Green Smoothies (aka Ode to the Blendtec)

Green smoothies.  That's what we're drinkin these days.

As a pediatric nurse I often have discussions with families about how to make healthy lifestyle choices, such as getting 5 or more fruits or vegetables in their diet per day.  And let's be honest.  It is not so easy to do.  Looking back on what I ate yesterday, I think I can count a clementine, the tomato sauce in my lunch, aaaaaand...?  maybe a couple of pieces of avocado in my sushi roll?  Could be worse, but since both tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, that means nary a vegetable snuck its way onto the menu.  Wah wahh.  What would the kids say.

Enter the green smoothie.

We make these bad boys on our Blendtec, which is my absolute #1 favorite kitchen appliance of all time.  I had a coworker once who was obseeeessed with her Blendtec and would talk nonstop about all the things she and her five children would make with it -  homemade peanut butter!  Soups ("it actually heats up!")  Ice cream!  Nut flours!  Almond milk!  Literally, she would go on and on and it was fascinating to listen to, like a real live infomercial, filling my head with visions of perfectly blended smoothies that I would make for my perfectly nourished future children.

And now I am that coworker, and I am sorry, but I will not apologize for loving on this blender.  Its ability to pulverize things like an entire apple (or, say, an iPhone) down to teeny tiny imperceptible specks makes it worth every penny.  Don't nobody want to see spinach sprinkles in their beverage, amirite?

This morning the little lady was subjected treated to:

Tropical Green Smoothie

1/2 c orange juice

1/2 c vanilla almond milk (unsweetened)

1 apple

1 banana

1 handful kale 

1/2 c frozen pineapple chunks

heaping spoonful vanilla yogurt

You don't need to add a lot of liquid with this blender since it literally turns things into juice.  And instead of ice cubes I use frozen fruit.  I buy the big bags of frozen strawberries and frozen pineapple at Costco so even if I don't have any fresh fruit on hand, I can whip something up with that.

You can just press the "Smoothie" button, walk away, and the Blendtec will do the rest.

So... green.

What will the tiny judge think.

(It's -2 degrees outside and you're feeding me a smoothie?)

Hooray!  A crowd pleaser.  When I'm not working I try to make one of these for the little lady and myself every morning, so that no matter what else we eat during the day (Cheerios for her, de-frosted Costco cake for me), at least we've already checked 4 fruits/veggies off our list.

Other variations:

PB&J Smoothie

1 1/2 cups vanilla almond/soy milk

1 banana

1 c frozen strawberries

1/4 c oatmeal

heaping spoonful peanut butter

heaping spoonful vanilla yogurt

Not green, but still tasty.  A breakfast in a glass.  Adding oatmeal and peanut butter to the smoothie makes it that much more filling.  

Strawberry Spinach Smoothie

1 1/2 cups vanilla almond/soy milk

1 handful spinach

1 cup frozen strawberries

heaping spoonful vanilla yogurt

You can also add some chocolate sauce to this one and it will be extra delish.  You won't even be able to taste the spinach. The color will be pretty horrific, but you've got to be in it to win it.

Turning 1! A birthday in pictures

So our little lady turned one.  What a wonderful year it has been - the year we became a family!  And truthfully she could not have made the transition any easier for us.  We love seeing her sweet personality coming through more and more each month - calm, inquisitive, a little shy.  Loves to cuddle; loves her books.  Mommy's shadow.  

She has been theee most precious addition to our family and we thank God every single day that we were blessed with the wonderful job of being her parents.

Check out the Pinterest-worthy celebration.

(Forehead bruise compliments of Daddy day care)

We love you, Beansie.  Happy birthday. 

Homemade Sushi

For awhile, homemade sushi was one of those things that we always wanted to try but didn't think was very accessible.  We were a little squeamish about buying the fish and we didn't think we had the equipment (special bamboo mat?  Fancy flat wooden spoon?).  But we decided to just go for it, and our minds were blown at how easy it was to make tasty rolls at home, for a fraction of what you would pay at a sushi restaurant.  

I use this website as my resource for making the rice, and the rest you can just kind of improvise.  That's the great thing about making your own rolls.  You can put literally anything in there, smother it in spicy mayo, douse it in soy sauce, and it will be delish.  And since we use brown rice instead of white, I feel like these are a leetle bit healthier.  (So you can smother it in spicy mayo.)

