Sweet Broccoli Juice

Do you end up with a pile of broccoli stalks in your kitchen? I eat a lot of broccoli so I always manage to have a growing pile of broccoli stalks in my fridge. For years I made the mistake of composting them. Of course, that was until I realized how absolutely delicious they are. If you're not eating your broccoli stalks, let me tell you right now that you are missing out.

Once you peel the outer skin of the broccoli stalk away, the inside is crisp and sweet and they make a wonderful snack by themselves. I also love using shredded broccoli stalks raw in salads and slaws or sauteing them in a quick stir-fry. 

This week I've been experimenting with adding them to juices and I am loving this spicy and sweet combo with apple, mint, and ginger. If you are one of those people who dislike the taste of broccoli, let me just warn you now that this probably isn't for you. However, if you are a broccoli fan and are looking for a new way to  use up the stalks, this is one tasty treat!

If you are new to juicing broccoli, I would probably recommend taking it slow and starting with 1 - 2 stalks and increasing the ratio of apples. Combined with the mint and ginger, this juice is sweet, but with a nice bit of spice from the ginger. It's the perfect combo to get you in the mood for spring!

Sweet Broccoli Juice
Serves 1

2 - 3 broccoli stalks
handful fresh mint
1-inch piece ginger
1 - 2 apples, depending on desired sweetness

Juice ingredients and enjoy!

Recipe shared at Weekend Wellness

Vanilla Rooibus Tea with Cacao & Mint

Since I'm hosting the savory tea giveaway from Numi this week, I thought it would be fun to talk a little bit more about tea. 

If you ever come to Seattle, one of the places that you absolutely have to visit is Remedy Teas on Capitol Hill. I am obsessed with this tea house. They carry over 150 organic loose leaf teas in the cafe, including white, green, oolong, black, rooibus, yerba, and a variety of herbal teas. If you are a tea drinker, this place is pure heaven. 

One of my favorite combinations was a seasonal holiday tea they featured several years ago that tasted like chocolate peppermint candy. Let me tell you, I bought out the store. Literally. And over the next eleven months I drank it all. 

Then the following Christmas I anxiously awaited for this seasonal tea to return, but they never brought it back. Several months ago I found myself craving this tea again and I finally decided it was time to just make my own combination. So I did.  

Rooibus is a sweet, caffeine-free tea from South Africa. I love drinking it as an afternoon treat and this combination is perfect with a little almond milk and stevia.  

I was pleasantly surprised by how cost effective it is to make my own loose leaf blend by purchasing the ingredients separately and then mixing them together. A small tin of this blend can usually run around $15, but I found that purchasing the ingredients in bulk and making this myself cut the cost to a little less than 1/3 of the price. I found the ingredients at my local health foods store, but I also provided links below to order online if your store does not have a bulk section or does not carry these items. Since vanilla beans are quite pricey, I kept mine whole and added it to the tea blend to help infuse the tea with vanilla flavor. Storing the tea in a tea tin kept the vanilla bean fresh enough that it still has plenty of flavor to reuse in future batches of tea. 

Vanilla Rooibus Tea with Cacao & Mint

Makes about 15 cups of tea

Ingredients:

1/3 cup rooibus tea

2 tablespoons cacao nibs

2 tablespoons peppermint tea

1 vanilla bean

Instructions:

Assemble the ingredients and store in a tea tin.

The general rule of thumb when brewing loose leaf tea is 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of water, but I tend to like stronger tea so I usually add 2 - 3 teaspoons per cup of water. I am by no means a tea expert, but here are some other helpful tips I typically use for brewing rooibus tea:

• Always use fresh, cold, and preferably filtered water for boiling. (This will help your tea to taste the best.)
• The recommended temperature for making rooibus tea is 205°F, which means you can usually bring the water to a rolling boil and then steep the tea right away. (Some teas are better at a lower temperature so you have to wait a few minutes after boiling.)
• For steeping the tea, I usually opt for my trusty Bodum teapot or tea filters if I am using a travel mug on-the-go. Lately I've been using a tea infuser, which allows me to steep the tea directly in my mug. For some reason this has felt easier than using a teapot, but it's all personal preference. 
• Rooibus tea should steep for 3 - 5 minutes, and then the leaves should be removed.  It's also recommended that the cup is covered during steeping, but if you use the teapot or tea infuser, this usually has a lid of its own. 
• Finally, enjoy your tea! Add some milk of your choice and your favorite sweetener (if desired) and serve hot!

