Green Monster Smoothies

So apparently these "green monster smoothies" are a bit of a craze, at least on the internet. My first reaction was, "Meh, a smoothie full of vegetables... ok." Then for some reason I ended up thinking about them the other night, and realized I happened to have fresh spinach on hand, along with the rest of the other ingredients that were required. I tried it out for breakfast two mornings ago, and as it turns out, it's delicious! The color is beautiful and fun, and yes, GREEN, but I taste the banana and peanut butter mostly, and really don't taste the spinach (I swear!). I did a slightly modified version the "classic" recipe that I found at greenmonstermovement.com.

Photo from ohsheglows.com (the blogger who made the movement website)

My "recipe" for the past couple days was as follows:

1 frozen banana

2 oz baby spinach

1/2 oz peanut butter 

6 oz skim milk 

5 grams ground flaxseed

1 small container unsweetened applesauce 

On my food tracker, this recipe comes out to a whopping 10 grams of fiber, which is a great start to the day! I have found it keeps me full straight through until lunch, which is unusual for my breakfasts. I eat early (around 5:30) and often find myself needing a morning snack to hold myself over. I think the combination of fiber, fat and protein really makes a difference. Anyway, I'll stop going on about it, but I just have to say that I'm now among those who have been converted by the magic of the green monster smoothie.

In slightly related news, I'm glad to be able to report that my weight loss for the new year is definitely progressing - I'm down about 5 lbs at this point! To be honest, I'm a bit surprised, as I haven't been as good about getting on my exercise routine as I'd hoped. I think tracking my food is really working for me though, so I'll keep up with that and try to improve on the exercise. Aside from weight loss, I'd like to actually be more fit as well, so this will remain a goal no matter what the scale says. 

And in I guess "life" news - this is the second week of school. I am currently in the midst of interviewing for some summer internships, and all of my classmates are looking for their own internships as well (aside from a few that have already found something). It's a nervewracking, but exciting time, and I'm along for the ride! 

Delicious Appetizers by Giada

Another food post, what can I say? It's a major hobby...

I had a lovely social gathering at my house this past weekend, which centered around wine and cheese. I wanted to provide a couple of other things to snack on though, and I turned to Giada, who I've pretty much decided is my culinary hero and guru. Her recipes almost never steer me wrong!

The first appetizer was cheese-stuffed, prosciutto wrapped dates.

I made them for my parents and parents-in-law when I was in the northeast as well, and they went over really really well. The salty prosciutto is wonderful with the sweet gooey dates, and the cheeses and basil inside finish off a delicious combo. I also find this appetizer really convenient for entertaining, because I can make it ahead and it's fine to have it sitting at room temperature for a period of time.

The other appetizer, which I made for the first time yesterday, was whole wheat pita chips with mascarpone-chive dipping sauce.

I love this one as well, it was a great slightly elegant but simple snack, and was really easy to whip up. Both the chips and dipping sauce tasted delicious, in my opinion.

I highly recommend both of these recipes, and appetizers by Giada in general. I definitely search her recipes first when I'm trying to find good apps for entertaining!

[Both photos in this post are from www.giadadelaurentiis.com]

Homemade Treats

Thanks to Pinterest, I've been able to satisfy my sweet tooth lately with homemade, somewhat healthy sweet treats that are simple and easy to put together. The first one I made was these No-Bake Energy Bites:

I adapted mine to include dried cranberries instead of coconut flakes (since I don't have those on hand), and I didn't have enough peanut butter, so they were a bit more tricky to make come together, but they did. Since I made them, I've been eating them one or two at a time, and they make a great morning snack at school to tide me over til lunch. (I'm often hungry because I tend to get up and eat breakfast early.)

The other recipe, I saw just recently and decided to make today - Chocolate Covered PB Banana Bites.

I had all four ingredients on hand (peanut butter, bananas, chocolate chips, and milk), not to mention that I love a) peanut butter with bananas and b) chocolate covered bananas. This is the perfect combination of those treats! Making the recipe was very simple as well - the hardest thing was getting the chocolate to the proper consistency. It was too liquidy at first, so I let it sit for a while until it was thick enough to properly cover the banana and peanut butter. The bites are in the freezer right now, and I'm sure they'll taste delicious!

