CUP-OF-CAKE: CREAMSICKLE CUCPCAKE RECIPE

Photo credit: Michelle.

Ingredients:

• One box orange flavored cake (prepared as the box directs) 
• Two cups heavy whipping cream 
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar 
• Two oranges for garnish (why not try candy orange slices instead?!)

Makes about two dozen cupcakes 

"After you prepare the cupcakes, whip the heavy cream until it becomes light and fluffy, slowly adding the powdered sugar while you mix until you get your desired sweetness. By using whipped cream instead of frosting you get the flavors of a creamsicle rather than orange cake. Slice orange quarters for garnish. (Keep them refrigerated before you serve them, the cream is delicate and will melt easily)."

Source: That's so Michelle.

HIGH-PROTEIN SMOOTHIES: STRAWBERRY STORM

Cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, vanilla frozen yogurt and whey protein. (26g of protein).

Source: Booster Juice.

Choices in ingredients:

-       Consider getting the fruits frozen (e.g.: Europe’s best),

-       Vanilla frozen yogurt: get something organic (preferably),

-       Also, consider adding Goji berries.

INTERNATIONAL FOOD HOT-SPOT: BOOSTER JUICE!

Visit their FB page.

This is their website.

Booster Juice is a now international smoothie and juice bar, growing ever popular in its now seven-year life span. Their mission statement is: "To provide customers with an incredible, healthy alternative to fast food that’s great tasting, convenient and nutritious making it perfectly suite for today’s active lifestyle. Our stores & products are ENERGETIC, FUN, NATURAL and ADDICTING!" I can definitely vouch for the 'addicting' part in that. ;-)

Booster Juice does not add any sugars to their products, instead using frozen fruit and their natural sweetness combined with yogurt and vanilla frozen yogurt, among other products (all natural, of course). They also feature products like whey protein bars, matcha green tea (for a hefty price), and sandwiches/wraps made on site.

Booster Juice is definitely my recommendation for a smoothie shop. 

They make:

• Smoothies (High Protein, Power, Berry, Tropical Spirit and Life Choice categories),
• Juices, juiced right in front of you (e.g.: Red Sunrise and Tru Green, but also Orange, Carrot and Apple, etc.),
• Meals (Quesadillas, Chicken Panini, Vegetarian Panini, Tuna Wrap, Greek Vegetarian Wrap, Egg Scrambler Wrap),
• Shakers (Wheatgrass, Acai NRG and Matcha Shaker),
• Yogurt Blends,
• Acai Berry Bowl,
• Zola Acai Tetra Pak.

For every smoothie they offer a choice of Boosters: go to their website, click on "Smart", then "Boosters", and you will have an interactive display to show you their different boosters and their individual benefits.

Booster Juice also caters. =)

The only thing I would recommend to Booster Juice is that they might want to establish a reward system. Although they do accept SPC.

Hope you enjoy this new discovery! =)

HIGH-PROTEIN SMOOTHIES: RIPPED BERRY

Blueberries, raspberries, cranberries, skim milk, vanilla frozen yogurt, honey and whey protein powder. (26g of protein).

Source: Booster Juice.

Choices in ingredients:

-       Consider getting the fruits frozen (e.g.: Europe’s best),

-       Vanilla frozen yogurt: get something organic (preferably),

-       Instead of honey consider agave syrup/nectar,

-       Also, consider adding Goji berries.

HIGH PROTEIN SMOOTHIES: BANANAS-A-WHEY

Bananas and frozen yogurt with pineapples, skim milk and whey protein powder. (26 g of protein).

Source: Booster Juice.

Choices in ingredients:

-       Consider getting the fruits frozen (e.g.: Europe’s best),

-       Vanilla frozen yogurt: get something organic (preferably),

-       Also, consider adding Goji berries.

Afraid you're not getting enough fruit today? Try Sun-Rype "fruitsource"!

2 servings of fruit in 37g, wow!

Food hotspot in Ottawa: Jugo Juice!

This company founded by a francophone couple is worth checking out, if you can afford the price!

Go to their website for more!

INGREDIENT OF THE MONTH: Goji Berry, also known as the Wolfberry

Sounds like something out of Pokemon, doesn’t it? This controversial berry has been a cherished fruit in Chinese and Tibetan medicines for centuries. The little berry is an excellent source of Vitamin C and dietary fibre. Can also (allegedly) help prevent breast cancer.

“Hailed as the newest superfood, goji, a Himalayan berry, has inspired a surge of interest for its use in treating diabetes, hypertension, malaria, fever, cancer and other ailments. Gram for gram, goji berries pack more vitamin C than some oranges and more beta-carotene than carrots. Unfortunately, though, there isn't enough evidence yet to confirm the health claims, since we only have testimonials and animal studies to go by. And goji berries and goji juice are costly.

Dietary uses: Goji berries are similar in taste to raisins but more tart. They can be eaten raw or cooked and are a tasty addition to tea, soup and hot cereal.” – Canadianliving.com

Products:

·      Natierra’s Raw, Organic Goji Berries (sometimes found at Winners),

·      Also used in wines and teas

Please note:

Safety issues

Two published case reports described elderly women who experienced increased bleeding, expressed as an elevated INR, after drinking quantities of wolfberry tea.

Further in vitro testing revealed that the tea inhibited warfarin metabolism, providing evidence for possible interaction between warfarin and undefined wolfberry phytochemicals.

Atropine, a toxic alkaloid found in other members of the Solanaceae family, occurs naturally in wolfberry fruit. The atropine concentrations of berries from China and Thailand are variable, with a maximum content of 19 ppb, below the likely toxic amount.

Find out more about the Goji berry and its controversies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfberry.

SUPERFOOD SMOOTHIES: MATCHA MONSOON

Pure matcha green tea powder, vanilla soymilk and vanilla frozen yogurt.

Source: Booster Juice.

Choices in ingredients:

-       You can find the matcha at specialized tea stores (you can also get Booster Juice's premium blend),

-       Vanilla frozen yogurt: get something organic (preferably),

-       Also, consider adding Goji berries and/or whey protein powder to really get you energized."