Ginger pear green smoothie

[ While I been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, all opinions are mine. Thanks for supporting the brands that support me! #BestLifeProject #CollectiveBias ]

Ginger pear green smoothie: an easy portable power breakfast packed with protein that's also low in calories, gluten free, dairy free, vegan ... and delicious!

Pears are one of my favorite things about fall. I'm less about pumpkin and more about pears. And lately I've been kind of obsessed with the pairing of ginger and pears (pairing pears -- ha ha! -- I didn't even plan that). And it's not just in recipes: I recently went a little cray cray when I found a ginger-pear hand lotion.

So when I was asked to incorporate Vega Essentials shake powder into a recipe, I knew it would be a ginger pear smoothie. (Which only makes sense because you shouldn't eat hand lotion, no matter how awesome it smells.)

I've really gotten into a smoothie groove lately. When you're trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, smoothies can be so helpful. They make eating a healthy breakfast easy and are a perfect afternoon treat when I'm in the mood for a little snack. Way better for me than answering the siren call of cookies!

9 healthy recipes for spinach (CSA Share Ninja Rescue 2014)

Nine healthy, delicious recipes for using fresh spinach from your garden, CSA share or farmers' market: enjoy spinach for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even in snacks and drinks!

Dudes. It's already Week 4 of the CSA Share Ninja Rescue for 2014. For a month we've been at this -- your telling me each week what produce from your CSA share (or garden or farmers' market) you're struggling to use, followed by my rescuing you with a list of delicious, healthy recipes on Tuesdays.

We have one of my all-time favorite veggies in the spotlight this week: spinach! Oh how I love it in crunchy salads, layered on sandwiches, paired with hot chicken dishes, creamed into dips, whirled up in a smoothie ... you get the idea. If you need some new-to-you recipe ideas for fresh spinach, look no further than these nine healthy, delicious recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers.

Lemon spinach pesto

Quick and easy lemon spinach pesto made with almonds and parmesan cheese -- enjoy on pasta, pizza, crostini and more. And it freezes well, too!

I rarely think about pesto in the winter. Now, I probably should -- the bright colors would certainly cheer up a dreary, gray December day. I mean, remember my hot pink beet pesto? Ha cha cha, now that's a color!

But when summer rolls around? Awwwww yeah, bring on the pesto, baby.

Pesto is so absurdly easy to make, what's not to love? Whirl up a couple handfuls of plentiful herbs or greens along with some good olive oil, nuts and cheese and -- voila! -- you've instantly got the makings of a quick dinner, appetizer, pizza, you name it.

Once you master traditional basil pesto, start thinking outside the box. Again, remember the hot pink beet pesto? Or my caper pesto? That's some good stuff right there, peeps.

Today I'm suggesting spinach pesto. Yes, spinach -- loaded with vitamins and other healthy, good-for-you stuff. You've been cramming it into sweet smoothies for months now (thanks to Detox January), so why not follow the same principle and turn that spinach into some yummy savory pesto?

Why not, indeed.

For this pesto, I teamed healthy spinach with bright lemon, almonds and parmesan cheese. Rich and nutty but with just the right amount of lemony tang. Wicked good stuff.