by LT MarathonGirl | Jul 6, 2014 | Uncategorized
“A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in–what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars.”
― Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
My garden is my pride and joy. I love being able to relax in the back yard with a different scene almost daily depending on what is in bloom. Tucked away in the blooms are edible delights that almost look too pretty to eat. Chives in the spring and fall, strawberries in early summer, blackberries in late summer, and herbs almost year round.
Not big on rum, a server at my old favorite restaurant (so sad that it is gone) talked me into ordering a blueberry mojito. I have to say, it was fun summer awesomeness in a glass. It was this morning’s inspiration for our morning smoothie.
Blueberry Mojito Smoothie
Printable Version
Ingredients
- 1 banana
- 1 1/2 c. fresh blueberries
- 1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
- 1 small handful kale
- 1 slice lime
- 1/2 c water
- 1 c ice
- 1 squeeze agave
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Instructions
- place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth
by LT MarathonGirl | Mar 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
At a networking breakfast yesterday, someone mentioned leaving the skin on kiwi when you make
smoothies. It just didn’t sound right to me, but then someone added “my kid eats kiwi with the skin on like an apple”. OK, but kids eat worms too. I still wasn’t 100% sold, but I tried it this morning anyway – you couldn’t tell they were in there. Believe me, if anything was funky our 10 year old would have called us out.
Thanks for the great tip.
I did some research this morning, there’s actually a California Kiwifruit Organization. I found out that by leaving the skin on the fiber value is tripled and more of the vitamin C is retained. Hey, I just like that it’s a shortcut in the morning.
According to Wikipedia to have “skin in the game” is to have incurred monetary risk by being
invested in achieving a goal. In my smoothie recipe having skin in the game is to retain more of the vitamins and add fiber.
Skin In Kiwi Smoothie
printable version
Ingredients
- 2 oranges peeled
- 8 strawberries
- 1 slice lime
- 1 inch slice pineapple peeled
- 2 kiwi, ends cut off, but not peeled
- 1 cup ice
- 1 cup water
- 1 squeeze agave
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Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!
by LT MarathonGirl | Mar 8, 2014 | Uncategorized
Sometimes it’s not the foods our kids (and husbands) won’t eat, it’s the way they are prepared. For instance, most people steam brussel sprouts. Yuck! You can’t get most people to buy in to them this way. Try roasting them with olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and orange peel. DELICIOUS! The same goes for asparagus. Steamed, not so liked. Grilled or roasted it takes on an entirely different flavor, and texture, that will get more wins and empty plates.
I find that the best way to make sure that my family gets enough vegetables is to hide them in a fruity flavored smoothie. Sometimes I sneak a few too many veggies in there and I am busted. Sometimes I hit a home run like with this limey flavored smoothie.
“All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
Hide the Spinach, An Antioxidant Smoothie
Printable Version
Ingredients
- 1 orange peeled
- 2 kiwi peeled
- 1 banana
- 1 lime wedge
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup ice
- 1 squeeze agave
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Instructions
- Put all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Wait to see if anyone detects your secret ingredient. I bet that they can’t
by LT MarathonGirl | Jan 19, 2014 | Uncategorized
Smoothies are an excellent way for hiding veggies from 9 year old boys who won’t eat them any
other way. The trick is keeping your smoothie recipe from turning sludgie yucky brown and looking like swamp water. Here’s a recipe that stays purple (ish) keeping the mass amounts of spinach in it your secret.
1/2 c water
1/2 c ice
2 cups red grapes
1 c fresh blueberries
1 peeled orange
1 slice lemon peel on
2 large handfuls baby spinach (about 4 cups)
1 squeeze agave
by LT MarathonGirl | Dec 29, 2013 | Uncategorized
My friend’s enthusiasm over this book, The 4 Hour Body, interested me enough to download it the same day. He was geeked, and rightfully so. He attributed techniques in the book to losing double digit pounds in 14 days. For a tall and naturally thin person this is quite a feat. As a health conscious person, always looking for ways to improve, I was intrigued.
I downloaded the book on Audible and listened to it in it’s entirety in less than a day. I was not hooked by all of the great tips that I couldn’t wait to put into practice. I was hooked by the bizarreness of it. Much like you can’t take your eyes off of a creepy movie, I listened to nearly 4 hours of weirdness.
Practices I will put into place from 4HB:
1) Start each day drinking a glass of cold water. This one makes sense and is practical and I heard Cameron Diaz tout it is one of her beauty secrets.
Practices I will continue that were reinforced in 4HB:
1) Don’t drink your calories. I am much happier enjoying cheesecake at the end of a meal than hating my pillow for hurting my head after too much wine.
2) Cheating regularly. Not only does Berta (the 300 pound Italian girl within me) win sometimes she should.
Practices I will ignore from this book (and recommend that you do too).
1) Avoiding all things white. This is too stressful (and expensive) and you should be able to enjoy the food you eat in moderation.
2) Avoiding all fruit. No comment necessary.
3) Avoiding dairy. I don’t think any of us would be too fond of osteoporosis.
4) Eating canned beans and vegetables. Have you checked out the sodium in these?
5) Drink 2 glasses of red wine every night. What happenend to not drinking your calories?
Downright ridiculous comments in the book
1) Europeans didn’t have fruit year round and yet we exist today. Yes, but they only lived into their 40’s and how about that scurvy?
2) The 15 minute orgasm. He is pretty liberal in what he considers an orgasm. Me, I am much more specific and I bet that you are too.
3) CEO’s don’t act like sex machines. He obviously doesn’t watch much news. Business leaders, politicians, clergy, there is no industry free from sex addicts.
4) On cheat day eat until you’re sick. Boy, that sounds like fun. Just like the diarrhea he says you may get from this lifestyle. I think I will pass . . . and I don’t mean pass gas.
As for the 4 Hour Anything, hard work is and always has been the only way to get ahead.
What is the craziest diet or exercise that you have tried?
