Friday, March 14, 2008

My First Post and Green Smoothies


Hello blogging world!

I've spent so much time reading my favorite blogs, that I've decided to actively join the community. I will share my love of cooking, books, San Francisco, traveling, health and how they work together for me. I hope I can be an inspiration to others in the same way Amy Sherman, Heidi Swanson, Pim, Clotilde Dusoulier, Tea, Denise and many others have been to me. Every morning I look forward to seeing what's been cooked for dinner last night, what going to be made tonight and what's in the planning stage. My fellow food loving bloggers inspire my cooking creativity. I cook because of them. This community is a living breathing entity unlike the food related magazines I used to spend so much time reading. These journals have their place too, but somehow I feel connected to the lives and kitchens of food bloggers. I hope I will be welcomed into the fold.

I have a few friends who are raw foodists, they've been trying to win me over with their tales of weight loss and high energy. So far I've resisted. Green smoothies have been a way I can conveniently add more raw vegetables into my diet without making a life commitment. My inspiration came from the book Green for Life. My local (Chico) farmer's market supplies me with a wide variety of greens. Late winter is the season for dinosaur kale, spinach, red russian kale, beet greens, chard, bok choy, endive, radicchio to mention a few. I pop these into my, non-vitamix blender, along with 2 cups water and chunks of whatever fruit I have in my kitchen. I've used kiwi, pineapple, banana or apples. I add a bit of frozen acai pulp for some omega-3's, blend and that's my breakfast. My husband has developed a fondness for the green smoothies in place of a large dinner. The green drinks have calmed his cravings for sweets in the evening. He's very pleased. I have found myself searching my cheese drawer less frequently too. I sleep better at night knowing I've eaten my veggies along with their enzymes. I have, however, not turned into supergirl yet.


Recipe
1 handful of raw washed greens
such as dinosaur kale, spinach, red russian kale,
beets greens, chard, bok choy, endive, radicchio.

1 cup chunked fresh pineapple, apple, kiwi,
banana or whatever is in season.

1/2 bar of frozen acai

Add 2 cups of water to blender along with greens, blend until smooth.
Add fruit and acai. Blend again.


Enjoy!
Serves 1 or 2


Renée

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