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 :)

Weekend Eats - Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, Butternut Squash Chili

Let's face it.  Eating healthy during the week is fairly easy.  I'm at work, in the classroom and my only choice of food is what I brought or school provided yucky student snacks (i.e. microwaved waffles or english muffins with soy butter).  So when I fix myself only delicious smoothies and sometimes veggie packs for school, it's pretty easy a little easier to stay healthy.  While I post some delicious (and sometimes complex)  recipes on here, I normally eat pretty simply during the week.  A quick 5-minute fried rice is my go-to for a weeknight dinner (especially with the hubs is out of town).







We like to get out of the house on the weekend a explore our new city of Richmond.  We tried this brewery for the first time, Strangeways Brewing Company and it was great!  I got a Pomegranate Saison - mm mm mm yum.









When the weekend hits I'm ready for a nice large glass of red and a hearty meal.  However, my tummy and my conscience will not allow me to go crazy.  I've recently been craving an amazing pancake breakfast, but the heaviness of pancakes on my tummy just makes me cringe.  I looked around on Pinterest and found this recipe for banana oatmeal pancakes.  Sunday morning is the perfect day to try a new pancake recipe.  Our church has an 11:00 service which makes Sunday mornings the best part of our week.  Think: sleep in, make coffee and a nice breakfast, go to church and praise the Lord!  How much better can it get?!?

Modifications for the pancakes: 

• Doubled (for 2 people) but only used three eggs instead of 4
• Make them sand-dollar sized for easier flipping
• Use fresh blueberries - not frozen...there IS a difference!
• We used real sugar (just a pinch) instead of fake sweetener - just keepin' it real y'all. 

And then, I've been craving chili.  My school had a chili cook-off on Friday night, but with my stupid food restrictions, I couldn't taste any of them!  So, per the usual, I jumped on Pinterest looking for an alternative.  And THIS my friends is what I found.  This has got to be one of the best meals to come out of my kitchen.  I wish I had the bragging rights to this meal, but I do not.  I made this one to the exact directions (what?! me?! follow a recipe to a t?!) and it was amazing.  That said, I think I may puree some spinach next time to boost this meal even more.  It took all day to cook (mainly in the oven, so not too involved) and it was so worth the wait. Not to mention my house smells divine. 

Serve on top of fresh basmati rice and enjoy! This chili is seriously delicious and guilt free.  It warms your tummy and satisfies all your comfort food cravings.  Make this.  I promise you'll love it. 

Now...let me go gobble that ooey-gooey cookie my hubs just got out of the oven. :)

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!