Pina Colada Smoothie

Sandy beaches of Punta Cana, Dominican Repuclic, May 2012

So since my last post, my tummy has been acting up - A LOT.  I am not sure what exactly is going on (I think that I got so excited about my UNsalad that I was eating so much of it that my tummy just couldn't work fast enough to break it all down) but thankfully I know how to fix it:  All smoothies during the day, clean dinner, lots of water and peppermint tea...no wine.

In order for me to get through the day on just smoothies, I must keep it interesting.  This morning I had my staple smoothie, the Green Smoothie and a side of Trader Joe's Uncured Turkey Bacon.  For lunch, I packed 32 oz of my Pina Colada smoothie.  My goodness...this stuff is delicious.  It makes me dream of warmer weather and salty, sandy wind blown hair.  Can I go back to my honeymoon pleeeease?!


The recipe:

• 1/2 C frozen mango pieces  
• 4 frozen spotted bananas
• 3/4 C frozen pineapple
• 1/2 can Trader Joe's LIGHT Coconut Milk
• 1 T vanilla extract
• Water to cover the fruit
• **Add some leafy greens to give it an extra boost - it changes the milk-shaky-ness (yep, it's a word) of it though (you have been warned!)

First, add the ingredients (in the order of the list, makes for easier blending)

MMM.  Looks pretty relish, right?!

Indulgence time!  Enjoy your Pina Colada smoothie whilst dreaming of warmer weather and sun touched skin.  

This smoothie is creamy, delicious, nutritious, and filling.  It's like drinking a milk shake!  Or like a Pina Colada on the white sand beaches with warm sun on my skin and a breeze blowing through my hair.  ahhh.  Can you tell I need a vacation/i'm SICK of the cold?!  Enjoy your day-dream inducing smoothie my friends :)

I'm MAD. Enough is ENOUGH!

As I was laying in bed this morning, scrolling through Facebook (let's be honest - we all do it), I came across an article that a friend posted about how Subway was pledging to take a chemical out of its bread called azodicarbonamide.  According to the article, this chemical is used in breads to make them more "elastic" (why would we want our bread more elastic...seriously people!?).  This same chemical is used in things like YOGA MATS.  This is downright crazy.  It really upsets me that corporations are putting such chemicals into their foods.  WHY oh WHY can we not have just normal bread?!  

One article I read has this to say about azodicarbonamide: The same WHO Study cites respiratory issues like asthma among some people who were exposed to azodicarbonamide. But those individuals were breathing in the compound, not ingesting it." In addition to that remark, I also found in the conclusion of the article that in the form of ingesting it, the suggestion is, "do no eat, drink, or smoke".  And also, that "The substance decomposes on heating or on burning producing toxic fumes (nitrogen oxides)." WHOA.  Wait, so the study says that the substance decomposes on heating (like cooking bread) and produces toxic fumes as a result?  

There was a blogger who called to arms about this and over 78,000 people signed a petition to get this substance out of Subway bread.  But that is not the only fast food joint that uses this substance.  According to reports, the following restaurants also put this substance in their foods:

• McDonalds
• Burger King
• Chick-Fil-A
• Dunkin Donuts
• Wendy's
• Arby's
• Jack-In-The-Box
• Hardee's
• White Castle
• And more

If you'd like to learn more I linked the original article I read and in the above paragraph, the study on the chemical. I know that some may disagree with me saying, "the FDA approves it and the food is quick and delicious." And even though its been a VERY long time since I have visited any of these places, I still crave a little fast food from time to time and even indulge every now and then, no longer.  This was the final straw for me and my cravings for fast food.  

Are you angry about it?  I sure am!

Ode to the Green Smoothie

Unless you've been living under a rock you've heard at least a snippet about this new health craze…the green smoothie.

I have always been a fan of eating my greens, but these days, drinking them is my ideal method of consumption.  Below is my most favoritist (yes, that's a word in my house) green smoothie recipe.

A few things about my smoothies (and smoothies in general):

1. I drink them every day.  I have to, if I don't I don't have any energy, my tummy feels bloated, and I simply feel off.  
2. This recipe is pretty hefty because I use it as a meal replacement.  If you don't want it as a meal replacement, back off the fruits some if you want. 
3. I've read that it is important to drink your smoothie relatively soon after making it so that the nutrients don't break down.  Also, I've read that if the smoothie is stored in an airtight container, the nutrients last longer. Therefore, I make my smoothies in the mornings before work and store them in mason jars filled to the very top. 

Oh how I love the bright green goodness.

I suggest investing in these.  These lids make smoothies much more on-the-go friendly. 

The hubster loves it when I have leftovers for him - a green shot to go along with breakfast :)

Here's the recipe:

Layer the ingredients in this order:

• 1 C frozen mango
• 1 1/2 cup frozen bananas
• 1 T sunbutter (or whatever nut butter you use - this is the only one I'm not allergic to)
• 1 T chia seeds
• 2 handfuls of fresh spinach 
• 16 oz water

I'm a Trader Joe's nut - I know.  You just can't beat their prices!

I blend it down and add more spinach when there is more space. I use a normal blender.  No…it is not the best or as convenient as a Vitamix or Ninja but it does the job.  You can't use the fact that your blender isn't good enough as a reason to not make smoothies. Just do it!

There you go!  This smoothie is my staple.  I love it and look forward to it every morning and lunch.  I would like to learn and create more recipes to change it up a bit.  Keep an eye out for more recipes!

Feel free to leave your own smoothie recipes below for me and others to try!