Healthy Chocolate Berry Banana Smoothie

This tasty yet healthy smoothie was absolutely delicious. It's the first one I thought was yummy enough to share since the Amazing Berry Banana Smoothie I posted the other day but even better than the taste was the increased mental clarity and energy I experienced after drinking it.

Please note that I tend to just throw stuff in the blender so my quantities are estimates. Also I like my smoothies more liquid than thick so if you like yours thick use less water.

• 2 cups baby kale (you could substitute your favorite leafy green vegetable)
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 1/2 cups water (divided)
• 1 small banana
• 1 scoop chocolate pea and rice vegan dietary supplement (powder) by Thorne Research (or your favorite chocolate flavored smoothie powder).

Put first four ingredients in blender using 1 cup of water. Pour remaining 1/2 cup water over powder in blender. Blend until completely smooth. Enjoy immediately (add ice if you like).

I'd love to hear what you think if you try it!

Natural Sleep Aid Recommendation

Two different friends asked for referrals for an inexpensive, natural but non herbal sleep aid today. Paul McKenna's "I Can Make You Sleep" book and hypnosis cd set immediately came to mind. I love McKenna's hypnosis cds and find them very relaxing. I enjoyed his "I Can Make You Thin" and "Change Your Life in Seven Days" books as well. If you're having trouble sleeping it might be worth seeing if Paul McKenna can make you sleep. The book should be widely available at book retailers and is in my local library so perhaps it's in yours as well. May you have deep refreshing sleep tonight!

Related posts:
DIY sleep tea: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/08/diy-sleepy-time-tea-recipe.html
Good sleep self talk: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/11/self-talk-for-sound-sleep-two-free.html
Simple tips for good sleep: http://lovejoyandpeas.blogspot.com/2013/07/4-simple-tips-for-better-sleep-and.html

Disclosure: I'm not affiliated with Paul McKenna in any way nor am I receiving any compensation for sharing this recommendation.

Amazing Berry Banana Smoothie Recipe

I'm doing this two week experiment of making healthy smoothies for lunch and dinner. This morning's smoothie was easy and delicious and a friend asked for the recipe so I thought I'd share here. Please note that I tend to just throw stuff in the blender so my quantities are estimates. Also I like my smoothies more liquid than thick so if you like yours thick use less water.

• 1 cup fresh salad greens
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
• 1 1/2 cups water (divided)
• 1 small banana
• 1 packet Amazing Meal Vanilla Chai Infusion Dietary Supplement (powder)

Put first four ingredients in blender using 1 cup of water. Pour remaining 1/2 cup water over powder in blender. Blend until completely smooth. Enjoy immediately (add ice if you like).

God is With You Always

God is everywhere and that includes with you. You are never alone! What a wonderful comfort.

Psalm 42:8 was part of the reading in today's Our Daily Bread and a friend of mine needed some encouragement so I thought I'd combine it with this beautiful sky photo for inspiration. I took this photo last month from a moving vehicle (my husband was driving) and used my sunglasses as a filter to get the cool hue.

May the God of all comfort bless you today!

Happy Thanksgiving!

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and

praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness

continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5 NIV

Of all the things for which I'm thankful, God's amazing loving grace reins supreme.

If you don't already have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, please check out this link to The Good News of Salvation by Billy Graham. 

Here is a haiku I wrote this morning:

Salvation from sin

Eternal life through Christ's blood

Praise be to the Lord!

May you have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Flooded Blessings

"The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21 NASB

Ironically, the week I finished reading "Simple Pleasures of the Home," a wonderful book of tips on making your home a more enjoyable place, was the same week we came home to three flooded rooms and a leaking hot water heater. In the midst of the immediate clean up and search for a plumber the phrase "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. Blessed be the name of the Lord." ran through my head and I knew that this situation was no where near what Job from the Bible went through when he uttered similar words. So God used this thought to help me be thankful in the midst of this inconvenience. We might not have had water for a day or hot water for a couple of days but we had God's love, a roof over our head, food, electricity and each other, just to name a few of our blessings.

It will be a long time before our house is back to it's normal state but I'll be working on remaining thankful for the blessings in our lives and keeping my eyes open for what other lessons God might have me to learn. I hope you and yours have a very happy Thanksgiving. May God bless you and keep you.

Take Time to See

"Nobody sees a flower -- really -- it is so small it takes time -- we haven't time -- and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time." Georgia O'Keeffe 

This quote reminds me of the importance of being in the moment and taking the time to appreciate the beauty of those we love. May you experience the joy of really seeing today and know that you are loved.

Sharing Joy

"Give happiness and joy to many other people. There is nothing better than that."

Ludwig Von Beethoven

One of my hopes for this blog is that it will bring you joy, whether through quotes, shared information or photographs (unless stated otherwise all photos in this blog's postings are by me). The photo featured in today's post was taken the other day and is of a yellow cone flower from our yard. It's one of the few flowers still blooming after our early snowfall this October. Flowers definitely bring me joy and I consider them a gift from God. May He bless you and yours!

Life's Purpose - Love

As Christians there are many ways to view God's will for your life. But if we're being honest with ourselves whatever you're doing needs to be in line with the two greatest commandments from Matthew 22: 37-39: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" It's not something any of us can probably achieve 100 percent of the time on this side of heaven but definitely is worth striving toward. 

No matter how we feel or what circumstances surround us we can choose to worship God, shed our selfish nature and put on loving kindness. Remembering that it's not our strength but His strength that makes this transition possible. I pray, dear reader friend, that you will choose love today. May God fill you with His loving Spirit and work His love in you today!  

Joyous Sunset

Welcome to Love, Joy and Peas! I was originally going to call the blog Epic Joy but someone beat me to it, as well as my next bunch of choices so I had to get creative. Love is the greatest thing in the universe and the focus of both of the two greatest commandments in the Bible, so I started with Love. Joy is my personal focus for this season in my life and I'm a vegetarian so added the peas (as well as a play on peace). Will be sharing things that promote love, joy, peace and veggies and hope you enjoy the ride.

Tonight's beautiful sunset brought me joy and I hope it does to you too. May God bless you!