Green Monster

I have recently found my favorite drink. I call it the GREEN MONSTER. I call it this because it is seriously a monstrosity full of good for you foods...and it's green :)
Here is the recipe, feel free to adjust to your preference :)

GREEN MONSTER

2 cups of spinach
1/4 cup cottage cheese (or vanilla yogurt)
1 cup of milk ( I use vanilla soy milk, but any will do)
1 frozen banana
1-2 tablespoons peanut butter
*optional post workout addition: 1 scoop whey or soy protein

Blend the spinach, cottage cheese, and milk until smooth. Then add banana and PB. Blend again until smooth. BOTTOMS UP!

I was really skeptical about adding spinach to my fruit smoothie, mostly because I can always taste it when V8 tries to disguise their veggies. I don't like being able to taste distinct flavors when they are so contrasting. I would rather feel a symphony than a few clunky garage bands trying to harmonize on my tongue. Sometimes it just doesn't work. But I promise, this one works! It is so good, and I get sad everytime I see the bottom of the cup.

here i am post workout enjoying my treat of the day 

enjoy it :)

Pinterest and Food

I am dedicating this post to the awesome-ness that is Pinterest. Pinterest is a virtual pin-board, FULL of all sorts of ideas, including recipes. I have 'pinned' so many recipes that I will probably never make, though I hope to. Pinterest has given me the opportunity to realize how much I love food, as well as how in adequate my culinary skills are. Pinterest depresses me. It also gives me hope. I found a quote on there the other day that read:

"The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison." Dr. Ann Wigmore

From that moment on, I decided that I was only going to fill my body with food that would benefit it, not just my taste buds, but also my muscles and organs. There is so much good food in the world, and I am tired of wasting the time and energy it takes to make and digest yucky food. So from now on, all the food I will post about with be healthy and beneficial in more than just it's flavor.
 'Till next time
H. 

Granola Girl

I am sorry to report that this post will not have any pictures to add to the experience, even though granola is a very yummy looking treat.
BUT I figured since it has been so long, its better if I post about it with out pictures than avoid the concept all together.
I made granola for the first time a few weeks ago and it is YUMMY. I LOVE it and I eat way to much...it's healthy right?

So for the recipe:
Rolled oats (how many depends on how much you want. if you want 5 cups of granola, use 5 cups of oats)
Any kind of nuts or dried fruit (my favorite is coconut and almonds)
Brown sugar (about as many table spoons as cups of oats)
Honey- I use about 2 cups, depending on the amount of fillers
Oil- a few tablespoons
vanilla (optional)

Pretty much I throw everything into a bowl and stir it up until the oats and other fillings are coated and sticky with oils and honey. It is all according to personal preference. After it is all coated, spread it out flat onto a greased baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes at 350*. When it is as dark as you want it, let it sit for a few minutes. It will harden in this time and then be ready to eat in about 20-30 minutes. After it is completely cooled, store it in plastic containers for up to three weeks (mine never lasts that long)

I love this recipe because I can alter it depending on how I want it to be. I eat this stuff everyday, loving every bite.

Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-lafel: First Meal After Christmas Break

Today was my first day back from break. I went grocery shopping and bought the ingredients to make Falafel. Falafel is a Greek meal made with a base of garbanzo beans served inside a pita.
I got the recipe out of the cookbook that Julie gave me for Christmas. Falafel is a little hard to describe, but here are some testimonials from some of my un-paying customers:
A roommate who has asked that her identity remain anonymous says "It's the best thing that's passed my lips since my first kiss."
Kelby says "Falafel is like hash browns on steroids."
I would like to add that there are no potatoes, which makes it better for you, less starch and more protein.
To make the Fafela, you mash up Garbanzo beans like potatoes, then you add some onions, garlic, and spices..i used cumin and parsley...then some salt and pepper to taste.
after you combine everything, and mash it up all nice, form them into patties...about the width of a ping pong ball.   then you fry them...virtually eliminating any possible health benefits, but making it delicious none the less.
after I fried it, I put it in a pita and added a cucumber cream sauce and then some tomatoes...the recipe also called for shredded carrots, but due to my near empty fridge I wasn't able to add this ingredient.
pretty much it was delicious....