Green Monster

As you all know I am quite fond of tossing a few items in the blender, swirling them around and swirling myself right out the door with a nutritious, on-the-go breakfast.  One version of these breakfast blend-sations includes spinach and I've become accustomed to calling these wonderful little morning creations Green Monsters. Yesterday I hauled my hiney off to kickboxing for a 6:15 (please note this next part) AM class. I was home by 7:30 ready to put some protein in my tummy to save those screaming lil muscles I'd woken up so early. Out came the blender.. in went the following ingredients!

Green Monster (Mango-Coconut)

1/2 cup fresh apple juice
3.5 oz Greek Yogurt (2% Fage is what I used)
1 TB Flaxseed
1 TB Wheatgerm
2 TB Fiber
1/8 cup frozen coconut shavings
1/4 cup frozen mango chunks (Dole)
2-3 oz cold water if needed
Baby spinach to the top!

I found this brand of Apple Juice at Hy-Vee.  I feel like it's as close to fresh apple juice as I can come with out having a juicer of my own. As you can see in the label.. "not from concentrate" They squeezed every single apple into this fun little jar! Doesn't it have a certain 50's -esque feel to it!

If you couldn't see before.. here's a closer view!

I've recently discovered that all yogurts are basically bad for you. They are sugar in a cup. I became very sad at this moment. It's like all these years of thinking I was eating something good for me and suddenly my favorite toy was smashed to pieces. Fortunately I only "try" to eat healthy ;-).  I can allow myself to use good yogurt in recipes and I'll still sneak that yummy Chobani I love so much as a treat when I'm feeling naughty! Consider it the lesser of two evils.. straight out cheesecake or Chobani.
This Greek yogurt has good stats with:
130 cals
4 g fat
65 mg sodium
8 g carbs
8 g sugars
17 protein

 Flax and wheatgerm. I put these in every breakfast shake I make.. standards in my book. You can't tell they are in there and they provide so much benefit! I'm super excited because I just found out my friend will be selling organic flax from her family farm! It will be fresher and organic! Yay for my body!

Next comes adding fiber. Does anyone know how many grams of fiber you are to eat in a day? (guessing, guessing...) You all might be right.. as the range is 20-35 grams!! (ADA recommends 25-35g) I used the Sprinkle fiber on the left that I bought at the local nutrition store Campbells but I put a picture of a common brand name on the right: Benefiber. These powders are great because you can toss them into just about anything: regular food, sauces, soups, beverages. They are flavorless and don't change the consistency of the food items. Benefiber even has convenient single serve packs for on the go.

 I tossed in a smidge of fresh frozen coconut that I picked up at the Indian grocery. I'm sure regular coconut would work. Or try dried, hydrate it, then freeze.

Dole makes these great pre-packaged frozen fruits. At first I thought they were too pricy for my taste. But if you watch the sales and use coupons they are well worth the price! Especially for the unique fruits like mango. Since you only need a few cubes at a time they last forever and convenience wise its fabulous. Plus we all know most of us are more likely to eat healthy if its easy. Plus I thought it was fun to know my mango came from Peru!

Fill the blender to the top with spinach. Push blend and away we go! I usually have to use a rubber spatula to gently push the spinach down abit. I also needed to add just 2-3 oz of cold water this time to make it blend up nice. It always depends. Just eyeball it.

Finally here's the little Green Monster himself. This will totally fill up your gas tank- promise!

Eat dessert every day

So I've been broadening my horizons lately and bringing home different type of yogurts. Many seem to be the Greek variety. My thought being that perhaps eating Greek yogurt will turn me into a Greek goddess! lol..just kidding ;-) I had to comment on this particular brand because it got a huge thumbs up in my book! It was an instant WOW Yeeeeum!! It was one of those double takes at what was on my spoon as if I couldn't believe God would let me eat something so yummy AND let it be healthy! This little 140 calorie container packs all sorts of protein and healthy carbs so you can count on a well balanced meal or snack. Perk- it has fruit in the bottom! Seriously.. I felt like I was eating dessert!

Purchase Power: Yogurt Focus

So recently I've been trying out some different food items and I thought it might be nice if I posted my thoughts for you guys out there so you could either not purchase the icky ones and make the same mistake I did.. or run out and buy up all the totally delicious foods I've discovered!! Brief and blunt reviews Heather style :)

PS: I just saw how many people have checked out my page since the last I've been out there- WOW.. it was like 89  last time I happened to look. It's 249 now!! That's so cool and encouraging!! No followers yet but I'm sure someone is going to be the first and then there's no stopping the flood gates from opening after that! :D Thanks guys!!

