“Coconut Kids” Smoothie & Keeping Cool

by Joanne Newell

Hello everyone! A belated Happy New Year to you – has your 2010 started off well? Don’t you love the start of a fresh new year?

It’s been hot, hot, hot here in Melbourne. Well, some days it’s hot, some days it’s chilly – and it can be four season in one day in this lovely city!

To keep cool, we’ve been whipping up some ice-cold drinks, including a phenomenal smoothie created by an amazing Aussie mum called Delia Raizon. Delia writes recipe books with her sister, Lana (their latest book was published by The Five Mile Press, who also publishes my books in Australia), and Delia has posted a few high-raw recipe videos on the “Lana & Delia Raizon” website.

You’ve gotta check out the videos – SO cute, and inspiring. Delia’s at the start of a raw journey, and I just love that there’s another voice out there promoting the health benefits and taste of green smoothies and high-raw foods to Australian families.

You can see Delia’s “Coconut Kids” smoothie video here, but if you’d like to give it a go, here’s the recipe itself:

Coconut Kids Smoothie

Ingredients

• 1 young Thai drinking coconut
• 5 frozen bananas (if your blender isn’t powerful, you might need to chop the bananas before freezing)
• 3 or so pitted dates, soaked, with the soaking water
• 2 handfuls soaked almonds
• extra water
• ice cubes

Method

1. Tip the flesh and juice from the coconut into a blender.
2. Add the frozen bananas, pitted dates (and their soaking water) and almonds, and blend.
3. Add extra water and ice and blend to achieve your desired consistency.

This smoothie has become a favorite at our house!

In our continuing quest to keep cool on these dreamy, long summer holidays, the girls and I have also been whipping up a few treats from Ani’s Raw Food Desserts (by Ani Phyo), including “Chocolate-Covered Bananas” (choc-coated frozen bananas on skewers, found on page 77 of the book) and “Key Lime Kream Bars” (page 25).

Surprisingly, when making the banana ice lollies, the kitchen didn’t become covered in chocolate – most of it actually went on the bananas (or into little – and big – mouths). The girls weren’t quite so keen on the kream bars, but I adore them, and have been cutting off little wedges every now and then as a zesty, creamy snack.

I’ve yet to try out the enticing-sounding “Raspberry-Ganache Fudge Cake”, which Raw Mom Shannon tried when Ani’s book first came out. Can’t wait to sample that one. Thanks, Ani, for such a beautiful little book!

If you’re after some lively raw inspiration, I highly recommend Ani’s book, and popping over to Delia and Lana’s website.

Take care, everyone, and hug your babies!

Love Jo