Hopping on the Green Smoothie Train

Wow, it's amazing how when the weather get's nicer and the days get longer....I still don't have "enough" time! Luckily though, this is usually because Nick and I are outside enjoying nature and playgrounds.  I can live with that!

If you have been looking at any blogs similar to the ones I follow, you will have noticed by now that everyone has a green smoothie recipe that they rave about.  Well, I am no different! I made a couple attempts at trying them in the weeks prior to this, but have always had trouble finishing them, and I only did because I knew what I was doing was good.  That is because I foolishly looked at the ingredients and thought, "nutbutter and spinach? no way that could be good!".  Well, let me tell you that I finally tried it, and boy did that make a difference!

In case you don't know, green smoothies are an excellent way to incorporate those really, really, really good nutrients in an easy, delicious way.  And you will probably get a lot more in than you would if you tried to just eat each ingredient on it's own.

I adapted my recipe from one of my favorite blogs, "Oh She Glows", http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/13/classic-green-monster/.  This is yet another one of those recipes that you will adapt and change with what you have in the fridge, but I have found that having a few of the ingredients is a must, at least when you are just starting out on the Green Smoothie train.  I use my immersion blender to make my  smoothies, and I fill up the blender cup most of the way with spinach.  Obviously, any leafy green works here, but I typically get some really yummy spinach in my Veggie Delivery.  Being a green smoothie, this is an important ingredient.  The next thing, which surprised me, was the nut butter.  You could use peanut butter, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, whatever you like.  But this adds a bit of protein, and oddly enough cuts the spinach taste in the most wonderful way!.  I use about one and a half tablespoons.  The next ingredient that is a super nice boost is a tablespoon of coconut oil.  It's got natural antibiotic and antifungal properties, plus it's loaded with healthy fat.  Score! Then I add in a tablespoon or two of ground flax meal.  This has good Omega 3 fatty acids, and also is a really good way to keep things....regular.  If you are not accustomed to using flax seed meal, start with a small amount and work your way up.   Trust me.  The final important aspect of this is to put some kind of frozen fruit in.  Bananas are really easy, inexpensive, and taste great with the mix.  Next you can add in yoghurt, almond milk, fruit puree, honey, or a number of other fruits and veggies you have around.  If you use too many berries, your smoothie may not be green.  This may or may not help the look of your drink!

As you can tell by my excessive use of exclamation points, I feel really good after having a few of these.  The other reason why I love these, is that it actually makes me feel full for a long time, which is really hard to do. My other recommendation is to only make what you will drink in one sitting.  These will not hold up well in the fridge, unfortunately.  Especially if you decide to throw an avocado in there.  That will taste great, but it will turn brown after a little while.  That is not appetizing. Anyway, I get to fill up the cup my immersion blender came with, and it's enough for two normal people (i.e. two of these mason jars), or one nursing Mom. 

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana
1 handful of spinach
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1.5 tablespoons of ground flax meal
1.5 tablespoons nut butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
enough liquid (almond milk, pear puree, orange juice, etc) to blend

Possible additions/substitutions: kale, collard greens, mixed greens, lettuce, yard greens, cucumber, carrots, avocado, mango, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries...you get the idea! Try to have more veggies than fruit though!

Relapse

So, at last post I was doing fabulous! I had been sick, and I felt like all of the uckies had been cleared out, and I was ready to start fresh and get on the GAPS train.  I was drinking my beet kvass at least once per day, making broths, and feeling really good.
Then Nick got sick.  Poor kid! He was projectile vomiting huge amounts.  But when he wasn't throwing up, he was almost like normal, it was really hard trying to get him to rest and feel better.  Eventually it passed.  Then J got sick.  It's not common for J to get sick, but when he does, he gets sick hard.  Fever, chills, sleeping most of the day - the works.  And then after a few days it passed and he felt better.  It was almost a week, and I was still doing okay.  I was psyched, I thought that I had outsmarted this round of sickies.  But it turned out I was just as vulnerable as the rest of the area, and I got the pukies too.  Sad.  Needless to say, having the bug go through our house at such a pace, left our place in shambles.  Plus, after I had experienced my come up uns, I needed to have bread.  I cannot describe the need in words, it just had to happen.  So I did it, I ordered out.  Vast amounts of burgers and subs.  And I got toast, and ate breakfast sandwiches, and just really over did the whole "cheating" thing.
Needless to say, there have been consequences.  Ugh.  This is an addiction worse than quitting smoking.  I swear. Except when I quit smoking, people "got" what I was going through.  When you tell people that you are trying to "eat healthy", or are avoiding certain processed foods, there is a stigma that you are depriving yourself.  People don't know how to handle it.  They don't know how to accommodate you when you get together.  And it feels really akward to always have to be asking what's in the food. And temptation is everywhere! Especially when you are sick and it's just so convenient to get delivery.  
Now, I know my symptoms aren't as bad as they could be, and I feel like they are more subtle than they used to be...and if it were just me, maybe I could just deal with things...I say this because I am in denial.  I really feel gross and awful.  Things aren't normal or regular.  Not only that, but I don't want Nick to have all of the same issues that I have had.  I want him to be happy and healthy, and to feel good.  And to not have to worry about all of this junk. 
I know I just have to "do" this.  I have to come up with a game plan to eat well for myself, and to find a way to make food for Nick that is achievable.  At least he's getting to the point where he can help :)

On the plus side, the sauerkraut that I had started came out fantastic! I was afraid that since I didn't weigh down the cabbage enough that it was going to get moldy, so I only let it sit for about 2-2.5 weeks.  Next time I will actually shred it rather than cut it, and it can definitely sit for longer.  The best part was that Nick actually liked it too...I was amazed.  Not only that, but J ate nearly half of the first jar in one sitting.  I'd call that a success!

To make the sauerkraut, just take the core out of the head of cabbage, and quarter it.  Shred the leaves, and as you shred each quarter, layer in a bowl then sprinkle a good amount of sea salt in between each layer.  When you are done shredding, push the cabbage down with a spoon to break down the leaves.  Let it sit for a couple of hours to let the salt draw out the liquid.  Once there is a good amount of water in the bowl, transfer the cabbage to a half gallon mason jar.  Use the water to cover the cabbage, and use filtered water if needed to make sure that the cabbage is fully submerged.  Use a weight to put on the cabbage to make sure that it stays submerged.  Cover loosely and let sit for several weeks.  I waited for at least two weeks before I tasted mine, and if I had a better set up, I would have let it go longer for sure.  But at two weeks, it wasn't bad :) And you can use either red or white cabbage.