Do you know The Blender Girl? Well I do, and I think she’s pretty spectacular. You might have heard about her through my social media posts about her book, or my review post on her newest book here: http://celiacandthebeast.com/2014/08/blender-girl-cookbook-review-book-signings/. Or you might have seen adorable photos of us from Expo West. Today I’m here to talk about her newest endeavor – her app!
THE BLENDER GIRL SMOOTHIES APP
At launch, The Blender Girl Smoothies App featured 70 recipes, but there are new recipes added weekly. The Blender Girl Smoothies App is available for $4.99 on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch or at www.AppStore.com.
The comprehensive smoothie-making guide from one of the stars of the food word, The Blender Girl (aka my friend Tess) takes smoothies to the next level of smoothiedom. There’s over a hundred creative and delicious smoothie recipes. Each recipe contains three additional boosters (like chia seeds, ginger, etc.) that ramp up the flavor, nutrient value, etc. There’s also a unique search function lets you punch in what you feel (happy, sluggish, wired), what you need (a detox, to lose weight, to chill the hell out because work makes you want to scream), and crave, to find the right smoothie every day.
Each recipe will have a photograph, an extensive ingredient glossary, shopping lists, blender tips, both Imperial and metric measurements, and other handy tips and tricks. It’s a NO FAIL app for smoothie-ness.
Per The Blender Girl, the new app features:
- 70 Delicious Smoothie Recipes: Plus, one additional smoothie recipe released weekly for a total of 100 recipes.
- Stunning Full-color Photography: In addition to images of every smoothie recipe, the app includes photos of frequently used and recommended ingredients in the glossary.
- Optional Flavor and Nutrition Boosters: Three additional ingredients per recipe can be added to boost flavor complexity, nutrition, or both. Use one, two, or all three options according to your taste or sense of adventure.
- Unique Search Functionality: Search by ingredient, dietary preferences, or recipe type, or use the unique story feature and fill in “I feel, I need, I crave” options to find smoothies that fit your mood on any given day.
- Special Dietary and Nutritional Information: Recipe summaries list the health benefits of each smoothie, special icons flag recipes that are appropriate for specific needs (weight loss, anti-inflammatory, high-protein, alkaline, and so on), and nutritional info provides calories, fat, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein, calcium, and iron levels.
- Imperial and Metric Measurements: Set the app to display your preferred system of recipe measures.
- Customized User Settings: Personalize your experience by setting dietary preferences and update alerts or toggle between Imperial and metric measurements.
- Comprehensive Glossary: Expanded information on the nutritional benefits of the recipes, including tips on selecting, storing, and incorporating ingredients—along with labeled photos–help you create your own delicious blends.
- FAQs and Practical Tips: Straightforward answers to frequently asked questions, along with tips on building smoothies and using both conventional and high-speed blenders, give you all the information you need to become a smoothie-making whiz.
- Blender Recommendations: The Blender Girl shares her favorite blenders.
- Favorites: Identify your favorite smoothies so you can find them quickly.
- Notes: Store recipe comments right on the recipe page to keep track of any tweaks you made, ideas for next time, or tasting notes, so you can find your perfect blend every time.
- Share-a-Smoothie Capability: Share recipes with your friends and family via email or through social media on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
- Quick and Easy Shopping Lists: Create simple shopping lists right from the recipes that can be edited and supplemented, then email it to yourself or a friend.
But you’re probably thinking – $4.99 for an app? I don’t even pay for levels on Candy Crush! But this is just like her book – but in the palm of you hand, and many more recipes! If you are a die-hard blender, or want to increase your weekly smoothie load- you’ve got to buy this. Invest $5 in your health.
For good measure, he’s a FREE blender recipe, courtesy of Tess and The Blender Girl.
RECIPE: CHAI TAI SMOOTHIE
Recipe from The Blender Girl Smoothies app © Tess Masters, copyright (c) 2014. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House LLC.
Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (240ml) unsweetened almond milk or other nut, grain, or seed milk (strained if homemade)
- 1 cup (240ml) coconut water
- 1/4 cup (43g) chopped pitted dates (soaked, if using a conventional blender)
- 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Pinch of natural salt (optional, to bring out flavors)
- 2 medium frozen sliced bananas
- 1 cup (125g) ice cubes (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Throw all of the ingredients into your blender and puree on high for 30 to 60 seconds, until smooth and creamy.
OPTIONAL BOOSTERS:
- 1 tablespoon blanched raw almonds, soaked
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
MORE ABOUT TESS:
Australian-born Tess Masters is an actor, cook, and author of The Blender Girl cookbook and The Blender Girl Smoothies app. She shares her enthusiasm for healthy living on theblendergirl.com. As a presenter and recipe developer, Tess collaborates with leading food, culinary, and lifestyle brands. She has been featured in the L.A Times, Washington Post, InStyle, Real Simple, Thrive, Vegetarian Times, Living Without Gluten Free & More, Allergic Living, New Idea, Today.Com, Prevention.Com, Shape.Com, Glamour.Com, FoodNetwork.Com, Parents.Com, Chow.Com, among other websites, blogs, and publications around the world.
Away from the blender, Tess enjoys a diverse performance career. She has toured internationally with stage productions, worked in film and television, and lent her voice to commercial campaigns, audiobooks, and popular videogame characters. Tess and her partner, Scott Brick, live in Studio City, California, with their West Highland White Terrier (and blender-cuisine maven), Cookie.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthyblenderrecipes
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theblendergirl
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/theblendergirl/
Instagram: http://instagram.com/theblendergirl
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/theblendergirl