Green Smoothie experiment - Day #4

Woke up this morning thinking about how I get to try asparagus in my smoothies today.

Also, I was talking about my Green Smoothie adventure to a friend of mine.  She is allergic to bananas, so it is my mission this morning to make a green smoothie sans banana to bring to church with me for her to try.  I LOVE experimentation!!!

This is what I came up with for her...
4 spears asparagus
1/3 of a cucumber
1/2 a zucchini
3 pitted prunes
handful kale
1/4 cup blueberries
4 large strawberries
1 tbsp sunbutter
water to the fill line

I hope that she likes it.

For my own green smoothies, I blended

1 fist kale                           $  .65
5 large strawberries           $  .50
1/4 cups blueberries          $  .50
1/2 cucumber                    $  .10
6 asparagus                       $  .30
1 banana                           $  .20
water to fill line                FREE
                       TOTAL =  $ 2.25   x 3 = $ 6.75  for my green smoothies for the day.  :-)

I had a salad when my last mason jar of green smoothie ran out today.  Lettuce, some raisins, and red wine vinegar.  I figure that eating the exact things I would put into a smoothie are not verboten, so if I absolutely have to have some "chew" in my day, I think that I will grab an apple, a carrot, or a salad exactly like the one described above.

I do not want green smoothing to become yet another tricky food situation.  Food is my addiction, you do not get to be obese without having some food "issues", and I have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of thought that I give to food daily.  I make my smoothies first thing in the morning, fill my mason jars, and nurse them all day long.  When I finish a glass of green smoothie, I fill it with water, so that I drink as much water as I do juice.  I plan meals for the family, and I cook for them, but it is with less pressure.  Not sure exactly why that is, but I am sure that I will make some mental connections that will make it make more sense at some point.

I have talked to friends before about food issues, and have said "If I were addicted to drugs, or alcohol, it would be possible to simply not partake.  You cannot *not* eat."  I think that this is as close as you can go to quitting food "cold turkey".

I have to admit...  I am liking the convenience, the taste, and the ease of green smoothing.  It is a little disconcerting, this thing that is happening on the other end of the digestive tract, but it was not anything that I had not already read about, and was prepared for, as much as can be prepared for.

t

Shopping my own pantry

One of the first frugal websites that I really started reading when I got serious about being a good steward of my kitchen was "Purposefully Frugal"

The blogger and her husband are training to be missionaries, they have a young daughter, and she shares tips that she is learning along the way as a young wife and mother, and foster parent.  Today, her post was about saving money by shopping her own pantry.  It struck home, since I cannot open my refrigerator without risking something falling out.  Since the holidays, I have been generously provisioned in my home, which is wonderful.  That will allow me to shop from my own pantry for a couple of weeks, and ONLY buy the barest of necessities.  :-)

Of course, my idea of "bare necessities" will now include ingredients for my Green Smoothies!

Here is a link to the blog post that is inspiring me to do some pantry shopping...  http://purposelyfrugal.com/2014/02/03/how-were-eating-for-42-this-week/#.UvAYW3khJUR

As always, I will update y'all with how it goes.  :-)

t

Chia Seeds, oh good golly, Chia Seeds!

After watching "Hungry For Change" I bought Flax Seeds and Chia Seeds, and have added them to my smoothies occasionally, when I remember.

I would like to state emphatically that I understand that Chia Seeds are NOT strictly Paleo.  I am utilizing them for right now in order to help my body get rid of toxicity, and I do not yet have an aloe vera plant from which to harvest my gelatinous absorbable detoxifier.  I may stop using them at some point in the future, when I am no longer trying to de-toxify my body and stop being morbidly obese.  Then again, I might keep using them for the rest of my life.  I am not sure right now.

A few days ago, one of the Facebook sites that I follow had a recipe for a chia seed oatmeal slurry thing.  I remember that the recipe was 1 cup of almond milk, 2 tbsp chia seeds, a tsp of pure vanilla extract, and an optional tbsp of honey.  I mixed it up, then put it in the refrigerator for the requisite 30 minutes for it to "gel".  What I got was a mass at the bottom of the cup.  I did eat it like a porridge, and it was good.  But, in the future, for the porridge effect, I will use only 1/2 a cup of almond milk.

 In waiting for photos to be downloaded from my phone (technical difficulties), I have had the opportunity to make this a few ways.

I have found that I like to mix a cup of almond milk with 2 tbsp of chia seeds and mix them for a few minutes, then drink.  When I do this, I stir with a spoon before each time I drink, so that chia seeds are in each sip.  This eliminates the gloppy effect.

I also like to warm the milk a little bit, pour into a mug, then add the chia seeds.  This winds up feeling very luxurious, and it really hits the spot on those cold mornings that we have been having so many of lately.


t

Vacation on Paleo AND on a budget

I am blessed.  I have available to me a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in Branson pretty much any time I want it as part of a bonus time program with our timeshare.  Once we get our season passes to Silver Dollar City and White Water, my cost for a 5 night vacation is the cost of food and gas, plus whatever incidentals we need, or souvenirs that I buy.  I KNOW that this is an incredible blessing and I am grateful for it.

