Green with awesomeness

Hey you guys, how's it going? As you have probably noticed, I have been a total slacker when it comes to posting. Part of it is because... well, I'm a slacker. But another reason was that I was just getting kind of bored. I mean, don't get me wrong, I will probably love, wear, and hoard makeup until the day I die. But I guess my attention span is too short to keep talking about it exclusively.

So I'm going to try a new spin. Or maybe an old spin. This blog (waaaaay back in the day) originally started as a "whatever I feel like posting about" blog, and I'm going to give that concept another try. Don't worry, product lovers, I'm sure there will still be lots of posts on makeup (because let's face it, my life is not THAT interesting). But I also foresee a lot more talk about food, health, fitness, food, TV shows, food, movies, fashion, food... I think you get the drift. Hopefully you guys will come turn this proverbial page with me and enjoy the ride! (Also the mixed metaphors!)

In light of this new M.O., now might be a good time to rave about one of my new favourite things: The Green Monster.

Do I mean:




?


No, I don't mean monsters that go OM NOM NOM. But rather a drink that makes ME go OM NOM NOM. A green monster is a term affectionately bestowed upon a fruit smoothie that has spinach or some other green vegetable involved. Sounds horrific, right? Notttt!

In fact, aside from the vibrant (and I think, really really cool) green hue of the smoothie, you can barely tell there is anything wacky in there at all. Honest! I like spinach anyway, so maybe I'm a wee bit biased, but dozens of others have sworn that there is no spinach taste in these smoothies, and see it as a great way to "sneak" some veggies into kids and loved one's diets. (I have some issues with 'sneaking' food into people, but that's another post. For this purpose, I can agree that more veggies = good thing)

It is so delicious, and so quick and easy to make (even just using my little immersion blender) that I have had 1 a day for the past 3 days. Plus, it keeps me full for at least a couple of hours, so it's a great breakfast or midday snack. Other Green Monster advocates claim that after regularly monster-mashing it up, their skin looks nicer and they have tonnes more energy. Which, hey, for a person who would sleep 10+ hours every night if she could, sure sounds appealing.

This smoothie is infinitely adaptable: just throw in about 2 cups or more of spinach into whatever fruit smoothie you're feeling. But for kicks, here is my recipe:

- 1 frozen banana, cut into 4 or 5 chunks. (Non-frozen ones work too)
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1 cup Silk soymilk (I usually cut this with a bit of water)
- apx. 2 cups washed spinach, snipped up a bit with scissors (to make things easier for my poor immersion blender)

Throw everything but the spinach into your blender (or, if using an immersion blender, into a tall, wide glass. My blender came with a smoothie-making cup, so I use that. Just be sure to use something safe for your immersion blender.) Blend blend blend until smooth.

Add spinach. Blend some more, until the spinach only shows up as little flecks. Your drink should be a lovely, creamy, slightly frothy blue-tinged green at this point.

Drink it up!

This makes about 2 cups. Aside from the virtuous feeling of eating 2 whole cups of dark leafy greens, plus getting all the lovely vitamins and antioxidants and iron and calcium, it just tastes damn good. Like, I could easily drink this as my dessert good. And the whole thing is only about 250 calories! (For comparison, if this were a smoothie you got at the mall, 250 cals would be about 2/3 of a "small" smootie...)

So if you've got some spinach waiting to be used up, and have some fruit hanging around, why not give these a shot? Let me know how it goes, I'd love to hear of new and tasty combinations. But for now, I need to go buy more spinach. I've already blown through the bunch I bought on Saturday!