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend

9 Green Drinks for St. Patrick's Day!

I know that St. Patrick's Day isn't typically associated with green smoothies and juices, but I think maybe it's time we changed the tradition. If you are one of those people heading out to a weekend celebration with corned beef, Irish bread, cabbage, potatoes, or beer, I hope that you'll down one of these green drinks before embarking on the festivities. I promise your body will thank you later!

1. Mojito Juice
A juice packed with fresh enzymes that resembles a fancy cocktail? I'm in! This combination of cucumber, celery, mint, kale, and lemon will leave your tastebuds begging for more!

2. Green Smoothie 101
Green smoothie newbie? Perfect, you've come to the right place! This video tutorial will get you blending up smoothies correctly so your drink ends up healthy and enjoyable!

3. Green Lemonade
This fresh juice combo resembles my favorite childhood drink and is loaded with nutrients! The lemons help cut the "green" taste so this drink is perfect for those new to juicing.

4. Energizing Green Smoothie
If you are trying to replace your morning cup of joe with something healthier or just need a quick, filling breakfast on-the-go, this smoothie is your new best friend. It's perfect for boosting energy, detoxing, and helping you recover from a workout.

5. Bok Choy Green Juice
This juice is simple and refreshing. I love that it only contains two ingredients and makes me feel amazing anytime I drink it.

6. Kale Smoothie For Kids
No green smoothie round-up would be complete without this one! This smoothie is perfect for transforming "picky-eaters" -- adults included.

7. Kale Smoothie For Ladies
This green smoothie naturally boosts energy (without caffeine!), balances hormones, alleviates cramps, helps stabilize blood sugar, and tastes like chocolate. Enough said.

8. Kale Smoothie With Pear and Herbs
This smoothie is one of my favorites in fall when fresh pears are first available at the market, but I love its refreshing quality in spring. The herbs add a beautiful zest that makes me feel like winter is finally over!

9. Mean Green Juice
Don't be intimidated by its name - this juice is incredibly friendly! This post also has a great video to help you get started with the basics of juicing. Drink up!

I hope you enjoyed this green drink round-up! Have a healthy weekend!

Cheers,
Sonnet


Psst, if you enjoyed this, be sure to share it with your friends!

The Flu Buster Juice

I will always remember January as the month when I couldn't get out of bed for over a week straight. That dang flu bug took me down this year and I fell hard. I honestly haven't been that sick in over six years! 

Since I try to rely on natural remedies as opposed to drug store versions, I tried practically every home remedy I could get my hands on. The winners included gargling with salt water (to ease a sore throat), a hot bath with eucalyptus oil (to clear out the sinuses) and this Flu Buster Juice (to ease general symptoms/immune support). 

I won’t lie: this juice is intense. This juice is a powerful punch of lemon juice, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper to top it off. It’s powerful enough that just two ounces will do the trick.  Bottoms up!

Depending on the desired intensity, you can adjust the ratio of garlic and ginger. And if you can't handle the thought of downing this without a little sweetness, an orange will lighten this combo up and add a Vitamin C boost!

The Flu Buster Juice

Makes about 2 ounces

Ingredients:

1 lemon, peeled

1 - 4 garlic cloves

1-inch piece fresh ginger

cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Juice lemon, garlic, and ginger and pour into shot glass (or regular glass). Top with a dash of cayenne pepper and drink.

Yerba Mate Chai

There are quite a few things that I am utterly obsessed with at the moment...

80's music. 

