Friday, May 31, 2013

the green drink recipe recap


{ green drink recipes! }

Thank you for reading about my journey through new green drink recipes this week! I hope that you will try some of these or better yet make up your own and share them with me! 

what we tried this week:





--{blended drink benefits reminder}--

These 'whole food blended drinks' are full of health benefits*:

Fiber: Blending instead of juicing retains the natural fiber of the fruits and vegetables! This does wonders for your digestive system and is healthy to consume daily. 

Add-Ins: Blended drinks take well to nutritional goodies like chia seeds, ground flaxseed and protein powder- your drink will already have a bit of texture, so what is a little bit more!

Meal Replacement: Because of all the fiber, nutrients and add-ins, a full glass of a green drink can keep you completely satisfied for around 3 hours.

Quick + Easy: The fruits and veggies just need a rough chop then in they go, the blender takes care of the rest and you aren't left having to clean out a juicer or deal with pulp.

Deceptively Delicious: Add the veggies you normally wouldn't reach for and all of a sudden you are introducing new foods and nutrients to your body- without having to really taste them.

{Some points to note:}
  • Pre-made drinks only last about 3-4 days
  • Blend for as little time as possible {under a minute}
  • If the consistency isn't as thin as you like- just add water. It's better to have more juice on hand than to 'over blend' and risk too much oxidation. 
  • If you prefer cold smoothie-like drinks- freeze the fruit you are using or toss in some ice cubes


I hope you begin to add one or two of these into your diet/lifestyle each day- you'll be glad you did! 
Enjoy the weekend + Go Green! 
 check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:

cherry + lemon green drink


{ cherry + lemon green drink }

THE RECIPE:
  • 3 stalks of kale
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced {peel on or off}
  • 1 cup cherries, pits removed
  • Juice of 2 lemons {or to taste}
  • 1 cup water
{makes 2 pint sized drinks}

toss all ingredients into the blender & blend until you reach your desired consistency

*put frozen ingredients in first & layer the kale between the other ingredients -- this helps the blending process

{how pretty are the colors?!}

THE REVIEW:


{from josh} First sip was a bit sour, but as I kept drinking it became a bright and fruity taste.  Delicious!

{from amanda} I have to agree with my husband on this one- sour & tart! This drink also has a more textured consistency than the others. Tasty though! 

there ya have it! 3 new green drink recipes to try- let me know how you like them! 
 check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:

Thursday, May 30, 2013

strawberry lemonade green drink


{ strawberry lemonade green drink }

THE RECIPE:
  • 3 stalks of kale
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced {peel on or off}
  • 1 cup sliced strawberries
  • Juice of 2 lemons {or to taste}
  • 1 cup water
{makes 2 pint sized drinks}

toss all ingredients into the blender & blend until you reach your desired consistency

*put frozen ingredients in first & layer the kale between the other ingredients -- this helps the blending process


THE REVIEW:

{from amanda} I love this one! It actually tastes like a super good-for-you strawberry lemonade. The lemon juice definitely makes it tart but the sweetness of the strawberries balance it nicely. 

{from josh} The citrus taste in this drink comes through much more today than in yesterday's.  Almost in an overpowering way. I would prefer if it were more strawberry less lemon.  


one more new recipe to come this week!

 check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:


Wednesday, May 29, 2013

watermelon + lime green drink


{ watermelon + lime green drink }

THE RECIPE:
  • 3 stalks of kale
  • 1/2 cucumber, sliced {peel on or off}
  • Quarter of a medium-sized watermelon
  • Juice of 3 limes {or to taste}
  • 1 cup water
{makes 2 pint sized drinks}

toss all ingredients into the blender & blend until you reach your desired consistency

*put frozen ingredients in first & layer the kale between the other ingredients -- this helps the blending process

 {hello super bright blinding picture}

THE REVIEW:

{from amanda} Tasty & refreshing! The main flavor that comes out is the lime, I can taste hints of the watermelon and I know it is there because the drink is slightly sweet. I love that the lime juice brightens the drink and makes it a tad sour- in a good way. I will definately be making this juice again! 

{from josh} The juice today had a sweet taste right from the first sip.  Smooth drink and not overly veggie tasting.  Very refreshing drink.  

