Green Monster Smoothie!

I'm so excited for this post! I have been wanting to try this smoothie since I first saw it like at least a year ago! I wasn't too sure of it at first.....I mean it's green! A pretty green, yes......however, still green!

My hubby got me a Oyster Smoothie Blend and Go Cup for Christmas :) I LOVE it!!!! It's SO convenient - all you do is blend it right in the cup and switch lids - barely any cleanup! Just my type of kitchen gadget! lol 

I've been making the usual smoothies which are good - like strawberry/blueberry with oatmeal - however, I wanted something a little bit more.

Doesn't that look beautiful?!

This is chock full of vitamins like A, C, K, iron, fiber, folate, and lutein..........Leutin is an antioxidant that promotes good eye health, and may help prevent cancer of the liver, ovaries, colon and prostate, and even dementia.

There are loads of people who claim that green smoothies help....

•  smooth and clear skin exponentially
• decrease acne
• increase energy levels
• speed up hair and nail growth
• encourage shinier, healthier hair
• improve overall feelings of health

So what's to lose?! Plus as my hubby and I discovered....they are DELICIOUS!!!! They don't even taste healthy!

Here are the basic ingredients: 

• Full-Fat, Organic Yogurt (3 Tbsp): For the creaminess, and the protein
• Spinach or Kale (1-2 handfuls): It just wouldn’t be a raw, fresh, green smoothie without one of these two ingredients 
• Banana (1 whole, peeled, frozen banana): To add body, potassium, and creaminess to the smoothie

 Other Things You Can Use in a Green Smoothie:

• Fruits of any shape, taste or size (I used frozen strawberries - if you use a colored berry such as blueberries your smoothie will turn brown!)
• Oatmeal (I LOVE adding oatmeal to smoothies! They really help to fill you up!)
• Peanut butter
• Honey, agave, stevia, or other sweeteners
• Wheatgrass, Kale, or any other type of healthy green powdered veggie/grass
• Ground flax seeds, hemp hearts, maca powder, chia seeds
• Milk (cow, almond, coconut, rice, almond, etc.)
• Veggies of any shape, taste, or size
• Flavorings like vanilla extract, orange extract, molasses (VERY healthy), and more
• Cocoa powder
• Coffee or tea
• The kitchen sink

 From what I've found there really are no set rules for a green smoothie other than the green part :) Though, I have read  that you do not want to leave out the banana - apparently the banana is what "cancels" out the "green taste".

Here is the smoothie that I made today

• 3 Tbsp Organic Vanilla Yogurt
• about 1/2 cup milk
• one full banana - sliced
• about 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• about 1 Tbsp honey

(I put "about" with a few of them because I really don't measure the ingredients, I just put in what looks right and after I blend it sometimes it will be too thick so I will add in more milk or too thin so I will add another frozen strawberry or some protein powder)

Blend all together in a blender and enjoy!!!

Here is my daughter enjoying her green monster! Wouldn't she be surprised to learn that there is spinach in it!

A Heath Fair and Caramel Apples

I'm having a hard time knowing how to start and what to write today...........I have a lot on my mind. I lost a friend yesterday from a terrible car accident. It really makes you think about your life and how you are living it. My life at home is wonderful. I have the greatest husband a girl could ask for, and 2 beautiful children.

Work, however, is a different story altogether! I hate my job - I work at a retail store in the bakery. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the actual work that I do, but I hate the people that I work for. They think nothing of treating you with as little respect as possible because, to them, all you are is a disposable number.
This is me, trying to talk to managment..........

I have had people in the past ask me if I'm going to try to move up in the company....I refer to this quote........."I honestly believe that it is better to be a failure at something you love rather than a success at something you hate." George Burns. I do not want to spend a minute more of my life doing something that I hate! You never know how short your life will be!

So that being said, I did something that I love the other day :) I cooked up some delicious, healthy food for the Health Fair at the retirement community where my hubby works. I used the fresh veggies from the farmer's market that set up a stand outside the building and had the recipe printed out for everybody to take so they can make it at home. This was the recipe that I cooked up - Ratatouille Pasta. It was a hit! I had many compliments and questions about my cooking and healthy eating. (I even had some people ask me if I'm a chef :)

 A picture of me that I actually like...........