Actually, it's not true, strictly speaking, that I had all the ingredients on hand - I had to make peanut butter first! This is something I've done before, and I thought it might be fun to share it here. The method (simple as it is) comes from hubby by way of his mom, and here's the revelation: you can make your own peanut butter with a food processor.

Today's batch

People have been surprised when I told them this in the past, but it's true. Here's what you do:

1. Dump a bunch of peanuts into the food processor. I prefer to buy (shelled) peanuts with either one or two ingredients - peanuts, or peanuts and salt. Last time I went to the grocery store I had to look at a few different containers to find the one with the small ingredients list. 

2. Turn on the food processor. Let it run long enough so that the peanuts break down, ball up into one mass, and then spread back out around the bottom of the food processor. 

3. If you used unsalted peanuts, add salt to taste and pulse to mix. 

4. If you want to make crunchy peanut butter instead of creamy, throw some more peanuts in at this point and pulse a few times to break them up a bit. 

Voila! Homemade, natural peanut butter. I'm a big fan of this method! As I said, I just made a new batch today so I could use it in the banana bites. 

Anyone want to share their favorite guilt free indulgences?

Back to the Grind

School started again today - mostly, this felt like a positive thing. I'm genuinely interested in my courses, it's good to get back to a routine, and I like my friends from school. We are still waiting to get one grade back, and the specter of interviews/applications for summer jobs is hanging over us, but I'm just trying to take those things one day at a time.

I was lucky enough to have a wonderful weekend with my grandparents. I had some awesome foodie experiences with them, including a visit to a nearby winery, and we did a general mix of relaxing, eating out, eating in, and seeing different things in my area. Yesterday, they were a key part of me being able to sell our older car - the plan is to get a new one when hubby comes back, so there was no reason to hold onto the one with almost 200K miles on it. It was good to us, but we just decided that now was the time to let it go. I was extremely relieved to complete the task before school started again, because it definitely would have felt like a hassle to deal with it still. My grandparents picked up a rental car yesterday afternoon, so they were able to drive me back home after I turned the car over. Another thing checked off the to do list!

I'll have to write some posts about the food that I ate (and some of which I cooked) this weekend with my grandparents. At this point, I've tried two slow cooker recipes, and it's going well so far! I also prepped another one tonight that will cook tomorrow and be ready for dinner when I get home.

Since I don't like to write posts without pictures, I'll share one at the end of this post - it's fire roasted tomato bisque, part of lunch at the winery. Hopefully I'll be back soon with more details!

I'm Crafty - Occasionally!

I'd had this particular project in mind for months at least, but knew I probably wouldn't have a chance to do it until my break between semesters. I am fitting it in with a lot of other cleaning and such now, but I was so excited that I had to do it.

What did I do? I took this:

And turned it into this:

I found the coffee table with my MIL at a tag sale right before hubby and I got married, it cost all of $4.00. We were extremely low on furniture at the time, so we picked it up and took it with us to our first apartment, where it was used as a TV stand. In the process of moving to military home #2, we acquired an actual TV stand, and we had another (slightly nicer) coffee table already. I had seen this idea somewhere, either on Pinterest or a home decor blog, so I investigated it and kept it in mind. After our stuff got here in late October, I decided I should definitely attempt the project - but I didn't have any time to do it until now, before school starts back up again. I'm only going to briefly go over the steps - if you want a more in-depth how-to, I highly recommend the blog I ended up referencing: this post on Vintage Junky.

Detail shot of the reason for the bargain price

I started with what you saw above, out in the backyard since I spray-painted the table. Luckily, yesterday afternoon was rather warm for January, so it was a great time to be out in the backyard.

I used a spray paint color called "Oil Rubbed Bronze" because I read Young House Love and Sherry loves that particular paint. If it's good enough for YHL, works for me! In person, and dry, it reads as a chocolate-y brown with a metallic shimmer, for me at least.

After giving the table the night to dry outside, I completed the rest of the work this morning, inside, where I could hear the TV while I worked. It's also chillier today, so the timing worked out great for me. In the photo above, I put the table on top of some foam so I could cut it down to size. I wasn't sure if the utility knife I had would work, but it wasn't too bad at all. I made sure to keep the knife away from the floor, aided by the drop cloth and trash bags underneath.