At the timeshare, I can also get a blender and a hand mixer sent to my unit, so I am set to make smoothies and paleo pancakes (with this recipe... http://paleoonthecheap.blogspot.com/2013/01/waffles-and-tikka-masala.html) for breakfast.  There are multiple pools and playgrounds at the resort itself, and they have a wonderful activity center with games that you can check out and books to lend.

Holiday Hills has a very cool thing - they noticed a long long time ago that people left books in their units when they left after their vacation.  So, they started keeping the books in the activity center, and now when I go, I grab a book to read during my trip.  I can normally finish it before I leave, since I read fairly fast.  If I do not, then I take the book home and return it on my next trip.  In the past, I would guestimate that I have brought two fairly large boxes (paper box sized boxes) with me to basically dump in the activity center when I arrived.

Long story short I have taken a couple of trips to Branson this summer, and have loved the ability to control the foods that my kids eat while we are there.  Thing1 and Thing2 have had fewer melt downs and mood swings than they have had in the past while on vacation.

They also have a sister property, Ozark Mountain Resort, and they have mini golf there.  I can take the kids to either resort and utilize their facilities for free.  This allows us to have a lot of fun for not a lot of money.

For breakfast, I like to go a little heavy, so that can sustain us well into the day.  I make some Paleo Pancakes, bacon, and fruit smoothies with almond milk in order to get us going.  Or, I make eggs and bacon with smoothies.  Either way, we load up on protein and fruit to get us going.  I bring home made trail mixes, raisins, and some other snacks with us to the park, but if we are going to be there open to close, then I will get something at the park.  Silver Dollar City has these skillet restaurants, and they make what my Grandmother used to call succotash http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/2907909-Silver-Dollar-City-LUMBERCAMP-FALLS-HARVEST-SKILLET

It is affordable at roughly 6 bucks per serving, and I found out recently that 3 servings will feed 5 people.  It has potatoes and corn in it, so I try to pick around those in the serving that I am eating from.

If there is more money in the budget, I will splurge at Riverside Ribhouse, where I get the half a smoked chicken with 2 sides.  They have grapes and apple sauce as sides on hand for the kids meals, and they will allow adults to order those sides too.  So, that is what I do.  1/2 a roasted chicken and 2 sides of grapes.  If I do not finish everything, I de-bone the chicken and put it into the ziplock baggies that I keep in my purse when I go there.  I do not always keep ziplock baggies in my purse, but I try to be sure that I have 4 or 5 of them in there every time I go to SDC.  http://www.silverdollarcity.com/theme-park/attractions/dining/Riverside-Rib-House.aspx
The kids meals will set you back 6 bucks, and the adult meals will set you back between 10 and 15, but it is still a great deal for a VERY filling sit down meal.  The ribs have a sauce, which I am sure is all brown sugared up, so I do not get the ribs.  The chicken is WONDERFUL, and I highly recommend it.  I have also looked at the smoked sausage sandwich and at some point, I will get it, and just not eat the bread.

When we get back, I can make dinner.  I have made Spaghetti Squash with Bolognese, lettuce wraps, peppers and onion caramelized with steak and lettuce cups (paleo fajitas), and other goodies.  I have been known to make a couple of dinners the day we arrive, put them into the refrigerator, and then eat off of them for dinners.  That way, everyone can have what they want and heat it up themselves whenever they want it.

Basic message - if you find yourself at Silver Dollar City, you have options to stay on track with your paleoness. YAY!

t

Green Smoothie Experiment - Day #3

I got up this morning and made my smoothies...

1 banana                                     $  .20
1 fist full kale                             $  .65
5 strawberries                             $  .50
1/4 cup blueberries                     $  .50
1/2 cucumber                              $  .10   (again, Aldi special)
heaping tablespoon sunbutter     $  .35
water to fill line                          FREE
                               TOTAL   = $  2.30  x 3  $ 6.90 for a full day of green goodness!

In preparation for family meals, I warmed some turkey that a dear friend's husband had generously smoked for me.  He smoked 2 whole turkeys for me.  I made paleo enchilada bake (recipe to come at some point in the future) already, and want to make some more, so I took time to get everything off the bone, and into baggies.  I put the bones in the freezer to make bone broth from at a later date.  Bone broth made from smoked meats is AMAZING, but, I digress.

I never really considered how automatically I eat.  I was de-boning all of the meat, and do not know how much meat I had eaten before I realized that I was randomly popping small bits of meat into my mouth.  If I had to put an amount to it, I know I probably did not eat less than a quarter pound of meat, and I might even put it close to a half pound.  So, I definitely blew the idea of only green smoothies, but I am not going to beat myself up about it.  I will try to be more aware of my "automatic eating" habit.

Going through the freezer for something else, I found a bag of frozen asparagus.  I have out it into the refrigerator to thaw and use in my smoothies.  I love asparagus, and my family does not.  Hence, the languishing bag of frozen asparagus.