You can't read it but my apron says "Come to the dark side, we have cookies. -V"  :)

Cutting up the garlic cloves..........my hands still smell like garlic.....I did make spaghetti yesterday though....

The finished product :) smelled so good!

The bowls are almost gone!

It was a great day! Afterwards, I went grocery shopping at a new store that my good friend Jake told me about. Its a marketplace that sells probably 70-80% organic/Michigan made food! It's AMAZING! Their veggies and fruit were all Michigan grown and great looking, they had a lot of different fruits and veggies that I've never been able to find anywhere else (I bought Anise.....soooo excited to cook it up!) They also have fresh meats (including fresh ground turkey YAY!), fresh salads (including hummus), Amish made butter, organic canned foods, like crushed tomatoes :), and what I was the most excited over, fresh local milk in a glass bottle! It was, admittedly a little bit more pricey than the conventional milk - but it's worth it. It was delicious and much healthier! 

Our grocery bill has gone up a little bit, but it's just a matter of prioritizing what you spend your money on. I, personally, would rather spend a little bit more money on food that is healthy and good for you, rather than spend less money on food that is laden with chemicals and hormones that are not meant to be in our bodies. My whole family is healthier, for instance, my hubby has lost 50lbs just by eating healthy and his mild IBS is virtually non-existent now. So, actually, we are probably saving money on health bills that we would have gotten later on in life! 

So the perfect ending to this day goes like this............

1. Take a can of sweetened condensed milk

2. Peel the label off and put in a pot filled with water

3. Simmer for about 3 hours - DON'T forget to keep adding water! (I forgot about it once.......it wasn't pretty....) While you are waiting, light a few pumpkin spice candles......hmmmmm soooo good! I'm sooo in the mood for fall!! And if you aren't now, you will be with the candles and apples with caramel :)

4. After about 3 hours take it out of pot and let it cool down. I usually put it in the fridge and leave it overnight. DO NOT open it right away! It will be pressurized and it will hurt you!

5. After it is cooled down, open and this is what you will see.........

6. Slice up some apples and enjoy! (If you want to go overboard a little bit, heat up some apple cider to go along with it......that's what I did :) It also wouldn't hurt to cuddle up with your sweetie on the couch with a blanket and a good movie :)

And here is a thought to leave you with...........

Personally, I would open up a healthy, organic bakery/cafe

Pondering My Daughter's First Day of School and a Fresh Salad

This is my beautiful daughter. She is 4 years old and will be starting preschool in a couple of weeks. On top of the normal anxiety that I'm sure every parent experiences when their child goes to school for the first time - mine is one-upped. For those of you who do not know, she has a sever tree-nut allergy. She is anaphylactic and carries two epi-pens with her at all times.

We found out about her allergy last year - January 1 actually. She had eaten 1/2 of a cashew then promptly threw it back up. She then started breaking out in hives all over her body, especially stomach, back, and face. My hubby gave her some benedryl and put her in a cool bath because of the hives and itching of the hives. This did not work. So starting to get more worried my hubby called me (I was on my way home from work) and told me that he thought we should take her to the ER. By the time I got home she was crying, itching, and her face was starting to swell up a bit. We took her the the ER and what followed was probably the worst night of my life. They rushed her to the back and put her on IV's to get her heart rate down. After she was stable, the doctor then told us that if we had waited just one hour to bring her in, we would have lost her. We were definitely being looked out for that day - that day we happened to be really slow at work so they let me go early - I was supposed to be home and hour later that day! It still gives me chills to think about it.
 