After cutting the foam, I sprayed it and the table with spray adhesive, and attached it to the top of the table, which you see above. The next step was to lay the table on top of the batting and cut the batting to size, allowing some extra to fold around the edges of the table.

At this point, I also put some extra batting along the sides before folding the main layer over that. The author of my instructions on Vintage Junky had done that, so I figured it couldn't hurt. I used a staple gun to attach both the extra batting to the sides and to fasten the main layer onto the bottom edge of the table top.

After I trimmed away the extra batting, it was fabric time! I'd definitely spent some time really trying what to think would work best, and even after I chose this fabric I was second guessing myself. At the end of the day, I really like the effect and how it works. The main thing I've changed is that I'm keeping the bench in the main living area instead of the guestroom - more seating and the colors actually go better!

Anyway, back to the task at hand. Using a striped fabric, I had to make sure to line it up straight. I just sort of tried my best and then double checked after I'd stapled once in the center of each side. Luckily it worked out and it doesn't look askew or anything like that! I more or less repeated the process of stapling the fabric as I had done the batting, trying to keep it pulled taut. I fiddled with the corners a bit as Vintage Junky had, and while they're not perfect, they're not awful either.

After I cut away the excess fabric, I used a glue gun to attach this trim. I'm really glad I did, because otherwise there would be jagged fabric edges all over the place and that would not be ideal.

Although there are small imperfections here and there, I really really love how it turned out. I feel good about re-using something old, about being crafty, and the decor/function of having the bench in our living area. Not to mention, I've gotten TONS of positive feedback on Fbook, which honestly surprised me. Definitely a self-esteem boost for me, and I'm glad it wasn't a waste of effort or money. In the money department, it wasn't bad, especially since I was buying some supplies for the first time - spray adhesive, spray paint, sandpaper, and even a glue gun. I did already have the staple gun, which was nice. Even with all those supplies that I'll use again, the total cost was definitely under $100, and possibly under $75. I also had a lot of fun to boot! Who knows, maybe I'll take on another project or two this year... Pinterest is pretty inspiring, after all!

Guest Bedroom

I put in some quality junk-clearing time today, and was able to set up our guest bedroom! Having guests come is great in its own right, AND I love that it gives me motivation to tidy up. My grandparents are coming this weekend, so I had a wonderful reason to take on this project today. Granted, I still need to work on other parts of the house, but this is a huge relief for me.

I just bought the quilt on the bed from Tar-jay on clearance (online). I'm loving the bright pop of color, and I didn't even consciously realize how well it would go with those fabric squares that I made last year, at our old apartment. Then again, I have been into green in the past year plus.

Maybe as I get more and more rooms at least temporarily neatened up I can give more of a tour of the house! It's a process, but it feels more like home all the time, thanks in part to a lot of improvements when hubby was here. It will be nice when he comes back and we can enjoy it together again. In the meantime, I'm excited to have a few visitors lined up for the coming months, starting this weekend when my grandparents arrive!

Lowfat Baked Ziti with Spinach

While brainstorming for this new year of cooking and eating, I came upon the website Skinnytaste. Gina, the author, has posted tons of recipes for people looking to keep it light, but still flavorful. This is the 4th recipe I've tried from the site, and I've definitely liked them as a whole. I would say that generally I do find myself wanting more flavor, so that's just something I'll keep in mind in the future - more spices, more herbs, make sure to season well, etc. Seasoning was actually a factor in how I liked the ziti - when I first ate it, I thought it was missing something, but a sprinkle of salt brought out the flavors much better. Really, it was my fault for not seasoning enough while cooking!

That being said, this recipe was very nutritious while also being satisfying and filling - a definite plus in my book! It was pretty easy to put together as well - less than 30 minutes of pasta cooking and assembly, then 30 minutes baking time.

Right before getting the last layer of cheese and going into the oven

Finished product

Headed Back

Considering that it was a full three weeks, it seems like my time in the northeast has gone by quickly. I will be on a flight back home (to Military Home #2) this afternoon. Although I really appreciate all the time with family and I will miss them, there's nothing like being back in your own house, in your own bed, getting back into a routine. I'll have a lot to do starting tomorrow, but I don't think any of it will be so bad, plus it's for a happy reason. My grandparents are visiting this upcoming weekend, and right after they leave, I'll be starting school again! I'm actually excited for that, because if last semester taught me anything, it's that the beginning of a law school semester is a whole lot better than the end. I'll be starting new subjects that I'm excited for (Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Torts), and able to just learn without too much exam pressure as of yet. It's also great that I've already put in the time getting to know my classmates, and we'll get to pick up right where we left off - except with more free time to do things together.

