I drew a long espresso for the start of my day this morning but… never got to it because this great day-starter came along and afterwards the espresso had no appeal! And this lovely fresh beverage was quicker to make than most pots of coffee can brew!

Although I drink espresso more for the dark flavor than any energetic rush (I seek out dark beans with less caffeine because, frankly, I don’t care for the rush of caffeine at all), this Lemon-Coconut Milk drink had me vibing with some truly wonderful craving-for-productivity energy. It’s that  metabolism-stimulating effect of the coconut working its magic…

The inspiration for this drink was to present a recipe for what to do with fresh coconut milk when you want to use the meat for something else. True, you could always just pop the milk into whatever smoothie you’re making. It will go with anything. But I had a vision of it with lemon (which is wonderfully alkalizing in the body, and provides a burst of Vitamin C that’s great for skin, liver, and beauty), and I’m so glad I went with it. It’s the kind of drink I’d love to wake up to every day.

Though there isn’t any coconut meat in it – just fresh coconut milk, fresh lemon juice, raw honey, and cold-pressed coconut oil –, that little bit of oil gives the drink such nice body, and contributes heartily to the energy it provides.

Coconut Oil Will Make You Fat, Right? Think Again…

With raw coconut oil that hasn’t been heat-treated, I strongly encourage you to set aside your years of training about fats. Granted, each person’s constitution is different, and some people are balanced and energized by fats better than others, so gauge your needs on your own experience. But coconut oil is not like the other fats we use.

It is a medium-chain fatty acid, which the body can break down and use directly for energy, similar to a carbohydrate. It’s also a metabolic stimulant, and has wonderful immune system-supporting, anti-viral properties. And it has been used by many people (including myself) for weight loss for a number of years, now. In my world, it is a valuable food not to be afraid of, and certainly not if you want to lose weight (or maintain a hard-earned weight loss).

If you’ve been intimated by the thought of picking up your first young coconut because you didn’t know what-all you were doing to do with it… I hope this recipe is an incentive to get going with that!

And for options with what to do with a whole young coconut, here are two smoothies, one with Clementines (or Oranges) and Goji Berries, and another with Cherries and Goji Berries, which are like rocket fuel, energetically speaking!

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It’s hot out and you want a light but filling and nutritious meal? This is a great summer cooler-offer. I’m a big fan of nutritious ice creams, and this is a good one. Like a very lemony sorbet with some fresh fennel greens… and made creamy with baby zucchini, which you would never, ever know about unless someone told you. Even then… you’ll be inclined to disbelieve it.

I’m a lemon freak, so I juiced two organic lemons for this recipe, but if you aare a normal person you’ll just do the one. Still… just so you know there’s an option for freaks like me.

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Made with all fresh, raw ingredients and bolstered in medicinal power and sweetness with raw honey, this Live Green Smoothie is gently heated up and served frothy and warm, as a tea.

No less potent in its green-smoothie-ness, it’s soothing for when you have a scratchy throat, feel under the weather, or just want a bit of extra Vitamin C. And this simple tea is loaded with chlorophyll, Vitamin C and other rejuvenating nutrients.

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I can pretty much guarantee most of you have never tried something like this before (I never did)… A sweet, lemony Live Green Smoothie served warm, like soup or tea. It’ so comforting, soothing, and warming… and exactly the sort of thing your body needs when it’s battling a cold or flu or allergies. I tend not to want Live Green Smoothies during those times because I crave warm beverages then.

Well, now I know what to make.

This tea may be green and blended like a smoothie, but it goes down with the mellow comfort of chicken soup.

Cilantro juice has been known to be a potent detoxifier of heavy metals in the body. Here, the cilantro is blended (into a whole-food juice, if you have a high-powered blender like my Blendtec). Paired withe alkalizing, liver-cleansing power of fresh lemon juice, the sweetness from fresh grapes, and a wee bit of raw honey to round out the sweetness, and it’s revitalizing energy in a cup!

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I’m a bit puzzled as to what to call this drink. I mean, it’s creamy like hot cocoa, but warming and with the zesty heat of a nightcap. And it’s made like a Warm Live Tea… Well, it’s utterly wonderful for any of those purposes.

