The Greenridge Herbal Thymes

Thai Baby Coconuts

You know I always rave about Coconuts: in a smoothie, on the skin, they have so many uses! Have you ever tried a Thai Baby Coconut? If you haven't tried a Baby Coconut yet, now is the time. They are actually really easy to open, but it is very scary at first I admit!
Here's an awesome link on how to do it: How to Open a Baby Coconut

Coconuts are excellent for the skin. They are especially useful in fighting free radicals, those things that cause aging.

You can find Baby Coconuts are your local produce place, sometimes a farmer's market or grocery store. Usually all health food stores carry them if they carry produce.
After opening a Baby Coconut, use some of the water in your morning smoothie. Scrape out all the meat inside (it's so delicious and good for you!) and place the meat and water both in your blender.
Then add:
1 C. Frozen Mango
1/2 C. Frozen Pineapple
2 Bananas
1/2 C. Spinach

Blend everything together and pour back into your baby coconut to drink, or a favorite glass. Adorn with a tropical umbrella and a straw! This is a drink your skin will love and thank you for!

Add some Coconut to your Smoothie!

Coconuts are living water. They pull water from deep beneathe the earth's surface and store it, providing our body with natural electrolytes, nature's own fuel. Research shows that the fatty acids found in coconut oil boosts the body's metabolism and provides us with more energy which can lead to weight loss.
Instead of the usual water addition to a smoothie, break open a coconut and add some coconut water instead. You'll find the taste refreshing and energizing.
Here's a recipe I love to make in the morning, which is not only excellent for your body's health, it will make your skin look fabulous! The berries are loaded with anti-oxidants, the hempseed, flaxseed and evening primrose are loaded with GLA's to help repair damaged skin, Bananas provide essential Potassium, and the Coconut water fuels our body with the fuel we need to run our body all day long.

Colleen's Super Skin Smoothie
Water from 1 Coconut (How to Open a Coconut Here)
2 Bananas
1 Cup Frozen or Fresh Blueberries
1 Cup Frozen or Fresh Strawberries
1 Cup Raspberries
1 Tablespoon Hempseed Powder (optional)
1 Tablespoon Evening Primrose Oil (optional)
1 Tablespoon Flaxseeds (optional)

Combine all of the above in a blender, preferrably a Vitamix, and blend well. Serve and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Truffles

You and everyone around you will love these delicious truffles!

You'll need:
About 4 bags of chocolate chips
2 jars of Chunky Peanut Butter
1/2 box of Rice Crispies or any kind of rice crisp cereal (we used Koala Crisps)

Directions:
Mix peanut butter and rice crisps in a large bowl. This works best if you leave the peanut butter in the refrigerator ovenight. It is easier to mold them into balls. Mold them into small balls and place on wax paper. Then place them in the freezer overnight.
The next day, melt the chocolate chips and then using tongs dip the balls into the chocolate and place on wax paper.
Optional: Place light colored chocolate sprinkles on one end of the truffles to make them look like acorns before the chocolate has hardened. To harden, place them in the fridge for a few hours.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

This recipe is sure to please everyone. I recently made this for a bake sale and they went over great!

1/4 cup margarine
1 cup brown sugar (or white sugar plus 1 tbsp molasses)
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups pureed pumpkin or squash
1 tsp cinnamon and nutmeg
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 and grease muffin tin.
(This recipe makes 12 muffins.)
Cream together margarine and sugar.
Add applesauce, pumpkin, and spice.
Mix well and add flour and soda.
Fill muffin tins and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
The muffins don't rise much, so don't be shy about piling the batter in.

These muffins are great warm, but keep for days.