Blue Moon - Foodie Friday 2012
Blue Moon Edition (Original Foodie Friday Episode from August 2012)
What is a “Blue Moon?” Look up in the sky tonight - August 31, and you will see one for yourself. No, the Moon won’t actually be blue in color tonight, but a “Blue Moon” is the name given to the second full Moon in a single month.
Blue Moons occur, on average, once every 2 1/2 to 3 years. Perhaps this is why we traditionally describe an unusual event as happening “Once in a Blue Moon.”Since we won't have another Blue Moon until 2015, I decided to honor this event by creating a number of blue themed recipes for the occasion! I hope you'll enjoy exploring the Blue Side of the Moon this weekend!

Blue Moon 2.0 Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups fresh orange or apple juice
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root (optional)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Raw honey or Nu Naturals Vanilla Stevia, to taste
Blend until smooth. Serve.

Blue Moon Breakfast Bowl
1/2 - 1 cup fresh or frozen mango
1 banana
blueberries
blackberries
sliced bananas
hemp seeds
In a food processor or blender, combine the mango and banana until smooth. Pour into a bowl and top with the fruit to serve - ENJOY!

Blue Moon Chia Hemp Pudding
1 cups hemp milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1/2 pint blueberries, reserving some for garnish
2 dates, pitted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
pinch Himalayan salt
hemp seeds, for garnish
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor except for the garnish.
Place the blended mixture into a bowl and top with fresh blueberries and hemp seeds.

photo by betterrecipes.com
Blue Moon Mojito
8 mint leaves
10 fresh blueberries
1 lemon, juiced (can use a lime)
3 tablespoons raw honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener of choice
kombucha or sparkling mineral water
ice
more blueberries, for garnish (I used about 8 more)
Add blueberries, mint, and sweetener to a glass. Using the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler, muddle the mint leaves and blueberries until the berries have burst and are mixing well with the mint. Add the lemon/lime juice, and then throw in some ice. Drop in the rest of the blueberries for garnish and add the kombucha or sparkling water. Stir. Add a sprig of fresh mint for garnish and enjoy immediately.

Blueberry Mint Sorbet
24 ounces frozen blueberries
1/2 cup maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice (we plan to try this with Nu Naturals Stevia later today)
6 large mint leaves
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Put all ingredients into a food processor until smooth. Serve immediately or place in a covered container to be stored in the freezer.

Blue Moon Torte
For the Crust:
1 cup fresh, moist dates, pitted
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/3 cup macadamia nuts
pinch Himalayan salt
Combine ingredients in a food processor, pulsing until well incorporated. Press the mixture into a torte pan with removable bottom and chill while you prepare the filling.
For the Filling:
3 cups coconut meat (from 4 coconuts)
1 lemon, juiced
3 tablespoons raw honey, or other sweetener of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Blend the coconut meat with lemon juice, honey and vanilla....adding water only as needed to reach the desired consistency - you will want to leave it as thick as possible.
For the Topping:
1 pint fresh blueberries
To Assemble:
Pour the filling into your prepared crust and decoratively top with fresh blueberries. I started off with the half moon, but decided to go ahead and cover the torte so everyone would have the full taste sensation. Place torte into the freezer and thaw a bit before serving.