Soba noodles with mung bean sprouts. 

Kettlebells. (If you live in Seattle, Kettlebility's classes are awesome!)

Tim Ferris and The 4 Hour Workweek.

Chicago Fire on NBC. (a.k.a. A drama about beautiful people that rescue people. I'm in.)

Popcorn with a little coconut oil and sea salt. Pure bliss. 

Kris Carr's new cookbook. 

Danielle LaPorte and The Desire Map. 

Yoga pants. Always and forever.

And yerba mate tea. Ooh how I love mate tea.

I first began drinking mate tea in college and instantly fell in love. Later that year I completely gave up coffee for mate and have never looked back. Yerba mate tea is a South American tea that tastes sweet and grassy. To me, it has a milder taste compared to green tea. I prefer to drink mate because it gives me an energy boost without the side effects of caffeine (e.g. headache, jitters, etc) that I experience when I have black tea or coffee.  You can find mate at any health food store or online. 

I love drinking mate tea with just a little homemade vanilla almond milk, but I decided to change it up this week with a simple mate chai. If you don't like the taste of mate tea or prefer to have a caffeine-free version, simply sub rooibus tea instead. 

Yerba Mate Chai

Adapted from Simply Recipes

Makes 1 large pot of tea (6 cups)

Ingredients:

1/2 of a star anise star

10 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

6 whole white peppercorns

1 cardamon pod opened to the seeds

1-inch piece fresh ginger, mashed

3 cups water

2 heaping tablespoons of yerba mate tea (or another tea of your choice)

3 cups almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Sweetener of choice, to taste

Instructions:

In a small saucepan, add spices and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 5 - 20 minutes, depending on how strong you want the spice flavor to be. 

Add almond milk to the water and spices. Bring the milk and spice mixture just to a boil and remove from heat. Add the tea and let steep for 5 to 10 minutes.  Add sweetener to taste, if desired.  Strain into a pot and serve warm. 

Mean Green Juice [Video]

It's time for another green juice! In January, I became addicted to juicing and it's been exciting to connect with all of you on a similar juicing journey! I've gotten several emails from folks who were inspired by the juicing posts so this is something I will continue to keep up. (If you have recipes or photos to share, please share them with me over on the Facebook page or on Twitter.)

Today I have a special juicing video to share with you that includes a special (unplanned) guest appearance from my cat. And, for anyone that's curious, you'll also get to see my Hurom Slow Juicer at work. Let's get juicing!

Mean Green Juice
Makes 1 juice

Ingredients:
1 (organic) cucumber
1/2 medium (organic) green bell pepper
2 - 3 (organic) kale leaves
1 lemon, peeled
1-inch piece ginger
1/4 (organic) apple (optional)

Instructions:
Juice ingredients and enjoy!

Recipe shared over at Weekend Wellness

No-Stress Blood Orange Spritzer (with Magnesium)

How are your magnesium levels? (I bet that's not a question you're typically asked!)

Several months ago I began reading about magnesium and how important it is to supplement since magnesium is responsible for over 325 enzyme reactions in the body! Magnesium is a mineral that you can find in sea vegetables, dark leafy greens and green vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and cacao.  However, due to mineral depletion in our soil and cooking/heating our food, most of the magnesium in our food supply is minimal by the time it reaches our bodies. And, if you consume coffee, sugar, or high amounts of protein, this can also deplete magnesium levels in the body.

Why is this important? Well, magnesium deficiency can cause a variety of conditions, including:

• Stress, anxiety and panic attacks
• Constipation and IBS symptoms
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Heart disease
• Insomnia
• Headaches and migraines
• Musculoskeletal conditions (e.g. fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, cramps, etc)
• PMS symptoms
• and a host of others (read more here)

I don't know about you, but most people I know (myself included) have at least one of the issues mentioned above. For many people, stress is a growing problem and magnesium plays a vital role in managing blood pressure and blood sugar. If you are under stress and magnesium deficient, this can lead to hypertension, blood clots, anxiety/panic attacks, headaches, and muscle tension. Magnesium also helps ease PMS symptoms, including bloating, fluid retention, muscle tension, moodiness, irritability, and digestive issues.

