The Organic Climber – Vegetarian running, cycling, swimming, rock climbing and raw foods.

It’s been a long while since I have posted a smoothie recipe here, but I recently discovered Sunwarrior’s Chocolate Warrior Blend. This is perhaps one of the best smoothie blends I have had. I have been addicted to it lately, and have found myself making it 2-3 times a week. This raw plant based protein is also an excellent source of amino acids, is high in anti-oxidants, is a complete protein, and provides a HUGE bost of energy and mental clarity. It’s a great way to start your day or to provide a boost of energy in the afternoon hours when you start to drag. It’s also great for recovery from intense exercise.

The Recipe

• 1.5 cups of almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 1/2 bananas
• 2 TBSP of almond butter (or peanut butter if you prefer)
• 1-2 TBSP of raw honey or other sweetener
• 1 hand full of spinach, or add your favorite greens powder
• 2 Scoops of Chocolate Flavored Warrior Blend, by Sunwarrior
• 8 cubes of ice

Add all ingredients in your VitaMix blender (free shipping using the link beside) and process until smooth! The recipe will make approximately 2 servings.

Sunwarrior is also committed to sustainability! I recently had a chance to meet some of their team at Expo West and they are working hard to make their line of products organic! There isn’t a set ETA, but rest assured this company cares about the environment and creating a high quality, non-gmo, organic product. They are also vegan, soy free, dairy free and raw.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
dairy free, gluten free, protein, recipe, smoothie, soy free, sunwarrior, vegan
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Before I get started with the recipe, I have a plea. Visit my Kickstarter page and make a $5 donation. As you probably know by now, I am starting up a raw food snack company – Adventure Naturals. But in order to make it happen we need startup capital to pay our first months rent and buy our first batch of product. A simple $5 donation gets you a tasty energy bar. Just think, that $5 earns you a bar that will retail for $3, AND it helps bring nutritious goodies to the weary traveler, backpacker, rock climber, runner, swimmer, and you!

Anyway, here we go. I thought it would be fitting with the Christmas season upon us to create a Christmas themed smoothie. When I think of Christmas, the flavor that instantly came to mind was peppermint. So, I made a trip to Whole Foods earlier last week and picked up some peppermint extract to create this delicious smoothie. I also had a sweet tooth earlier in the week and created a raw ice cream that I will likely post the recipe to later this week.

The Recipe

• 2 frozen bananas
• 1/2 teaspoons of peppermint extract or flavoring
• 1 giant hand full of spinach
• 8oz of almond milk
• 8oz of water
• 2 TBSP of cashew butter
• 1-2 TBSP of agave nectar (optional)

Directions: Throw all the ingredients into your Vitamix (or high-speed blender) and process until smooth. This should produce two servings. If you happen to be considering the purchase of a Vitamix for a Christmas present, you can order through the link on my Vitamix page (use coupon code: 06-004609) and receive free shipping. Sure, those coupon codes are ALL OVER the internet, but if you order it through me I get a nice commission!

Anyway, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. I hope you enjoy the smoothie. It is certainly one of my new favorites that I will likely make year round. How else am I going to use up a bottle of peppermint extract?

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
adventure naturals, christmas, kickstarter, mint, organic, peppermint, RAW, smoothie
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Wow, it seems like forever since my last smoothie post. Things have been crazy busy since getting married, and working on the startup of Adventure Naturals. I haven’t forgotten about smoothie Tuesday, though. I was hoping to bring you a holiday themed smoothie today, but the store was out of a certain ingredient I was looking for, so it will have to wait until next week!

But, I do have a tasty treat I blended together just this morning from what fruits I had in the freezer. This smoothie has a crisp taste with a tart finish, thanks to the cherries. I find it amazing how many different tasting smoothies I can come up with just from the standard fruit selection I always have on hand in the freezer.

The Recipe

• 1 part strawberries
• 1 part peaches
• 1 part cherries
• 1/2 frozen banana
• 2-4 TBSP of cashew butter (based on the size of smoothie you make)
• Protein & Greens Powder of your choice
• Part Almond Milk & Part Water (just enough to cover the fruit)

Directions: Combine all the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Proportion the fruit out based on how many servings you want. I used about 2.5oz each, yielding 2 large servings.