Are you ready for the best tip ever?!
Squeeze your lemons and limes using a pair of tongs! 
You already own this tool... you don't want citrus juice all over your hands and arms... and most importantly- the extra leverage gets so much more juice out of the fruit!
{thanks to Ina Garten- the barefoot contessa- for featuring this tip on her show}



check back later this week for another new green drink recipe! 

 check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

all about green


Green Drinks are my long time morning friend- they keep me full, are a snap to prepare and fill me with extra servings of veggies first thing in the morning. I tend to stick with this recipe each morning {the protein powder is optional}.

While my green drinks have a similar consistency to traditional juices- I make my drinks using a regular blender {but if you want to buy me a VitaMix, I will accept!} so they are a tad bit thicker and tend to require a good stir right before drinking. 

These 'whole food blended drinks' are full of health benefits*:

Fiber: Blending instead of juicing retains the natural fiber of the fruits and vegetables! This does wonders for your digestive system and is healthy to consume daily. 

Add-Ins: Blended drinks take well to nutritional goodies like chia seeds, ground flaxseed and protein powder- your drink will already have a bit of texture, so what is a little bit more!

Meal Replacement: Because of all the fiber, nutrients and add-ins, a full glass of a green drink can keep you completely satisfied for around 3 hours.

Quick + Easy: The fruits and veggies just need a rough chop then in they go, the blender takes care of the rest and you aren't left having to clean out a juicer or deal with pulp.

Deceptively Delicious: Add the veggies you normally wouldn't reach for and all of a sudden you are introducing new foods and nutrients to your body- without having to really taste them.

{Some points to note:}
Pre-made drinks only last about 3-4 days
Blend for as little time as possible {under a minute}
If the consistency isn't as thin as you like- just add water. It's better to have more juice on hand than to 'over blend' and risk too much oxidation. 
If you prefer cold smoothie-like drinks- freeze the fruit you are using or toss in some ice cubes

After drinking 'blended whole food drinks/Green Drinks' for about a year I tend to stick with the same recipe but after coming home from the lake this weekend with a sack full of fruits I don't usually have on hand, I had the chance to make some new combinations!!! Yay for change!



I pre-made the drinks last night and Josh and I will be drinking them throughout the week as afternoon snacks. I plan to post the recipes throughout the week so you can try them too! 


go green! 
check out some of my past posts on green drinks & protein shakes:


*news alert: I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, just a girl that loves to drink her veggies & blog

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

wear sunscreen + do what you've always wanted to do

The first moments of your day are just so pivotal. After first finding my sweetheart of a boxer dog asleep on our brand. new. white. couch. this morning {grrr!!!}, I feel like I have been bombarded with goodness. I think it's going to be a good day :)

2 things I must share before we dive headfirst into the day: 


1. Baz Luhrmann's 'Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)' song was on the radio. Seriously, I haven't heard that gem since it's 1999 birth, but wow was it refreshing and relevant! I may need to add it to my iPhone and listen to it once a week. 

It's long. But it's worth a read {or a listen}:


Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be 
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by 
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable 
than my own meandering 
experience…I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not 
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. 
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and 
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before 
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you 
imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as 
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing 
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that 
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm 
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with 
people who are reckless with yours.

Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes 
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with 
yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you 
succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your 
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they 
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year 
olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe 
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky 
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t 
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your 
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, 
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people 
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever 
own..

Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for 
good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the 
people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you 
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and 
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you 
knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live 
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will 
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize 
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were 
noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, 
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one 
might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will 
look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who 
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of 
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the 
ugly parts and recycling it for more than 
it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen…



2. Please 'meet' Lara Casey. Motivational speaker, Christ follower, branding expert, magazine editor {the list could go on}. I discovered this lovely lady {whom I will not actually meet until this July} on the one and only Instagram by way of Southern Weddings Magazine. She is a wealth of inspiration and honesty. Read her blog...follow her journey


Wear sunscreen. 
Do the things you've always wanted to do. 

Have a great day :)

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

to my mom

A special shout out to my blog's #1 fan....


Happy Birthday, Mom! You are the most beautiful woman I know, inside and out {cliches be gone}.  I hope you know that I consider it a great blessing to have a mom whose heart is truly made of gold and filled with love and hope for everyone. Even though I probably don't show it {blame Dad}...I am honestly inspired by the way you approach each person you meet with care, encouragement and kindness. 
I love you and can't wait to celebrate with you this evening!


Josh and I have a special family dinner planned tonight in honor of mom- fingers crossed it goes well and maybe I'll blog about it! :)