Furthermore, magnesium deficiency plays a huge role in Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Magnesium helps to relax smooth muscle (including the colon) so if you include lots of fresh vegetables and fiber sources in your diet and still experience constipation, you should definitely try supplementing with magnesium. And, since magnesium helps to relax muscles, it is really important for athletes to supplement in order to prevent muscle cramps and tension.


One other things that I think is important to mention here is that magnesium balances calcium. Maybe it's just my perspective, but I feel like in America we are obsessed with taking calcium supplements and preventing osteoporosis. However, what we don't often know is that we need to have a balance between calcium and magnesium. If we have too much calcium and not enough magnesium, this can actually cause symptoms of excess calcium, including: osteoporosis, heel spurs, kidney stones, gallstones, and fibromyalgia. (I won't go deep into my personal history here, but I actually developed gallstones at the age of fourteen and I definitely attribute this to excess calcium from dairy products and calcium-only supplements.)

About a month ago I began including Natural Vitality's Natural Calm magnesium supplement in my diet and have already noticed a huge difference. I am sleeping better, feeling less stressed overall (even while moving!), and saw a huge decrease in PMS symptoms. This is the only magnesium supplement I have tried so I can't personally recommend others, but I love how easy it is to add this powder to water. It's vegan, gluten-free and sweetened with organic stevia so when mixed with water, it makes a bubbly, sweet drink. It comes in several flavors (including one plain without stevia) and the raspberry-lemon is definitely my favorite.

If you are interested in learning more about magnesium, I definitely recommend reading The Magnesium Miracle by Dr. Carolyn Dean. And, please keep in mind that while I am a certified holistic health coach, I am not a medical doctor and this post is not intended as medical advice. This is simply my own research and my personal experience so please consult your naturopath or doctor before adding any supplements or making dietary changes.

I typically drink Natural Calm mixed with plain, filtered water, but I thought it would be fun to experiment with with some seasonal citrus fruits so I created this special Blood Orange Spritzer. The magnesium powder mixes best with warm or room-temperature liquids so be sure to mix the juice and powder together before adding any ice.

Disclosure: Natural Vitality provided me with complimentary samples of their products, but I was under no obligation to write a positive review or create a recipe. I was so shocked by my findings on magnesium deficiency and the difference that this supplement made for me that I wanted to share it with you. I would never recommend a product here that I do not personally use and believe in. 

No-Stress Blood Orange Spritzer
Makes two 16 ounce drinks

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh blood orange juice (about 6 medium oranges)
1 - 2 teaspoons Natural Calm Raspberry-Lemon Flavor magnesium supplement
16 ounces sparkling water
Ice
Fresh mint for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
Juice oranges and mix with magnesium powder. Add sparkling water, ice, and garnish with fresh mint (optional). Serve and enjoy!

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend

Mojito Juice

I've learned that I am a very indecisive person when it comes to buying produce.  It usually takes me three rounds in the produce section or at the farmers market before I feel ready to make some commitments.  And apparently, my indecisiveness is even worse when I'm buying produce online.

Picking out my SPUD juicing box each week has been the most excruciating process because I love them all!  Do I try something new?  Do I stick with an old favorite?  The options! In the end I went with my favorite Organic Dynamic Beauty Juicing Box for this week and I'm definitely glad I did because I discovered a brand new green juice combination that I adore.

I know that many of you have been excited and getting into juicing on your own so I wanted to remind you about this special offer from SPUD that ends in a few days.  SPUD has two juicing promotions going on until the end of January so if you've been looking for an affordable way to start juicing, this is your chance!

1. If you sign up to buy a juicer (with weekly installment payments) and 6 months of juicing boxes, you'll receive a $140 SPUD gift certificate! (This is a great option if you're looking to do a long-term juicing program for yourself.)
2. Or, if you do a one-time payment on a juicer, you'll get 4 weeks of organic produce free ($140 value)!