Pour into a glass and enjoy. I apologize for not having a picture for this one. I took the photo and left the media card at home. So, I will post it tomorrow, once the media card is back in my possession.

Also, remember to check us out on Kickstarter. We need YOUR donation to help us get started. A simple $5 donation is rewarded with an energy bar (retail value is $3). Anything you can give, even if it’s just $1. It would be greatly apreciated.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
cherries, cherry, delicious, peach, peaches, RAW, smoothie, strawberries, strawberry, tart, vegan
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Okay, so there isn’t actually any peanut butter in this smoothie, but it does use raw almond butter. You are more than welcome to substitute actual peanut butter though if you so desire, but since becoming a raw food fan I have converted to almond butter. This delicious smoothie has already become on of my favorites, and was my fiancées idea! Last, night while we were grocery shopping I asked her for an idea for a Smoothie Tuesday post. I was hoping for something not containing bananas this time, since a majority of the smoothies I make contain them. The resulting smoothie consists of mostly delicious berries, and goes down smooth!

The Recipe

• 4oz frozen strawberries
• 4 0z frozen black berries
• 4 oz frozen raspberries
• 2+ TBSP of raw almond butter
• 2-3 TBSP of raw honey (or agave to make it completely vegan)
• 1.5 cups of almond milk

Process all contents in a blender. Yields, two servings, or one for a very hungry individual! I could have easily drank both this morning.

Also, I have set up an email distribution list to send out updates about Adventure Naturals. Updates will include information about the start of our new business, special offers, healthy tips, and more. We plan on launching or raw food energy bars and seasoned nuts early next year.

In other news, I had an MRI yesterday on my knees, hip and low back. I have still had a lot of pain from my bicycle accident. My chiropractor thought it would be a good idea to have everything checked out since the swelling still hadn’t gone down all the way, in addition to the pain. I should get the results back today, and will be posting an update here as well as on Twitter.

I also plan on heading out to Enchanted Rock this weekend. I’m itching to get outdoors. I don’t think I will be able to get any climbing in because of my condition, but I still hope to hike around a bit. Regardless of how much activity I actually get to do, it will be worth getting outside and enjoying some clean air, away from the city.

RAW Food, Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
almond butter, almond milk, black berries, jelly, peanut butter, raspberries, RAW, smoothie, strawberries
2 comments

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Since my bike accident last Friday, I have been pumping my body full of anti-inflammatory goodness including this delicious smoothie. Named in honor of Texas – The Longhorn Smoothie! Seeing as how I now live in the Capitol of Texas, I thought it would be very fitting. Sorry there are no pictures for this one. But, I do promise it’s tasty.

The Recipe

• Apx. 1 Cup of Almond Milk
• 6oz of Pineapple
• 1 Fresh Peach, or the frozen equivalent
• 1 hand full of frozen cherries (or fresh if you have them)
• 2 TBSp of Agave Nectar or Raw Honey
• Optional: Greens and protein powder, or a hand full of fresh greens. Spinach is my favorite

Process in a blender until smooth. Of course, I recommend the Vita-Mix blender! There really is nothing better, honestly! You can get FREE SHIPPING, by using this link.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
cherries, cherry, longhorn, peaches, pineapple, smoothie, texas
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Wow, I’m so sore today after spending the weekend in Arkansas, climbing and bushwhacking through the overgrown brush on the trail. I’m cut (from thorns), bruised (from the rock), and tender all over from climbing the steep lichen covered rock. I haven’t been climbing as much lately so this fun weekend really did me in. But, despite beat down feeling I have decided to bring you a new smoothie recipe.

After a trip to HEB last night we came back with lots of nectarines, one of my favorite fruits. I also had some mangos left over from the pervious week that were not ripe enough to dry for the climbing trip; but, upon returning home they were the perfect ripeness for a smoothie. So, this morning I tossed a couple of nectarines in the blender along with a mango and two bananas, and came up with a delicious smoothie.

The Recipe

• 2 fresh, ripe nectarines
• 1 small mango
• 2 bananas
• 4 TBS of agave nectar
• Optional: greens and, or protein powder
• Ice
• Note: Serves Two

Place all the ingredients into a blender and blend. For super blending power, check out the VitaMix blender, it’s my FAVORITE kitchen tool. Using the link on my web site you get free shipping and I earn a small commission.