I heart this Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Dressing. Sweet Poppy Seed. Only 70 cals per serving, half that of other brands. As much as I'd like to make my homemade version every time, I just don't have time, and honestly this is prolly darn close to as healthy as it's made with apple juice, yogurt, onion, egg yolk, etc. Granted it's got just one one or two crazy things in it but convenience wise I have to draw a line in the sand to make my life workable. This falls on my side of the line. :)
A funny lil story.. quirky girl that I am lol.. I have been calling this brand BOAT-house for years! I started writing this little paragraph above, I looked at the picture and thought,, BOLT-house.. whaaaat?!!! LOL.. OMG.. I've totally have been wrong all this time!! What a spaz I am!! :D
Purchase Power: Thumbs Up.

Suggestion.. use this dressing on spinach salads.. strawberries, blueberries, some sunflower seeds or sliced almonds.. mix it up and you've got a fresh summer salad that is super yummy! The one here has blackberries bc they were on sale at the grocery.. they are my FAV!! luv um!! We used to eat them straight off the wild timber bushes back on the farm. Just had to shake the bush with a stick to scare away the snakes-- no kidding!!

This new yogurt from Yoplait is now my new fav! It has twice as much protein as the other brands (12 grams!) and the texture is perfect! It's more thick, custard like. Has more of the true yogurt taste to it but not over powering. I've tried the honey-vanilla, blueberry flavors: thumbs up. Also plain for recipes. Bought strawberry this week to try. My fav was the honey-vanilla. Also it's not made with milk from cows treated with rBST/rBGH.
Purchase Power: Thumbs up!

I know organic is much healthier. I've also heard you have to go entirely organic to make a true difference. This yogurt isn't going to bring me to that life change lol. The texture was the consistency of pudding. Flavor: not that great. It ranked low nutritionally for me as the protein was only 2 grams which is mostly the reason I eat yogurt in my diet. Calories: median. The only positive point it had was the organic nature and it's graphically pleasing label.If you're into organic, it perhaps mite be worth a whirl.
Purchase Power: Thumbs Down.

Thai Tonight!

Although it's not quite grilling season where I live, I'm not afraid to hope wishful thinking might drive the snow away! This Satay recipe will be great to use the first time you break out the grill! Don't forget to soak the scewers in water before you start, so you're ready for the first peep of summer sunshine! 

Chicken Satay

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger finely chopped
• 2 TB green onions
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp white pepper (I omitted only because I didn't have any)
• 1 tsp sesame seed oil
• 1 tsp light cooking oil
• 2 TB honey
• 2 TB soy sauce
• 1 TB lime juice
• salt to taste

Chop all your ingredients as directed above. I clean and chop my veggies when I get home from the grocery and store them in air tight containers so they are ready to go at a moments notice. You can throw together a healthy meal in no time if most of the prep work is done!

Marinate chicken with all the ingredients for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.

Place chicken on skewers and grill until done (Chicken will run clear juice vs pink when it is done cooking. Removing just when done will ensure your chicken isn't tough and dried out from being over-cooked)

Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 1 cup cashew butter (much healthier than peanut butter)
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1 TB red chilies finely chopped
• 1 TB farlic finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder
• 1 TB soy sauce
• 2 TB lime juice
• 1 TB sesame oil
• salt to taste

Heat the oils and fry the onions, garlic, and chilies until tender and aromatic.

Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until it starts to give out oil, stirring constantly.

Serve the skewers immediately from grill with room temperature peanut sauce. Garnish with slices of cucumber and a splash of lime juice. Sit back and enjoy the warm weather!!




Thanks to Hooked on Heat for this spicy little dish!

Jazz Up Your Cottage Cheese

I read in People magazine today Kate Gosselin (formerly of Jon & Kate Plus Eight television series) has a new focus on eating healthy and one of her fav's includes cottage cheese sprinkled with sunflower nuts. I've always been a fan of mixing my cottage cheese with some odd things, but that was one I hadn't heard! I came home and tried it for lunch and loved it! Yum Yum!!

