It's a Family Affair

My 6 year old niece Amelia better known as Mildred spent the week with us. She was such a nut for her "heirloom" that I re-nicknamed her Lupe Loop. I picked up loops all week, but she created some beautiful masterpieces. I love her so much. Can't wait until she is crocheting and quilting. It won't be long.

Kale Orange Avocado Salad Heaven Awesomeness

Are you noticing a theme here? Since our real-life brush with what felt like a House episode, I'm working to get as many vitamins and super foods in Wendy Dee as possible. This recipe came from http://www.eatliverun.com/kale-salad-with-oranges-almonds-and-avocado-the-detox-salad/ and it is the most delicious salad yet in this odyssey of green unprocessed stuff that we are taking. The author of the blog is a Cordon Bleu chef and freelance food writer who focuses on food from community supported agriculture. Dear Higher Power of the Universe: in my next life, in addition to being taller and having thicker hair, may I please be paid to eat food? Anyway, she writes that the secret to kale is to massage in that dressing and then let it sit and soak in for awhile. It's so thick with chewy green goodness that it doesn't get soaked or wilty. Delish! The beautiful picture is from her website. Tomorrow's menu: heirloom tomatoes and black-eyed peas.

The Juice Blast

Between the sweet bday check from Donna D and part of the awesome Target gift card from the super sweet and generous BTW workout girls, I got the Juiceman. Our first juicing excursion was 8 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 2 apples, and a beet. We diluted it a little bit with water and poured over ice. Delish!

Green Smoothie

From the Chronicles of Chicken Fried Veggie - Food Babe and Rabbit Food for my Bunny Teeth both have versions of the green smoothie. After watching Food Inc, it's clear we could all use a little more green in our lives, right? So I tried my own version of a green smoothie and much to my surprise, it's the best chicken-friedness ever. Here's the recipe:
1/2 can of coconut milk
Small cup of pre packaged peaches
2 big bunches of mixed spring salad mix (the kind with the radicchio)
Put both in blender and mix until well blended. You have to stop the blender a few times and push down the greens and add more.
1 frozen banana
1 cup (I don't measure) frozen mango
1 cup frozen pineapple
Put on smoothie setting and let it roll until its creamy and frothy.
Tastiness: definitely an 8 or 9. I love the contrast of flavors. The peppery bitterness of the greens and the super sweetness of the fruit. Easiness: 8. - all it requires is throwing a bunch of stuff in the blender. While it's mixing, I throw away the peach container and put the frozen stuff back up. Throw the other half of the coconut milk in a container. Accessibility of ingredients: 5 - I don't keep coconut milk on hand but will for now. You also have to have a frozen banana so that requires some planning. Clean-up: 6 - just wash out the blender. Not too bad all things considered. Definitely worth the effort for the payoff on this one. It makes 2 big servings. Wendy and I drank one around 11 am and didn't have anything else until around 4pm. I was hungry but not dying. Here's to going green!