And in fact, it’s absolutely delicious without being heated up. I wanted to guzzle the entire blenderful.

But alas, I was relegated to only a few sips. (The Marginally Raw Twenty-Somethings in the house all drank the rest of it down. )

Though this is all “raw” and non-dairy, there is no almond milk or hemp seeds or cashews added to give the creamy texture. It’s pure avocado and fresh lemon juice, with honey to off-set the wonderful tang.

A real winner. Next snow storm, make sure you have the right ingredients on hand for this one!

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A great thing about Mono-Smoothies is that, as long as you have at least ONE type of fresh fruit, vegetable, or leafy greens in the house… plus a bit of raw honey (or even dates… medjool dates would make brilliant natural sweeteners)… you can crank out a 32-oz (3-quart) batch of Live Smoothies. Take it with you on-the-go, start your day with it, or even drink it out of a lovely cocktail glass for an evening refresher… and it doesn’t have to be complex in the least.

Fresh herbs make great Mono-Smoothies, and no doubt offer various naturally medicinal benefits depending on which herbs you select.

Check out these four new Mono-Smoothie recipes:

Meyer Lemon Mono-Smoothie

(Made with whole fruit, not juice!)

Fresh Pear Mono-Smoothie

Fresh Dill Mono-Smoothie

(Dill…? Yep… )

Fresh CILANTRO Mono-Smoothie

(Like a refreshing, aromatic cocktail… and sweet!)

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With this one recipe you have a few options — with or without greens, super-lemony or just mild, and dessertly sweet or just sweetly average. Personally, I’m partial to With Greens, Super-Lemony, and Quite Sweet to off-set the lemon… but you pick your fave combo!

Any way you do it up, tho, it’s a great combination. Super way to take advantage of the yummy pineapples and Meyer lemons currently overflowing the grocery bins!

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If you’re not a drinker, no worries… this is a GREAT combination to enjoy without alcohol! Just wonderful!

There is no tangerine in this delicious martini cocktail, but it tastes like pure tangerine. Made of fresh cantaloupe juice with Meyer lemons and fresh orange juice, this cocktail does not taste like cantaloupe in the least! Some kind of mysterious taste alchemy occurs… and it is one of the prettiest drinks of any kind I have ever seen.

Very delicate. Don’t overdo the vodka. Great for a party. Have enough on hand for a second batch.

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This is one of those recipes I wish I’d known how to make back when I first encountered the whole raw & living food world. Would have made staying “high-raw” so much easier.

This “hummus” is made from raw macadamia nuts and a few other utterly pedestrian ingredients. It takes only a few minutes, and what you get is a hummus I actually enjoy better than hummus made from sesame. It has a “cleaner” flavor, it explosive with garlic, tangy with lemon, and makes either a great dish for dipping or a delicious (and filling) raw sandwich spread!

An excellent recipe for rummaging up a quick supper!

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

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I am thoroughly persuaded of the healing and healthifying benefits of drinking fresh aloe vera gel, and for this reason the plant is on my Top 5 list for learning how to cultivate at home. Every time I discover another great way to enjoy it in a raw smoothie, I’m blown away by how refreshed and energized I am when I drink it. And I don’t think it’s nearly enough… not when the benefits of aloe are as significant as they are. I always feel so super-charged by it and clear. It’s rich in polysaccharides, it’s alkalizing, makes my joints and muscles feel “juicier”… a good thing.

This raw smoothie is such a pretty thing — golden yellow, a warm honey hue, with the frothy top that fresh aloe always gives. Looks and tastes like a delicious cocktail… without the alcohol! I’d like to have a few blenderfuls of this stuff every day. <<Mental note to self: buy a big bouquet of aloe leaves on next grocery trip.>> If you can’t find them at your local store, just ask the produce manager to get some in. The leaves run anywhere from $.99 to $2.29 in my area.

Here’s a nice little video of David Wolfe free-associating about polysaccharides, aloe… and a few other things. The guy is such a storehouse of so much info.

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