Onto the juice! This Mojito Juice is one of my absolute favorite green drinks. I love the combination of cucumber, mint, and lemon in the juice because it makes me feel like I'm sipping a fancy cocktail, which also happens to be fabulous for my health! If you want a sweeter version of this juice, simply sub out the celery for an apple of your choosing.

Mojito Juice
Makes one 12 - 16 oz juice

1 cucumber
3 stalks celery
handful fresh mint
2 kale leaves
1 lemon, peeled

Carrot and Cilantro Juice

I am surrounded by germs at the moment. Between my office and home, almost everyone is sick. I felt a little under the weather for several days, but so far I've been able to ward it off.  I'm definitely convinced that my strengthened immunity is due to all the fresh juices I've been drinking!

For this week's SPUD juicing box I opted for the Organic Dynamic Beauty Juicing Box, which is a beautiful combination of apples, beets, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, cucumber, ginger, kale, lemons, green bell peppers, and spearmint. This was the first box that I tried from SPUD and I love all the different flavor combinations you can make with these juices. 

This week I've been playing around with lots of carrot-based juices. If you are new to juicing, I definitely recommend starting with a carrot-based juice because it will be incredibly sweet, even without the addition of fruit! Some of my favorite combinations from this week's produce box include: 

• 5 carrots, 3 kale leaves, and 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3 carrots, 2 beets, 1/4 apple, and 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 3 chard leaves, and small handful of mint
• 3 carrots, 1/2 cucumber, and small handful of mint

And, of course, this carrot cilantro juice.

This juice is a sweet and zesty mix between the carrots, bell pepper, and cilantro.  I also love adding a lemon for a nice tartness and even more alkalizing power.  For an additional immune boost (and to ward off vampires), try sneaking in a garlic clove or two!

I looove cilantro so I actually added quite a big handful to my juice. If cilantro's not your thing, you can either leave it out or substitute with a different fresh herb like parsley. Drink up!

Carrot Cilantro Juice
Makes one 12 - 16 oz juice

5 medium carrots
small handful cilantro
1/2 green bell pepper
1 lemon, peeled

Juice ingredients and enjoy!

Green Goddess Juice

If it wasn't for SPUD's Juicing at Home Program, there is a very good chance I would be sitting here eating a cupcake right now. We've finally got all of our boxes and furniture moved into our new place and things are getting a bit settled, but after hauling heavy boxes up and down stairs for three hours my body is craving less-than-healthy things. Luckily, instead of reaching for something sweet, I made a glass of this tasty green goodness. I think my cells are grateful.

If you read my post last week, you know that I'm testing out SPUD's new produce boxes specifically for juicing and they are absolutely fabulous! This week I ordered their Organic All Vegetable Juicing Box, which included beets, carrots, celery, chard, cilantro, cucumbers, kale, parsley, a red bell pepper, and tomatoes. 

With the moving craziness this week it was too hard to make it to the grocery store and having this produce box was a lifesaver! Being part of the juicing program has made it so easy for me to drink more fresh juice, even with my busy schedule the last couple of weeks. I can't say enough good things about SPUD as a company (especially their commitment to sustainability) and the incredible convenience of having local, organic produce delivered. (I mentioned this last week, but if you are curious about trying out SPUD's juicing program, now is the time because they have a couple of awesome juicing promotions going on this month!)

I love that this juicing box is all veggies (since I prefer green juices over fruit-based ones) and the variety of ingredients has made it easy to create many fun juice combinations! This was also my first time making tomato juice at home and I think fresh tomato juice is now one of my favorites (especially when combined with carrots and bell pepper). 

I'm also pleasantly surprised to report that I have fallen head-over-heals for the Hurom Slow Juicer. To be honest, in the beginning I was a bit skeptical about trying a different juicer because I've always used centrifugal models (like my trusty Jack LaLanne juicer) and didn't see the need to upgrade to a masticating juicer. I've been getting a lot of emails and comments from readers asking for more information about specific juicer models. I'll have another post coming up later this week with more information about juicers and how to pick the best model for you so stay tuned!

