My New Love

This is it! The blender I've been waiting for all my life. But it is oh, so much more than a blender. This baby is going to revolutionize our lifestyle. Already has. Check out that green smoothie! Mostly romaine. And my kids gobbled it up. I had to make it twice. Parker told me he liked it because it tasted "fresh". So we do this twice a day. Not this exact smoothie of course; for breakfast it's usually a fruity concoction with lots of added spinach, (even did broccoli one day!) flax and spirulina. Then for lunch we go a little more heavy on the veggies. I'm determined that not only should we cut out the bad for you things, but add in as much of the good as we possibly can. If that means drinking our veggies, by gosh we're going to do it!

I will say, I feel better already. I've had more energy. I finally know what it feels like to really be full. I don't feel snacky all the time, and when I do eat something unhealthy, oh baby do I notice it. And pay for it.

The other great thing....I can make my own baby food in this bad boy. Last week in our Bountiful Basket we got two bunches of asparagus. Then this week we got another three. Now, I like asparagus pretty well, but I knew there was no way I was going to get my family to eat it 5 times in two weeks. So I steamed a bunch of it up, tossed it in this bad boy, and viola! Baby food! Seriously, I am one happy mama. You would be too if you could see Princess P's smoothie stache every morning, and hear your kids get excited over drinking up some veggie goodness.

For anyone who's interested, here's the recipe for this green delight courtesy of my Vitamix cookbook:

Sweet Lettuce Smoothie:
1 c green grapes
1 c romaine lettuce
1/2 medium apple, halved
1 c ice cubes

Put ingredients in the blender in the order listed, blend and enjoy!

Oh, in case you're still reading about my love affair with small kitchen appliances, one more thing..... I can also make soup in this. Like start to finish, 5 minutes and we're done. Toss everything in, turn it on and leave it going for 5 minutes, and it's hot and ready to serve. My life has been so much easier since we got this. Thanks to my honeybear for spoiling me, and for being willing to go along with my unusual dietary habits. He's such a good sport. Love you babe!

Peach Smoothies

We have had this yummy concoction twice already, and I can tell you that it is here to stay for the season! It's a wonderful addition to any breakfast....or whenever really.

2 large ripe peaches, pitted and diced
1 large banana
3/4 c. milk
1/4 c. orange juice concentrate
2 t. sugar, (we used honey today, and that was just as tasty)
1 t. vanilla
1 c. ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth.

Of course I have to admit that all I do is slice the peaches and the bananas. The rest is taken care of by the "mix masters".

They're the best helpers in the world!