Tastespotting would reject this photo for bad lighting (and rightly so!). But if I'm up early and feel like posting, I'm not going to be too picky with the photos I take. Anyway, this morning it's all about the green smoothie. The temps are low . . . and I decided to postpone my run until after work. Gave me time to dig my knife and spoon into a ripe avocado and experiment with some flavorful combinations.
Like I said, the avocado slicer is a useless gadget . . . so, I carved mine up using the basics. Why a green smoothie? I'm looking for some extra energy this morning. I'm feeling a cold coming on (you'll hear my stuffy nose in the video below). Green smoothies are freakin' amazing. It's something in the blending of the greens that helps all the nutrition pour out of the cell walls and right into your bloodstream. Better yet, you'll find they're a super easy way to add more greens and whole fruits to your diet. What's not to like?
NOTE: Those of you who are familiar with green smoothies might know a little something about the 40:60 ratio. This smoothie doesn't abide by those rules, since avocado is a "fruit" -- but usually, you'd try to have 40% greens and 60% fruit. Anyone know if avocado is an exception to this "rule"?
Again, this smoothie special because it's the first I've made with avocado. And after drinking it, I'm a convert. Everything is so rich and smooth. So, we've got the texture covered . . . but how does this green monster taste?
I put it to the test . . . (PS: You'll hear me say "bruschetta" in a weird way. Too many years of taking Italian has made me pause between the US and Italian pronunciations of the word. So, it's strange, I know.)
What you'll need (for a HUGE smoothie -- but, hey -- you're supposed to drink 1 quart) . . .
- 1 avocado, taken out of its shell, etc.
- 1 pear (or apple), skinned and chopped
- Handful kale, stems taken off (you can use more if you like, just increase water if it's difficult to blend)
- Handful frozen pineapple (about 10 chunks)
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder (or use real ginger, if you have any)
- 1-1/2 cups water
Method . . .
- Blend everything until smooth.
- Add a bit of agave nectar if it isn't sweet enough for you.
- Enjoy.
16 comments:
I've tried crocheting. I thought I would be impressive and crochet a quilt for my cousin's baby and didn't even get one granny square worthy of a quilt. My hands were sore, my back ached, and I haven't really picked it up since. All those little loops are so tedious and being a programmer, I just don't have the patience for anything that doesn't render some immediate result.
Jessica
Jessica -- that's my problem, too! That's why I kept knitting and knitting. I stayed up WAY past my bedtime because I couldn't stop. I wanted to finish the entire project (I'm making an eternity scarf). blah :)
Exactly, it becomes almost an OCD thing. I need to give it another whirl and take a class so this doesn't happen again:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4332015995_cb0cddeb01_o.jpg
Yes, somehow I got a triangle. I blame the loops
aaaaaawwwww cute video. I tried knitting once. I must admit my "scarf" came out like one big huge square. I ended up making it into some kind of a hat that my middle kid loved wearing for a while...until she became too cool. I can understand the whole being driven to finish the project in one night thing. I approach a lot of things that way.
Hi Ashley, You are adorable...nice video. My cat has done that same thing to a ball of yarn I left out over night!! It was all up and down the stairs, wrapped around furniture, etc. I am a crocheter, not a knitter, and I find it very relaxing.I love to crochet, and my biggest project ever is the 100% wool king sized bedspread I made for our bed. My husband is a furniture designer and builder and he designed and built the bed. Right now I am working on a little top, and the yarn for my living room curtains just arrived yesterday...so that is next! Peace, Stephanie
elizabeth: hahah -- i've been there, too. i tried to make a hat once . . . and it just was awful. i didn't have the patience to actually pay attention to my stitching.
stephanie: isn't it the worst? but we can't really blame them. it has "TOY" written all over it. i can't even imagine making a king-sized anything, so that's amazing!
I've never tried avocado in a green smoothie... I'm excited to try it tomorrow morning! Thanks for the idea.
Loved the video post!
I haven't tried knitting in a looong time. The last thing I made was a scarf for my Barbie, so that tells you how long it's been!
Thanks for the smoothie recipe... I have a toddler who has decided that vegetables are "yucky", so I'm trying to find creative ways to sneak them into him... especially since he's a vegetarian! I'm currently thinking about getting a juicer... the kind that pulverizes the whole vegetable/fruit.
P.S... I have always pronounced "bruschetta" the same way :-)
Megs: yes -- I highly recommend them as a recent convert :)
Lauren M.: Thank you! And I think it's fantastic you were knitting at the age when you had Barbie, I was not so talented at that age. Haha. I think this recipe (and other green smoothies) would be great to try on your tot -- but if you're looking into getting a juicer, I'd recommend possibly looking into get a really, really good blender instead. I feel like I read somewhere that juicing takes out a lot of nutrition (the pulp and etc.). But I don't quite remember exactly why.
And happy to have a weird (albiet correct) pronunciation friend!
I was drinking green smoothies last year, really helped pump up my energy. I mostly used spinach, but avocado would have been great too! I got myself some cool straws to make it fun too!
Kristen -- a straw would have been helpful for my video. I had the whole idea to take a sip, and then I realized it was going to be all over my face. :)
That smoothie sounds wonderful! I have 2 avocados waiting to be used, and one of them may make its way into my blender very soon.
I am a knitter and I do it to relax, mostly. Instead of holding it up near my face, I try to keep my arms relaxed and lowered. This helps reduce shoulder pain. I also use circular needles (the ones attached by the plastic cord thing) because I have found that it helps reduce the stress on my arms. Remember to take breaks, too! Especially if you still have to look at every single stitch you make. I have been knitting for 10 years or something like that, and I can look around while I'm knitting, so my neck doesn't cramp up anymore.
I knit and crochet and love it. At first I was a bit tense and had tired hands/neck, too. As I got practiced and got more comfortable, my grip loosened up, I relaxed my arms, and knit/hook down towards my waist. If you keep it up, I hope you can enjoy it more. The sense of accomplishment and creation is pretty cool when a project is complete.
Can't wait to try the smoothie!
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Lucy
http://businesseshome.net
Thanks for sharing the recipe! Yum! I am a huge green smoothie fan (have one every morning) - usually just stick with the spinach and banana and whatever berries I have on hand - looking forward to trying something new!!! Have a great day!
nice post. thanks.
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