And now to the juice... aahhhh, look at all the green!

Note: All of the ingredients used in this juice are on the dirty dozen list so please buy organic to ensure that you are not consuming pesticides and chemicals in your juice. 

Green Goddess Juice
Makes 8 - 12 ounces

1/2 cucumber
2 stalks celery
2 kale leaves
small handful parsley

Juice ingredients and enjoy!

Cranberry Rosemary Refresher

I have been told by numerous people that the life of a food blogger seems really glamorous. I think sometimes when we see a picture of a beautiful dish, we imagine the chef/photographer standing in their kitchen, leisurely making a delicious meal about to be served to their family, while casually stopping to snap a photograph or two. As a food blogger, I can tell you that this is rarely how it happens. At least, not in my house.

Instead, here's the scene: a rainy Saturday morning.  At home, alone, with two crazy cats. The best light in my house is in my living room, with giant windows that face a main road. There I am, still in my pajamas, standing on a stool above a table to get the best angle as people walk by and shoot me puzzled looks.

Randomly a rogue cranberry falls from the table, inspiring one of my cats to bat it around the living room with all his might. As I'm trying to balance on a stool, ignore the passerbys, and get a decent shot, I knock over the martini glass and spill cranberry juice across my living room.  By now both of my cats are engaged in a cranberry-chasing battle and all of this running has managed to make one of them lose his lunch. Clean-up on aisle five, please?

Nevertheless, I managed to get a decent photograph of an amazing drink that you need to try this holiday season. Whether you leisurely enjoy this at a beautiful dinner with your loved ones, or simply use it as a reward for cat clean-up duty, I promise that it will energize your taste buds while flooding your body with nutrients.

Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin C, making this refresher the perfect winter immune booster. This was my first time juicing cranberries and I was pleasantly surprised by the intensely-tart flavor of fresh cranberry juice. Pairing it with fresh apple juice mellows the flavor and sweetens it up a bit without the use of refined sugars.

If you don't have access to a juicer, simply substitute 2 cups of unsweetened 100% cranberry juice and 2 cups of 100% apple juice. Fresh cranberry juice has a more intense flavor so even though my cranberries only yielded 1 cup of juice, if you are using bottled juice, you will probably want 2 cups.

Cranberry Rosemary Refresher
Makes 4 drinks

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 fresh sprigs rosemary (more for garnish, if desired)
1 pound fresh cranberries (makes about 1 cup of juice)
4 apples (makes about 2 cups of juice)
Ice

Directions:
Add water to a covered saucepan or small pot and bring to a boil.  Add the rosemary, and lower heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, for one hour. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Juice the cranberries and apples. Mix with the chilled rosemary water. Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs and serve over ice.

Recipe shared at Wellness Weekend and Vegetarian Mamma

Beet Detox Juice

If you live in the United States like me, yesterday was Thanksgiving; a time when most people eat their weight in stuffing and gravy. After all that heavy holiday food, I'm guessing that some of you might need a break. At the very least, maybe your digestive system does? I have just the thing: my favorite beet detox juice.

I'm a big fan of fresh vegetable juices and I always notice a huge difference in my body when I juice regularly.  (If you're new to juicing, check out my vegetable juice tutorial.)  I'm not one of those people who advocate extreme juice fasts, but I think there are a lot of benefits to adding juice to a healthy diet.  

This detox juice is one of my favorites because it's naturally sweet, even without adding fruits to the juice.  If I've had a big dinner the night before, I like to start my day with a glass of water and then drink this juice before my morning smoothie.  Beets are loaded with iron, antioxidants, and a cancer-fighting agent called betacyanin (the pigment that is responsible for its purple-red color), making this juice a powerful blood cleanser.  Drink up!