Furthermore, I know that being busy and in a routine will help hubby's time away go faster. It's been about a month now, and his time away should more or less correspond with the semester. I think the hardest parts of this separation are the day he left and the holidays, and those are over! I'm not sure if he'd agree with me, but that's just how I feel.

So that's just a little update from me. I'd better get moving so I can be packed and ready to go with plenty of time to spare!

Two Things

I have two unrelated things to share, so here they are:

1) If you ever have the desire to make potstickers, I've got an excellent recipe for you. My mom and I made these for a beer tasting with friends of my parents, and they went over great. In addition to feedback from other people, I personally enjoyed them. Even before they were cooked the filling smelled great. The link: Pork and Ginger Potstickers with Spicy Dipping Sauce, by Emeril Lagasse. (Some of the ingredients can be hard to find. Instead of Chinese black vinegar, we used a blend of rice vinegar and balsamic - still delicious!)

2) I've actually been reading for pleasure over break! It's fantastic. I finished the Hunger Games series, which so many people love - myself and hubby included. He read it while he was home with me and I was in school, so I had to keep him from telling me too much until I finished it! I just finished the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - also a good read, I enjoyed it. According to my Goodreads list, I read 29 books in 2011! I have to say, I'm pretty proud of that. Of course, this also excludes law textbooks, and that should get credit in its own special way. The bulk of the books were read in the first half of the year, but I think that's reasonable. I profiled a lot of them on the blog, as well.

Here's my new book:

Yep, it's a law nerd book. After reading a few Supreme Court opinions last semester, and with Constitutional Law coming up this semester, I'm intrigued enough to read this book. I think it will also be a nice transition back into actually thinking about law. :-)

Here's hoping I can keep up a decent amount of pleasure reading even as I get back into reading casebooks for school!

My year-end wrap up was a bit more somber than I generally like to be, so it's definitely time to share what I've been up to since the new year started.

On New Year's Day, I was with hubby's family in my hometown, and then my parents came over for dinner as well. A few of us decided to go on a long walk and enjoy the beautiful winter weather (40s and sunny, so it felt very warm for the time of year!).

The view from a viaduct on the path - it used to be a railroad

I spent the rest of the day working on Beef Wellington with my MIL, grandmother-in-law, and uncles in law - it was a group project, that's for sure! Later in the afternoon, my brother-in-law came over, which was great since I hadn't seen him in a while. Relatively soon after that, my parents arrived, and we had a lovely dinner together, after which I headed back to my parents' house.

In the past few days I haven't done a whole lot - a small bit of work for summer applications, but mainly I'm recommitting to tracking my food and eating the way I did in early 2011. I'm not even calling it a New Year's resolution, because that is so hopelessly stereotypical. The whole thing is, when it comes down to it. I gained back a lot of the weight I lost last year, and now I'm going to lose it again. I know that I can do it, so I just have to get down to business and get into my routine. That being the case, I've been searching and pinning tons of recipes to use, and figuring out what my fitness routine will be. I think I'll do spin class two mornings a week at school (before classes), and take advantage of some local options in the town where I live too. I just hope I can keep it up, because it would be good for me on multiple levels.

Quick sidebar: If you're on Pinterest and I don't follow you - let me know you're there! I've been finding lots of people lately and it definitely adds to the fun!

One of my new favorite websites is called Skinnytaste.com - it has recipes that are health-conscious but still full of flavor. It's a great springboard for this new effort. So far I've made Cilantro Lime Shrimp and Spaghetti Squash Lasagna from the site, and tonight I'm trying out Chicken and Mushrooms with a White Wine and Garlic Sauce. As a bonus, I've been cooking for my parents lately, and it's always fun to share food with family.

That's pretty much what I've been up to. Less than a week until I go back to Military Home #2, and I'm definitely close to ready. There will be a lot to do when I get there, but at least I'll still have almost a week before school starts up again.