RAW Food, Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
banana, fresh, mango, nectarine, RAW, raw smoothie, smoothie, Vita-MIx, vitamix, Vitamix discount
1 comment

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Whenever people ask me what blender I suggest, I always tell them the Vita-Mix 5200, and this was even long before I was an affiliate (offering free shipping). In my opinion there is no other option if you are going to be making smoothies every day. There are numerous reasons for getting a Vita-Mix 5200, so I have composed a list of reasons to make the investment.

1. Ease of use – It’s just simpler. Just this morning I was trying to make a smoothie using my old Cuisinart blender that my fiancé currently has at her apartment. It was a very difficult process. Ever so often, I would have to stop the blender, take a spoon, and push the fruit back down into the blades. That is rarely ever needed when using the Vita-Mix. The base of the hopper is wide and the blades are flat. Things just blend well in the Vita-Mix! The two horsepower motor will pretty much blend rocks. This ends up being a huge time saver too, as blending your smoothie will only take seconds – and is fuss free!
2. Tamp it down – There are occasions where you will want to blend a large amount of fruit or create something like a sorbet, or a smoothie without much fluid to help the blades turn and process the contents of the hopper. The Vita-Mix comes equipped with a tamper that can be used to press down the contents without having to stop the blender. This is something other commercial grade blenders don’t offer. This again makes for an easier smoothie making experience.
3. Making breads – With a Vita-Mix you can easily knead sprouts and grains to make bread. I have made a couple of different raw breads using the Vita-Mix.
4. Chopping Nuts – The Vita-Mix 5200 is a variable speed blender that allows you to perform tasks such as chopping nuts. I have used this a couple of times to chop nuts for energy bars. It’s also good for creating things like almond flower and grinding flax seed to powder.
5. Breaking down the cell wall – With it’s two horsepower motor, the Vita-Mix blender will break down the cell wall of fruits and vegetables, releasing a plethora of nutrients otherwise not available from chewing.
6. Overall health – Owning a Vita-Mix blender will improve your overall health and well-being. Because of it’s ease of use you will find yourself making delicious smoothies and other wonderful recipes a lot more frequently. The only time I ever don’t make a smoothie for breakfast is when I meet eat at a restaurant with friends. As a result of owning this wonderful machine you will be giving your body wonderful nutrients provided by raw foods.
7. It’s easy to clean – The hopper is not dishwasher safe, but is very easy to clean. Simply place some dish soap in the container, fill half way with water, and blend on high power for a few seconds to a couple minutes and your container is clean.

If you are still using a conventional blender I would strongly encourage you to invest in a commercial grade blender; especially if you are making smoothies on a daily basis. The machine comes with a 7-year warranty. It’s guaranteed to work like new for seven years. For somebody consuming a large amount of raw foods daily and using a blender regularly, performance and a long lasting piece of equipment is key.

Before purchasing my Vita-Mix I did A LOT of research because of the price tag, but I firmly believe I made the right decision. I have never regretted it.

RAW Food, Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
5200, food, RAW, smoothie, Smoothie Tuesday, Vita-MIx, vitamix
1 comment

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Hello, from Austin! Today’s edition of Smoothie Tuesday comes to you from my new home in Austin, Texas. You may remember my recent post about a lovely lady named Kristy. Well, we are engaged and getting married in November. It feels great to be in such an amazing city. There are some many vegetarian friendly restaurants here; there are even several raw food establishments. The one that is most well known is called Daily Juice. I actually haven’t been yet, but will probably make a trip there sometime soon.

Not only does Austin have lots of great food, but also there are plenty of recreational opportunities here. I will have not shortage of places to run, cycle, and climb. The live music scene here is also awesome. I think I am really going to feel at home here.

Anyway, today’s smoothie recipe is truly a superfood. Inspired by Naked Juice, I decided to make my own at home because I love the taste of the Naked drinks, but I’m unable to digest them well. I always end up with a weird stomachache. I assume it’s because of the flash pasteurization the drinks are put through. The process kills a lot of the beneficial enzymes that aide in digestion. But, this homemade version leaves all those nutritious enzymes fully intact.