When making fresh juices, I recommend using fresh, organic produce to ensure that you are getting the most nutrients in your juice and that you are not ingesting chemicals. The ingredients are listed below in the order that I run them through my juicer. Depending on the size of your juicer spout, you might need to chop some of the vegetables in half.  If you are new to juicing, you might want to add more carrots or an apple to help balance out the stronger flavors (e.g. garlic and beets) in the juice.

Beet Detox Juice
Serves 1 -2

1 small clove garlic
1-inch piece fresh ginger
5 kale leaves
1 lemon, peeled
3 medium beets and beet greens
2 medium carrots, tops removed

Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs

Hello dear partner, and love of my life.

I am sorry.  I am sorry that while you were out running errands I did nothing that I said that I would do.  I did not clean the kitchen.  I did not prepare your dinner.  I also forgot about the laundry.  My sincerest apologies.

Instead I accomplished many, many important, but totally non-important things, such as:

1. I updated our Netflix queue.  I put all of my most favorite romantic comedies (i.e. your least favorite movies ever) at the top.  They will be here on Friday.
2. I rated 46 movies on Netflix so that it would provide the best suggestions for us whenever we log in. Of course, since I rated them, I gave 5 stars to movies that I love, like Eat Pray Love, 13 Going on 30, Julie and Julia, and My Best Friend's Wedding.  I am sorry that Netflix will now recommend items like Sweet November and Something Borrowed, instead of movies that you like.  I am also sorry that I will most likely add these new recommendations to the top of the queue and delay your movies even longer.
3. I was really dehydrated from all of that Netflix work so I drank some water.  I found that I still felt a bit dehydrated so I made some fresh juice.  I left all of the pulp sitting out on the counter and now the kitchen is attracting fruit flies.  Whoops. 
4. I spent exactly 12 minutes petting a cat.  I know this because that is how much time was left on the timer that was supposed to remind me to grab the laundy from the dryer.  Instead, I turned off the timer and continued to pet the cat.
5. I went on Etsy and found an awesome merchant that sells adorable puppy blazers and fancy white collars for cats.  It looks like this cat is wearing a suit!  So cute.  I know that you hate the idea of dressing pets in clothes so I am hesitant to tell you that I ordered two for the cat's Christmas gifts. Don't hate me. 
6. I also read a bunch of articles about superfoods aiding in cancer prevention that were mentioned on Twitter.  Even though I am certain that you don't want to hear about this, I plan to tell you about all of it when you return home.  Get ready. 
7. I oiled the wooden cutting board.  It's pretty now.  So pretty that I would like you to refrain from using it.  It is now reserved for blog photos only.  Thanks.

But after all that, I made you this smoothie.  I filled it with nutritious and tasty things like ripe pears, fresh kale, and zesty parsley.  You're gonna like it.  Promise.

P.S. I love you. :)

I've been experimenting with different herbs in my smoothies recently and I really love the sweet pear and parsley combination in this one.  (If you are new to green smoothies, check out some of my other recipes: Green Smoothie 101, Green Smoothie 2.0, and Kale Smoothie for Kids.)  Nondairy milk or fresh juice can also be substituted for the water if you want to add a bit more flavor or sweetness.  This is my favorite breakfast smoothie at the moment and the addition of flax seeds, protein powder (I use Omega pumpkin seed protein powder), and avocado make it more filling as well as delicious.

Kale and Pear Smoothie with Herbs
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups greens (I used kale)
1/4 cup herbs (parsley and cilantro both work great)

2 ripe pears, cored
1 frozen banana (remove the peel, cut into 1-inch slices, and freeze in a plastic bag overnight)
1 cup ice
1 Tablespoon flax seeds (optional)
Protein powder (optional)
1/4 avocado (optional)

Instructions:
Blend water, greens, and herbs for 15 seconds - 1 minute (depending on your blender) on high. Then add the pear, banana, ice, flax seeds (if using), protein powder (if using), and avocado (if using) and blend for an additional 30 seconds - 1 minute.