So after allergy tests and doctor visits - our life changed a bit. We promptly threw out all the food in our house that had nuts in it or on the label and I spent a lot more time grocery shopping because I check labels religiously (I still have to remind myself sometimes, and sometimes I don't remember checking the label so like a crazy person I dig through my whole cart and check every label again). We have it under control for now - no more episodes so far and I hope she never has another one! I know this isn't likely because as safe as you try to make it, accidents happen and you can't control everything. It was knowing this that had me freaking out and panicking the couple of months after. It even went so far that I had a couple of panic attacks when I would think about it. I spent hours researching her allergy on the internet - the FAAN website is a wonderful resource along with various blogs and forums. It is true - knowledge is power - I feel better about it knowing that I am well informed. However, now she is starting school................THIS FREAKS ME OUT!

We are sending her to a private school here in our little town. The ONE major thing that makes me feel so much better about trusting these people with her life is that they know how to manage her having an food allergy. I have talked to the secretary a couple of times and she has told me about her daughter who has the same food allergy my daughter has. They are willing to make her classroom completely nut free and have agreed to send notes home to all the parents of her classmates informing them of her allergy and making sure they know not to send their kids with any food that has nuts in it. I feel better, for sure, knowing this and knowing that they are very willing to do whatever it takes to keep it safe for her. Of course, I'm still a bit freaked out know that I'm trusting these strangers with her life, but there is a little bit of peace within that.

So, on to the recipe!!! This is a salad that I made the other day when I was thinking about sending her to school and doing some research on sending kids with food allergies to school - I needed a break from the computer and this is a involved recipe, plus I really wanted something super healthy :)

Southwest Organic Veggie Salad
(this is almost 100% organic :)

1/2 cucumber - sliced
handful of baby carrots
1 yellow summer squash - sliced
1 zucchini - sliced
1 garlic clove - minced
1/2 yellow onion - sliced in half moons (or diced)
1 small tomato - diced
1 small red pepper - sliced
handful of lettuce/spinich
3-4 leaves fresh basil
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parmigiano reggiano cheese - grated - to taste

Dressing
1/4 cup salsa (I used homemade but you can use your favorite)
1 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 Tbsp BBQ sauce (here's the link to my recipe for homemade)

*heat skillet with olive oil then saute onion for about 5 minutes or until soft
*add garlic then the zucchini, summer squash, and peppers and saute about 5 minutes (I like the squash to get a bit browned on the edges)
*toss all veggies together and sprinkle parm cheese on top then add your dressing
* enjoy :)

*note - if you want to add a bit of protein add in a cup or so of diced chicken breast, steak, or black beans

The Farmers Market

Have you ever been to a farmer's market? It's great! We have a couple of small farmer's markets around here but I've read about big street markets elsewhere - where there are dozens of different stands with everything from fruits and veggies to fresh meat to organic beauty products - I dream about those......

Anyways, however big or small they are, they are a goldmine for wonderful fresh fruits and veggies. This time around I got yellow summer squash, zucchini, blueberries, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, and a dozen ears of corn. The prices are the same if not cheaper than going to the supermarket. Everybody always thinks that it's more expensive - fresh and organic fruits and veggies = more expensive right? Nope! Not at all! Not only is it better tasting and looking, it is better for you (organic = no chemical pesticides) and you are supporting your local farms! How can you beat that?!

This time I went to the farmer's market over by where I work. I must admit that I prefer the one closer to home. The one by my work is more convenient for sure (I can just pop over there after work or on my lunch break),  however, the one by where we live (actually about 15 min away) has more produce plus fish, baked goods, and raw, organic honey. But since we are usually on a time constraint, I have to go with the more convenient one for now.

Now all I have to do is figure out my menu for the next 2 weeks :) I used to make out a menu for 2 weeks and then make my grocery list accordingly, however, now I find that it is easier to go shopping first so I know what fresh produce I can get. I then make out my menu from what I bought - there is so many different meals to make from fresh veggies! All sorts of pasta, sandwiches, wraps, salads, and side dishes - lots of variety! My hubby is even ok with eating them vegetarian once or twice a week!

So the next time you are on your way to the grocery store, keep this in mind! You can even stop at one of those little roadside stands. I know you see them and probably pass them and wonder what they have. They can be just as good as the farmer's market, plus cheap and convenient. You will be eating healthier and supporting your local economy - how can you not feel good about that?!