Sunday Spinach, take 2

Yes, the Green Monster strikes again!!

After dinner I was craving chocolate. So I whipped up another version of the GM. It fully satisfied my sweet tooth--and it was super duper healthy!

Chocolate Green Monster

2 c fresh spinach
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
(I use Slim Fast only because it has the best flavor of the store-bought brands I've tried)
1 c skim milk
ice cubes

Blend until smooth. Creamy and yummy...I'm hooked!

Sneaky spinach

I tried my first Green Monster back in March, and although it was tasty, I wasn't super impressed. But I still like the idea of adding more greens to my diet. I eat salads all the time, add spinach to pasta, wraps, eggs, and sammies, but still want to add more! I've heard greens are good for the skin and help with the glow, plus they give you energy.

My smoothie staple is frozen strawberries, a ripe banana, and freshly squeezed orange juice. From experience, I know that spinach doesn't add that much flavor (it basically has no taste in a smoothie concoction) so I thought, why not add it to my regular smoothie??

The result?

It's ugly, but IT IS SO GOOD. All I can taste are the sweet strawberries, oranges, and banana.

Verdict: SUCCESS! I will be making this again. Very soon. I highly recommend it!

Green Monster Remix

1-2 c fresh spinach
1 frozen ripe banana
1 c frozen strawberries
6-8 small navel oranges, freshly squeezed, pulp and all
(enough juice to almost cover the fruit and spinach)

Blend until smooth.This actually made a good 20 oz (the glass shown above plus another small glass). I just finished drinking it all and I feel great! Ready to conquer this day...

Things I should do more often #3

Belt out a rockin' tune in my car at the top of my lungs. I did it last night on the way back from my parent's house. I admit I won't often do this in the light of day, but it was dark at the time and I didn't care if anyone saw me or not! It was freeing...no holds barred and most likely a little off-tune with the the occasional wrong word. But I felt happy and at peace when I got home.

Happy Birthday, Dad!!

My hero...xoxoxo

Purple Tators!

Well, I think they look more like indigo...but they are neato nonetheless! I found these at the local Wallyworld. The brand, Wada Farms, often comes out with special types of potatoes. I particularly like their fingerlings. I saw these and thought they were too cool to pass up.

After rinsing the potatoes (the bag contained about 1.25 lbs), I placed them in my Dutch oven with about 2 T of unsalted butter, kosher salt, and black pepper. I covered it and cooked them on low heat for about 30 minutes. Then I wanted that great roasted flavor so I cut them each in half and placed them in a roasting pan on 400 for another 20 minutes or so. Delicious and pretty!!

Jack in my head

Sometimes you just need a little Jack Johnson to get you through the day...one of my favorites!

Everything changes...

...if you want it to! Some exciting things are going on in my life right now. Stay tuned for some news maybe later this week...

In the meantime, I've been chugging along this summer with work, school, and trying to keep up with running. It's been tough...I am NOT a morning person and miss my evening runs so much. But the heat is sweltering as usual and it's not safe to run later in the day. I have not been successful at getting up at the crack of dawn to run, and I LONG for it! And, after about a month of eating more than I should with less activity, I have gained a good 5 pounds. But I am back to eating several smaller meals a day with lots of yummy fresh fruit and veggies. I feel SO much better when I eat this way! I've discovered a new love in the snack department--Atheno's Roasted Red Pepper hummus. Excellent with pita chips!!!!!!

All in all, things are going well. Just been pondering some possible life changes...

I came up with a new quote to match what I'm feeling lately:

"Sometimes God doesn't necessarily close a door before he opens a window and you're left with 2 choices...it's up to YOU to find the strength and make the right decision."

Things I should do more often #2

Yoga.

Plain and simple. I long to be more flexible and lean, but have shied away from yoga in the past. I have downloaded 3 sessions from yogadownload.com, a 20-minute session, a 30-minute session, and a 45-minute session. So far I've done the 20-minute session. I enjoyed it, and even though I love Warrior pose, it had my thighs burning! It's a good thing, though.

Because I've been feeling down lately about my running (more on that later), I've realized I need to incorporate new, fun, and challenging things into my fitness routine. More cycling, yoga, and weight training are in order for sure. Swimming is also on that list (and has been for years) but I really need to join a gym and learn the proper form. I can swim, sure...but when it comes to hard-core freestyle, I cannot do it. I have TONS of long, thick hair and have never successfully gotten it all into a swim cap. I tend to swim crooked and have never invested in swim goggles. Plus, I may be fit as a runner, but when it comes to the cardiovascular aspect of swimming, I come up gasping for air after very little effort!

So, my ultimate yoga goal is to be able to execute a beautiful Natarajasana.

Review: Hodgson Mill Pancake Mix

I've been in the mood for some healthier pancakes. I like to make a batch of pancakes to take to work and eat in the morning for fuel. So I tried out a Hodgson Mill pancake mix. I've used their Buckwheat Pancake mix before and loved it. This time I bought the Multi Grain Buttermilk Pancake with Milled Flax Seed and Soy.

From the website:
"A mix of delicious, 100% whole grains with the unsurpassed nutrition of added flax seed and soy makes this unique pancake mix a healthful and tasty new way to enjoy a pancake breakfast! Each serving provides over 6 grams of Soy Protein plus 450 mg of Omega-3 Oils per serving. High in fiber and cholesterol free, Hodgson Mill's MultiGrain Buttermilk Pancake Mix is a perfect combination of healthy nutrition and hearty whole grain flavor."

Verdict: Yummy! And very nutritious. I love the chewy texture and they were delicious dipped in real maple syrup. I made about 8 little pancakes last night for the rest of the week.

Things I should do more often #1

Cuddle with these furballs...

Bailey.

This is Bailey. He is the newest member of my brother's family. They adopted him from a shelter in The Woodlands (yay for shelter dogs!) and gave him a new home. He might be one of the best dogs I have ever met. He is sweet and VERY well-behaved. Plus, he loves my nieces and nephew!! I can't wait to visit him again.  

 Bailey & Samantha

(photo courtesy of my brother and his kick-ass new camera)

Fav new snackie

I've taken to eating a serving of Grape Nuts when I am feeling hungry. That is, when I don't have any fruit lying around the office. Not only are Grape Nuts healthy and filling, but you forget your hunger while lost on the mission of chomping and chewing those little boogers. There is nothing like the loud crunch of Grape Nuts to wake you up and give you a little pep in the late afternoon hours!