Lots and lots of spinach!

Approximately half of the refrigerator is being taken up with bags and plastic containers filled with spinach. I bought spinach to go in my smoothies, and then DH, bless his heart, bought a HUGE bag from Costco -- all told, we probably have 5-6 pounds of spinach in the fridge -- no exaggeration!

I think I will need to make green smoothies for the unsuspecting neighbors in addition to my own. Usually the most I consume is 4-6 oz. of spinach per smoothie; I may need to ramp up the amount in order to get through this spinach before it dies and gets all slimy on me. 

Or I will have to investigate other spinach recipes in addition to using it to make smoothies. This one sounds really good, and it uses up a whole pound of spinach: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spinach/. And THIS recipe: rice with spinach and feta cheese -- I think I'm in love! http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv259.htm. 

We may get through all this spinach after all! If you have any favorite vegetarian spinach recipes to send my way, please do!

Popeye would be proud!

Looks like Swamp Muck but tastes delicious!

Is it possible to make a bad tasting green smoothie? This is my question because the color of today's concoction looks like something that parents could use to threaten kids with. "If you don't do your homework, you'll have to drink this swamp muck!" or "If you don't clean your room, you'll have to drink a full glass of swamp goo!" But, as bizarre as the color is, it sure tastes good! Today's recipe:

*1-1/2 cups Odwalla Superfood

*1 cup carrot juice (from Costco)

*2 apples

*6 or 7 frozen strawberries

*a few handfuls of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix

I had to pour out some of the initial mixture in order to have room to shove the handfuls of greens in the carafe. (Wooden spoon handles are great for tamping down the greens.) Once the greens were blended in, I had enough room to pour in the rest of the initial mixture. The end result was about 1-1/2 quarts, which is all that this carafe can hold. No banana today simply because we're out of bananas -- we might have one left, but DH might need it for his breakfast tomorrow.

February is Green Smoothie Month!

Well, it is for me at least.  

Most people have heard of the song, "June is Bustin' Out All Over!" from the musical Carousel. The song title came to mind as I was trying to fasten the top button of my jeans this weekend -- instead of "June," it's my waist that is bustin' out all over. Me -- the one who used to have such a skinny waist that any pants I bought for my hip size were always way too huge in the waist. Ha! Not anymore! My pants are feeling more like a vise -- or a girdle -- and, now that most of the Christmas goodies have been consumed, it's time to take serious action. 

I spent much of Sunday afternoon reading about people's experiences with green smoothies and raw food diets. One woman actually consumed nothing but green smoothies as an experiment, which lasted through much of 2007. She lost A LOT of weight as a result. I think that, if I were to drink nothing but green smoothies all the live-long day, I would miss having something to chew on. But my energy level would probably be off the charts. ;~))

So today is Day One of trying to drink a green smoothie (as Karen the Medical Librarian says) "every single dingle day." And my other goal is to eat mostly raw veggies and fruits during the day and have one cooked meal for dinner. No sweets for the sweet (with exceptions for the occasional dinner out) until I reach my target weight range, which means that I need to drop 15-20 pounds, the same 15-20 pounds that I have been carrying around for the past 3-4 years. 

Today's green smoothie: 1-1/2 cups of Odwalla Superfood, one banana, two apples, 7 or 8 frozen strawberries and a few handfuls of baby spinach leaves. I haven't finished drinking all of this yet (about one quart's worth).

DH went shopping at Costco today -- said that there wasn't any "green juice" (like Odwalla Superfood) but he did buy salad greens, so I'm good to go in that respect. I also set up a weight and waist chart because these two measurements will tell me everything that I need to know about how well I'm doing towards reaching my target waist size and weight range. "So, Bathilda, what ARE your goals waist- and weight-wise?" you may be asking. Bathilda isn't going to share actual numbers -- she isn't that revealing, but suffice it to say she has managed to add a whopping 7 inches to her waistline with the addition of the 15-20 pounds that are sticking to her like Super Glue. 

On that note, it's time to go drink some more of today's green smoothie. Adios amigos!