The Recipe (serves 2)

• 2 Apples
• 1 whole mango (a smaller one)
• 2 kiwis
• 4 chunks of chopped pineapple
• 1 whole banana
• 1 small hand full of green
• 2 Tsp of wheat grass powder
• 1 Tbsp of Spirulina
• Apx. 2 cups of water

Place all the ingredients in a blender and process thoroughly. If you have a Vita-Mix blender this will be a fairly quick process, but other blenders will take a lot longer to break everything down, especially the greens.

I also apologize for there being no photo this time. I tried, but the lighting in my fiancees apartment is horrible, I couldn’t get my own reflection out of the glass, no matter how hard I worked different angles. Hopefully I get this figured out before next weeks post.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
homemade, juice, naked, smoothie, spirulina, SuperFood, wheat grass
2 comments

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The other day I randomly got the idea of using finely ground mate in a smoothie to create an energy drink. I got the idea after discovering a green tea powder some friends of mine had. I inadvertently put a scoop of it into our smoothie, and it was wonderful! So upon arriving at home after that weekend I decided I would try a similar drink with peppermint yerba mate, thus creating a raw energy drink.

Although mate is caffeinated, it’s only about the equivalent of 1/4 cup of coffee and is naturally caffeinated. The mate I used for this smoothie was by Explorer’s Bounty. The mint flavor was just right, and became a bit stronger the longer the drink sat. Mate is a common ingredient in a lot of recipes by Brendan Brazier, as well as my own Shot Blok recipe. Mate is an excellent source of natural energy.

The Recipe

• 1 large hand full of spinach
• 1 large banana
• 1 packet of finely ground (using coffee grinder) Peppermint Mate*
• 1 cup of water
• 8 cubes of ice

* You can use your choice of mint flavored tea if you don’t have mate. Also, if you want to increase the amount of mint flavor, simply add another tea packet.

Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender, (preferably a VitaMix), yes I am partial, and blend.

I can’t attest to how effective the drink is in providing energy, but combined with healthy greens and the sugar from the banana, I’m pretty sure it will be quite effective.

Also, if you have been considering a Vita-Mix you can get free shipping through ordering from my affiliate links. I do get a small commission on the sell to, so I would greatly appreciate purchasing through my site.

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
drink, energy, mate, mint, peppermint, RAW, smoothie, yerba
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During my recent trip to Colorado I ended up buying a batch of cherries to snack on, but ended up coming home with at least half a bag. So, I decided to use the rest in a new smoothie recipe. This one is great for all you runners, climbers, and other athletes out there. Cherries are a great anti-inflammatory. In it’s concentrated format, it has 10 times the strength as one aspirin; and, it’s all natural! To make this an even better recovery smoothie, I added chia seeds to help boost energy levels. You could take it a step further and add flax seed, but I didn’t want to mess with the flavor too much.

I don’t typically buy cherries that often, but this smoothie was so tasty, I could easily see myself buying more and throwing them in the freezer. Simply adding them to my normal daily mixed berry smoothie would be a welcomed treat. The tart, sweet taste just hits the spot, and the hint of vanilla I added via a flavored rice protein powder just stepped this recipe up an extra notch. So enough talking up the smoothie, enjoy this delicious and powerful recovery smoothie, or just simply drink it for no other reason but to enjoy it.

The Recipe

• 1/4 of a 10oz bag of mixed berries
• about 5 oz of fresh cherries (or fresh-frozen cherries)*
• 1 heaping TBSP of vanilla flavored vegan rice protein (alternatively you can omit this and simply use vanilla extract)
• 1 TBSP of your favorite greens powder
• 1 dropper full of Liquid Stevia (or some variation of sweetener)
• * Make sure you blend this smoothie very well, especially when using fresh cherries, you want to make sure you destroy the pits and stems of the cherries. This is one instance where having a Vitamix is a huge advantage.

If you happen to be interested in purchasing a Vitamix, doing so through clicking the links on my website actually helps me out. I get a nice little commission, and you end up with free shipping on an amazing, must have machine for any raw foodie, vegan, or smoothie addict. (coupon code for the free shipping on a Vitamix 5200 is 06-004609)

Smoothie Tuesday by OrganicClimber
anti-inflammatory, berry, cherry, inflammatory, RAW, smoothie, Vita-MIx, vitamix
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