicken breast - cut into strips, a small handful of raisins and some chopped walnuts. It was the perfect combo!

Mixed Berry and Kale Smoothie Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 5 large strawberries
• 1 medium ripe banana
• 1-1/2 cups Organic Girl baby kale mix
• 1 cup peach juice
• 1 cup small ice cubes
• 1-1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Mixed Berry and Kale Smoothie Ingredients:

• Combine all ingredients in blender. 
• Blend until smooth.
• Garnish with fresh fruit.
• Enjoy!