Here are some other cottage cheese mixers:

• I like to add tuna to mine. Everyone I tell this to turns up their nose but.. they always come back surprised at how good it was! I grab those one serving packets of albacore tuna (Sunkist brand I think) and mix it right in with a half cup cottage cheese. I prefer Anderson Erickson brand- it taste the best to me!
• A friend of mine adds yogurt. I wasn't as fond of this variation but it was edible lol.
• Chop up some fresh veggies (peppers, green onions, etc) and toss 'um in!

What other foods do you add to cottage cheese to change it up? Write a comment below to share with everyone! The healthy masses want to know :)

Cereal Treats with a Twist

Quick Tip:  Try making rice krispy treats with dates instead of marshmallows.
The dates will provide the stickiness for holding it all together. Dates are full of fiber and they are also a natural sugar vs. the white processed sugar that is in the marshmallows. Plus these are halal and you can use up your dates post Ramadan! :)

Combine 1/4 cup of "butter"
1 cup "sugar"  (Who out there totally exclaimed "Yay-Truvia!")
1.5 cups of chopped pitted dates

Cook the above over low heat, stir until paste like.

Add:
1 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of your choice of cereal.  (Fiber One is the Bomb! When I first started eating it I joked that it looked like dog food. But I dispute that it tastes great! And there are so many uses for it if you're eating a healthy lifestyle!)

You can even add in some yummy extra's like shredded coconut, chocolate chips or anything you like. SIMPLY AMAZING!

Servings:
About two dozen bars

Nutritional Info:
Only around 105 calories per serving, depending on what cereal you use.

Popeye the Sailer Man

Spinach- Will this leafy green do as much for you as it did for cartoon character Popeye? Perhaps.. but not because of the iron content it was once thought to have. Spinach provides an array of nutritional benefits as it's packed with carotenoids, antioxidants, vitamin K, coenzyme Q10, B vitamins, minerals, chlorophyll, polyphenols, betaine and plant-derived omega-3 fatty acids. To name a few!

Read some of the disease prevention benefits these little green leaves pack:

• Cardiovascular disease including stroke and coronary artery disease
• Cancer including colon, lung, skin, oral, stomach, ovarian, prostate and breast cancer
• Age related macular degeneration (AMD) (a disease related to the eyes, usually in the elderly)
• Cataracts

Researchers believe it's the supply of vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytonutrients that help prevent age related issues such as cancers, eye health disorders or cognitive decline.  So not only was Popeye strong.. he was pretty darn smart too! ;-)
Need more reasons to eat your spinach? Vitamin C, beta-carotene and a few other nutrients join together to prevent cholesterol from building up in the vessel walls. Folate, B6 and betaine lower serum levels of the amino acid homocysteine. It also contains potassium and magnesium. All in all what this means for you.. a happy heart!

In the recipe below I also included fresh oranges. The outside of an orange is called the peel and is made of two distinct parts. The zest or the 'orange part' and the pith or 'the white bitter interior'. I removed the zest of the orange but not the pith. I did this by taking a sharp knife and carefully slicing just under the zest at an angle to remove all the 'orange' of the peel. (Place the zest in your garbage disposal. You''ll instantly have a fresh citrus scent in your kitchen!) One of the main nutritional aspects of using these outer coverings is that they contain the phytonutrient herperidin. This flavanone has shown to decrease blood pressure, lower cholesterol and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. All of these items increase your cardiovascular health.

Check out my creation this morning. It was green. It looked yucky. But it tasted oh so delish! (you couldn't even taste the spinach) And based on the above information it seems to indicate your mom was right- eat your fruits and veggies. Try taking this smoothie to the office. It will certainly provoke immediate attention and conversation!

Spinach Smoothie
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt (plain would be more ideal if you are wanting to cut out sugars)
1 tsp+ vanilla flavoring
1 tsp flaxseed
1 tsp wheat germ
1 scoop orange whey protein
2 whole oranges roughly chopped, remove the zest but keep the pith remaining
2/3 cup water (or so)
Organic baby spinach- two to three handfuls (fill blender to 3/4 full appx)
5-6 ice cubes
*I also included a couple teaspoons magnesium powder. You can purchase this at your local natural and organic market/section. It provides tons of benefits.

Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend on high speed to liquify. Pour in a BIG cup and enjoy!

Servings:

This made appx 36 oz. Waaay more than I could finish- super filling!