Smooth Moves

With summer fast approaching and attempting to wind down from far too much (or not enough) traveling, I have been cultivating a deep new bond with my vitamix. It was only through going cold turkey (the 13-pound contraption was the equivalent of at least one pair of leather boots, 10 cardigans, and a hair straightener), that I realized just how wonderful a delicious smoothie is to start your day. While I do love my vitamix for the quick concoctions of hummus-y, pesto-y, and soup-y variety, I have recently become obsessed with the smoothie. Not only are they deliciousfantastic, but they can be super healthy, packed with tons of yummy good stuff, and keep you full for a while. Let me break it down for you:

The Liquid (about 1 cup - 1 1/2 cups):

Since I have been attempting to restrict the amount of dairy in my diet, and because I really love the flavor, I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I recommend blue diamond, but any will do). Another yummy, lighter solution is coconut water. If you haven't caught on to the Rihanna-inspired trend, I highly recommend you do - it's great for rehydration after some hot yoga (or even a light jog around the park) and adds a little something extra flavorwise.

The Fruit (1/2 cup - 1 cup)

Go crazy. I prefer my fruit frozen because I like the consistency of the smoothie better, but get creative. My latest obsession is mango, peach, 1/2 banana and some raspberries. Beware of blueberries - they stain your teeth. SO if you are going to add them, I would supplement them with other fruits as well.

The Veg

I like to throw a little something in that I have in the fridge. I highly recommend kale - super-power packed with everything good for your body and doesn't have an overpoweringly 'green' taste. Carrots and beets add a bit of sweetness. Cucumbers are deliciously refreshing.

The Herb

I love to add mint - it soothes the tummy and is incredibly refreshing.

The Protein Punch

I like to add a scoop of protein powder. I recommend a whey protein with not too much other stuff in it. They have some great options that are low in carbs and calories that help you stay fuller for longer. I prefer vanilla, but they have some yummy other options too

The other goodies

I recently went on a whole foods shopping spree and picked up some fun new things to add in
1. green vibrance powder - you can never have too many greens
2. cacao powder - delicious taste and filled with antioxidants
3. maca powder - a hip new supplement that supports energy and hormone levels without a strong taste (add 1 tsp)
4. bee pollen! a high-density superfood that supposedly does everything wonderful for your body (1 tsp, too)
5. flax seed powder and flax seed oil!
6. 1/4 avocado or a spoonful of coconut oil for something a bit more substantial
7. almond butter! (especially with cacao powder and banana)

Sweetness Note

Depending on your sweet tooth, some healthier ways to sweeten up these smoothies is agave, brown rice syrup or dates!



ENJOY!

Sweet Things Down Under

For the past two weeks I've been in Australia with my mom, visiting my sister who has been studying for the semester at the University of Melbourne.  Melbourne is a great city - full of sophistication, trendy styles, AHmazing foods and a booming coffee society. I'm not the biggest coffee consumer when I'm home. I typically drink tea and occasionally have the morning latte from the coffee shop across the street from my office. However, while in Australia we would stop for a coffee anytime of the day and I would have no objection. Melbournians definitely know how to make a good coffee. It could be due to the fact that a) it's from great coffee, or b) the baristas know how to artfully craft a good latte, or c) because I never ordered one with skim milk and the whole milk made it more creamy and yummy. Who knows, maybe d) all the above. So while I was there I took many photos of my food adventures. Below are a few of the delicious coffees I had. And I can't forget to show you the delicious cakes we often had with our afternoon coffees. (If you can't guess by now, we went from meal to meal, eating our way through the city).
The most exciting discovery was iced coffee. Now you're saying, "yeah yeah yeah, I know what iced coffees are. I get them at Starbucks during the summer." NO. You don't. On the first day in Melbourne, we were out at a bakehouse/café near my sister's apartment and due to the jet lag I didn't know what to order to drink, so my mom told them I wanted an iced coffee. And I turned to her and told her I don't like iced coffee! And she replied, "well you'll like this." And I was so tired and hungry (if you know me, you'll know if I'm hungry, I have a slightly grumpy temperament) I said, "don't tell me what I will like and not like!" Moments passed, and the coffee arrived. Oh boy, was I wrong. She did know what I would like, as most mothers do. It was not coffee with ice in it. It was vanilla ice cream, with a shot of espresso on top with a bit of steamed milk. America needs to do this. I predict it to be my summer drink. I'm going to try it at home and see if I can replicate it.
Lastly, a regular sized coffee there is small, not American-sized. This shocked me at first. It's a smaller cup if you take it to go or in a small glass if you stay and eat-in. There large sized coffees are similar to a Starbucks' 12-oz "Tall". Also, a reusable coffee mug, one you could take to a coffee shop and take to-go, is called a "keep cup" down under.

 Coffee time with gorgeous latte-art

 Iced coffee

 More coffee

 A german cake called Kugelhopf 

 Found a small van selling "Hot American Doughnuts" - we couldn't resist.

 Cakes!

 And more cakes!

 Happened upon a Dutch festival and tried poffertjes (light, fluffy, tiny pancakes made in a cast iron griddle). Ours were with lemon juice and powder sugar.

And more cakes. 

 Tiramisu cake, with candied nuts as a crust

 Iced mocha! With whipped cream. 

Oreo mousse cake - rich and decadent.

Melbourne has a large Greek population which meant lots of Greek cakes.