All in green monster

Monster Detox

Sarah
birthday, detox, green monster, wine
Yesterday was my dad's birthday, which always means a fun-filled and delicious evening is in store. I started off with a few sips of champagne, then a delicious red wine once we got to the restaurant. I am in LOVE with Sangiovese, which is both spicy and smooth with subtle fruit flavors, so the bartender gave me a rather yummy Spanish blend whose name I can't remember for the life of me. But according to its description on the menu, flavors included blackberries, raspberries, and currants. It was lovely.
We ate our tapas (which were incredible) enthusiastically and then returned home for CAKE. I'd tried a new recipe for plain yellow cake and used the Sprinkles recipe for dark chocolate frosting. Because I wasn't sure it would be successful, Suzanne made her fool-proof lemon curd cake. Can you say eggs? Butter? Sugar? My cake alone called for 3 eggs, 2 sticks of butter, and ONE POUND of butter for the frosting (disclaimer: I used barely half of the recipe to cover the cake). Hers had a total of 8 eggs. Although the slices were small, both cakes were incredibly rich and filling. But of course ignorance is bliss on an occasion such as my dad's birthday, and I licked my plate clean!

Needless to say, I was feeling less than stellar this morning. To try and detox, I went for an hour-long run/hike but I still felt clogged up. So I sipped some green tea and waited for my stomach to tell me it was ready to be fed. At which point, I made...

My first official Green Monster! It was so delicious, and a monster detox in every way. I can't believe I haven't been drinking these all my life. For any disbeliever out there, let me just say that you are WRONG. Green Monsters rule, end of story. Here's my recipe:

Mean Green Detox
1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/4 of an apple, cubed
1/2 banana
a few fresh strawberries
fresh mint leaves
1/2 Tbsp chia seeds
1 Tbsp almond butter
hemp protein powder
wheat grass powder
nutmeg
maple syrup
3/4 cup coconut water

Combine everything and blend like you mean it.
This smoothie is hydrating, refreshing, detoxifying, nutritious, and delicious.

I apologize for the lack of picture, but I promise it was green!

Hopping on the bandwagon

Sarah
green monster
They're taking over the foodie blogosphere like an infectious disease. They contain ingredients feared by some and foreign to others. Their name even sounds a little dangerous. What in the world am I talking about?

Green Monsters!

Whether or not you've heard of the Green Monster Movement, we're all familiar with the concept of sneaking some extra health into our smoothies. I've been a fan of adding wheat grass powder and hemp protein (separately, not together) to mine for quite some time now, but they've never actually been green in color because fruit is my dominant produce of choice in the morning. I've been missing one key ingredient that will transform my morning smoothie from simple blended berries to Green Monster madness. Any guesses as to what that might be?

Spinach! Kale! Collards!

That's right, more potent green nutrition. The 2-3 cups of leafy greens in a Green Monster is what gives it that signature color. Luckily, when blended thoroughly, this addition is barely noticeable. And by that I mean taste wise, because the color definitely is.

This morning, I was keen on making my first Green Monster and joining the club. However, I was disappointed to discover that we didn't have any spinach. I wasn't about to put mixed greens in, because that just doesn't sound good at all. But I went ahead and made one with hemp protein powder, wheat grass powder, frozen banana, berries, almond butter, yogurt, a splash of maple syrup, and some unsweetened cocoa to mask the grassy taste. It was actually pretty great.

I fully intend to join the Green Monster fun as soon as I can get my hands on some spinach or kale, and I will share this adventure with you accordingly. For now, you can read more about Green Monsters and their creator here.

Happy sipping!