Mix & Blend

I’m crossing tasks off my nesting check list. Or as my father-in-law calls it my “honey-do-list, honey do that, honey do this”…and to Peter’s credit he has responded with grace knowing that this is part of the process when a baby is nearing arrival. So last night after K.’s 2nd birthday celebration, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins departed, kitchen cleaned, kids bedded, I asked him to paint the fireplace; he did. I asked him to hang pictures on our bare walls, again check. And while I would have pushed my luck during past nesting phases, and asked him to do more no matter the hour, I recognized when enough was enough. And we stopped and sat on the couch and enjoyed the dwindling fire that was burning as I sat next to my husband feeling hormonal overload, weight overload (I’m feeling larger than I have with any other baby—and my brother asked if I was positive I was not having twins this go around, not helpful), and an overall lacking of beauty. Yes, my hormones trumped me last night! They ruled reason, reality, and my immediate future.

With my nesting urge has come urgency for healthier foods. So I have traded in my caffeine craves for smoothies! Katie said I had to share after emailing the recipes to her. I agree! These energy boost recipes are just too good to keep to myself. And if it weren’t for my friend, Marty, who said she has swapped her afternoon latte for the green machine, I never would have tasted the deliciousness that follows, and kudos to my girlfriend, Catherine, who says that the secret ingredient to any smoothie is a banana for taste and texture—she is right!

Green Machine Smoothie•    half an avocado
•    1 granny smith apple
•    1 cup packed spinach
•    1 cup ice
•    1 1/4 cup pear juice or white grape juice I did pear
•    I added 1 banana per Catherine’s sage advice mentioned above.

Super tasty and energizing!!! My boys and Peter loved this one and we ate it with popcorn and watching our Friday night movie in our bed. Movie is a loose term for a half hour on demand show they get to watch before bedtime only on Friday nights…we all snuggle, watch, and laugh before tuck-ins. As a family we anticipate Friday night Family Night, but I digress. 

Yesterday morning I tried another smoothie recipe and both Peter and the boys declared this one even tastier. Personally, I find I feel a larger energy boost from the Green Machine recipe above, but this is a pretty darn good boost!

Pom-berry Banana Smoothie
•    1 orange peeled
•    1 cup berries frozen or fresh. I used blueberries and strawberries
•    1 banana
•    1 cup pomegranate juice
•    1 cup ice

So whether you are nesting and expecting another chick and need to get through the late afternoon hours without a second latte, or are just trying to keep yourself going with good food I invite you to mix & blend the above and send us your smoothie favorites!