Here we go.  Get those chopsticks out.  (Or in a pinch, run to your local Chinese restaurant and grab some off the hostess' desk.  Just kidding I would never do that again.)

If you're making this for the first time, you might have to make two trips:  one to a grocery store that carries sashimi-grade fish, and the other to an Asian market.  Or maybe the first grocery store will have everything.  Places like Whole Foods will usually carry everything you need, but you'll end up paying way more for things like ginger and nori sheets (the seaweed wrappers) that Asian markets tend price much more reasonably.  

You'll need short-grain rice and rice vinegar.  I also add a tablespoon of toasted sesame oil because it is delicious. 

This was the first time we had used short-grain brown rice instead of white, and it turned out really well.  You just have to cook it longer (about 30+ mins vs. 10 or so for white).

I started with one cup of rice, which makes about 3-4 rolls once it's cooked.  And there really isn't anything too tricky about cooking the rice.  You just have to keep an eye on in to make sure you don't burn it, like any rice, and then just mix in the vinegar (and sesame oil, in this case) when it's cooled a bit.

Then you bring in the fancy equipment, aka wax paper and a spoon, and spread a layer of rice over the seaweed.  Just make sure you put the shiny side of the wrapper down and leave about 1/2 inch riceless at the top so the roll will stick on itself.  Then spread and smush to cover the wrapper.  

Now for the filling.  You'll want to cut your pieces long and skinny.  This roll is filled with tuna, avocado, carrot, and spicy mayo.  I place my ingredients toward one end so they get wrapped tightly in the roll and use two hands to tuck everything in (except when I am taking a picture of it).

That's lookin real nice. 

To make the rolls easier to cut I throw them in the fridge for about 30 minutes to cool, and this would be a good time to whip up some spicy mayo if you didn't put any in the roll.  This stuff is legit.  It's basically 1/4 c of mayo, 1 tsp of Sriracha (you can adjust as needed based on how spicy you want it), and a clove of minced garlic.  

 Nom nom nom.  Time to cut the roll.

I learned the hard way that your knife needs to be very sharp when you cut the roll.  And if some pieces fall apart, it ain't no thang.

It is worth buying wasabi paste and pickled ginger to go along with your roll, if you like to eat it at sushi restaurants.  You will feel very fancy, and the roll will taste that much more delicious.  Plus it'll keep in your fridge for a long time until your next sushi night.

Cost breakdown

Here's the best part:  You only need a small amount of sushi to make your rolls.  I bought 1/3 lb of fresh, sushi-grade tuna for $6 and it made 4 rolls.  Add $1 more each for the (organic, brown) rice and avocado, and since I already had the condiments in my pantry, the cost for this dinner was less than $10.  Our favorites are variations on spicy tuna rolls and smoked salmon/cream cheese/green onion rolls.  You can also skip the fish altogether and just make veggie, chicken, or shrimp rolls.  I even saw a mom bust out some avocado rolls for her kids during a playdate.  Brilliant.  

Since we've learned to make our own rolls, we rarely go to overpriced sushi restaurants anymore.  (Or is that because we have a 1-year old?  Who are we kidding.)  Now if I could only learn how to make tempura crunchies...

Stitch Fix #1

Many exciting things happened this month (mainly, the return of the Sing-Off) but there was one thing I was particularly looking forward to:  the arrival of my first Stitch Fix box.  I first heard about Stitch Fix on Facebook and I decided to treat myself to a box for my birthday.  What is Stitch Fix?  Let's let the people speak for themselves: 

"Stitch Fix is a personal styling service. You tell us your style, size, and budget preferences, and we send you a package of stylish goodies to try on at home. Each Fix is unique and hand-picked just for you."

It costs $20 for them to put together a box, but they credit that toward anything you buy.  The style/sizing profile they have you fill out is quite extensive, and they show you a bunch of different styles so you can choose which ones suit you best, and which styles you'd like to incorporate more of into your wardrobe.  For me, that means less Gap clearance and more... well, anything else.  (I found it funny that they ask if you're a mom.  Cue the 'wah wahhhh...'  I almost wanted to pull an Amy Poehler from Mean Girls - "I'm not like a regular mom, I'm a cool mom!") 


Props to my dear friend Sara for coming over to document the occasion and being excited about Stitch Fix with me.  And mostly for putting up with my awkward poses...

Let's get down to it.

1) Three Dots cowl neck knit shirt, $58

This was the first top I tried on, and overall I really liked it.  The fit was good, the color was good, and it was versatile enough to go with a lot of things.  But note the price -> ouch.  Couldn't justify spending this much on such a basic top.  Verdict:  PASS.

2) Tart henley thermal, $78

This shirt was just okay.  I'm trying to step up my game here, and it reminded me of something I might have worn in high school.  It fit well and I liked that the thread had a little sparkle.  But mostly it was just meh.  With a high price tag.  Verdict:  PASS. 

3.  Bat Wings

I really wanted to like you, Bat Wings.  You were so soft.  And I looove me a grey cardigan.  But my husband could not get over the sleeves on this one.  So back you went.  Verdict:  PASS.  (I think the real name for this one was Natural Life Mariposa cardigan, and it was $48)

4. Liverpool straight leg jean, $78

I had requested a pair of jeans, and this pair was amazing.  Super soft, well-fitting, and versatile.  But I already have a pair of black skinnies, so I couldn't justify buying a new one.  Verdict:  really wanted to keep but sadly had to PASS.

5. 41 Hawthorn infinity scarf, $38

This is the face of a scarf addict who has just fallen in love.  You can't tell from these photos but there is glittery thread woven through so it's "perfect for the holiday season!"  Oh Stitch Fix.  You know my heart already.  Verdict:  KEEPER.

So all in all, I loved three of the pieces and ended up keeping one.  Here's what I liked about Stitch Fix:

-The fit was great.  They really pay close attention to what you put on your sizing profile (i.e. your body shape, what size you usually wear, how you like your clothes to fit). This takes a lot of the guesswork and time out of trying clothes on in a store
-The quality was good.  Everything was comfortable and well-made
-If you live in a clothing desert like I do, this is a great way to find new pieces without having to drive an hour to go shopping
-It's fun to see what they put in the box for you!  And they give you a styling guide with pictures of each item with a few different ways to wear it

What I didn't like so much:
-I think they played it kind of safe.  Granted, I did say I was a jeans-and-T-shirt kind of girl, but I was hoping to add some more interesting pieces to the mix.  I made a note of this for the stylist so I'm hoping they'll change that for next time
-The prices were a little high.  Ain't no clearance items in this box.  If I found something I was crazy about I would be willing to pay more, but there wasn't anything that really blew my mind.  Maybe next time!

My next fix is coming in February (wait times are longer than usual, according to the website) and since I received a referral credit my next box will be free.  I asked for a few nicer date night/girls' night pieces, so we'll see what they send.  All in all I would recommend this!  It's also fun to look at other peoples' blogs and see what kinds of things they get - I'd love to peek at yours if you sign up!

Kale Chips (yeah, I went there.)

I picked up a Rachael Ray magazine the other day and noticed an article comparing homemade vs. store-bought kale chips...  And my first thought was, are people really eating kale chips?  And why.  I just imagine someone sitting alone at their dining room table, a big ol' bowl of crusty kale chips in front of them, crying silent tears that their life has come to this.  I'm all for healthy eating, but it just doesn't seem like a thing people should be forcing themselves to eat, you know?

So naturally, when I saw kale for 98 cents at Wal-Mart (gah, I know.  I was there with my mom OK, and we've practically recovered from our pesticide poisoning) I had to try it.  I used an impossibly simple recipe which I will kindly type out for you now:

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
sea salt

Rinse and dry kale (unless it's the pre-washed bagged kind).  Tear leaves (not ribs) into 1-2 inch pieces in a bowl with olive oil until coated.  Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.  Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes until crispy, making sure not to brown or burn the chips.

The initial rave reviews:

Sister:  "It reminds me of eating leaves.  I kind of don't understand it."

Dad:  "I'm not hungry."

(upon further prodding) 

Mom:  "Mmm.  Very light and airy!"

Dad:  "Like a gourmet potato chip."

Here is the thing:  We could.  not.  stop.  eating.  them.  I'm not even a potato chip person, and I found these to be strangely addicting. Call me a believer!  You just have to ignore the haters (namely: former me) try them yourself.