I was talking to a friend about doing a Green Smoothie fast for 10 days (not even clueing her into the idea that it could go on as long as 100 days if all things happen well) and she asked "Isn't that kind of extreme?"  I told her that I did not think so.   I said that if I were to have bariatric surgery, I would be on a liquid diet for several days afterwards.  I asked her if Medifast was extreme, and she said not really.  I told her gently that I have made a decision to do a Green Smoothie fast, and I was going to put into my body ingredients that I could identify, and not a chemical slurry.  I think she understood a little better by the time we stopped.  Or, at least I felt like I had represented my point of view in a way that I was satisfied with.

I am feeling the bloat from the turkey.... ugh.  Tomorrow will be better.

t

Green Smoothie experiment - Day #2

Got up, made my smoothies.

1 banana                   $ .20
1 fist full Kale          $  .65
5 Strawberries          $  .50
1/4 cup blueberries   $  .50
1 cucumber              $  .20   (weekly produce special from Aldi"s!!)
drizzle EVOO          $   .10
water to fill line        FREE
TOTAL                    $ 2.15  x 3 green smoothies  $ 6.45 per day for all of my sustenance!!!

Friday, I woke up and did not feel bloat-y at all.  It was nice.

On Fridays, if the girls have good weeks at school, we take a break at a local serve yourself frozen yogurt place.  We have been going there for a couple of years now, so we have become friendly with the owners.  It is family run, and they obviously have a passion for what they do.  The parents make up their own recipes.  They use all natural products and probiotics.  It is not a place where they put a slurry in the machines from a big bag that they get shipped to them.  I like that, and have always liked that, about Kikiberri.  That is what it is called.  Kikiberri Frozen Yogurt, named for their delightful daughter, Kiki.  Kiki and her brother are also both employees/partners (?) in the family business.   Everyone is affable, friendly, and relaxed.  There is a really nice vibe there that I enjoy.   If you ever find yourself in Bentonville, Arkansas, you must go.  https://www.facebook.com/kikiberri

So, I walked in on Friday, with my green juice.  The girls did their thing, and got their yogurts.  We sat down, and I was talking to the Dad, and we started talking about Green Smoothies.  He is apparently into them too, so I was able to get quite a bit of information from him.  Remember - this is a guy that researches everything.  I learned a lot about Stevia, Xylitol, and other sweeteners.  I am not using them, but it was nice to have the information in my cranium.  :-)

He offered to make me a green smoothie.  No sweetener added.  he went into the back room and proceeded to make magic.  BEST GREEN SMOOTHIE EVAH!!!!!!!!  My taste buds died, went to heaven, then came back because they wanted some more of that smoothie!  He used almond milk and not water (something I had not thought of for a green smoothie), and he also added almond butter.  I will be using the almond butter idea in my own smoothies, but I will be using sun butter, since that is what I have.  It gave a satiety that was nice.  I do not think I am going to be using almond milk, because I like either water or coconut water.  But, sun butter - I will definitely be trying that.  It was super smooth too!!  And, at about 5 or 6 bucks, it was much more my speed in the financial area than the other smoothie was from the place in Fayetteville.  I also bought 2 fro-yo's and the total bill was $14.97 for everything, so it is my best guestimate that the smoothie was 5ish dollars, but don't quote me on it.  If you go in, and it is 7 bucks, it will still be worth every penny!!

All in all, I spent $6.45 for smoothies that I made myself, and $5.00 on a professionally made one, so my daily Green Smoothie total is $11.45.  Still less expensive than a single meal out at Applebees.  :-)

I drank all of my 96 ounces of green smoothie, plus a 20 ounce green smoothie from Kikiberri, and about a half gallon of water.  I am surprised that I am not hungry during the day.  Of course, to get a huge volume of smoothie and water into me, I am pretty much constantly drinking.  I carry around a 22 ounce sipper cup with a lid that I got at White Water in Branson over the summer.  It is a good size for me, I like the convenience of it, and it is infinitely portable.

I went to bed on Day #2 without any sign of a headache, and not being hungry.  So far, so good.


t

Green Smoothie experiment - Day #1

Having watched "Fat Sick and Nearly Dead" more than once, I have been tempted to try a juice fast on several occasions.  I have finally bit the bullet and decided to go for it.  I have been making smoothies with my trusty Nutribellet for a while now, and I have made green smoothies for myself on many occasions.  I find them to be a tasty treat.  On Thursday (January 30th, 2014) I decided to go for it.  I had looked in the refrigerator and freezer, looked hard at my 2 bags of kale (around 3 bucks at Wal-Mart for huge bags of roughly chopped Kale Greens) and decided that it was time.  I had everything at hand - what was I waiting for?

I have been hesitant to really get into a Green Smoothie experiment, because I did not feel that I had enough information.  So, on Wednesday, I made the decision to get informed.  I turned to the internet.

I had seen this video before, but could not remember if he gave specific information...  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjt3bxyKcCI  Not a while lot of info, but lots of inspiration!  Once the video was over, I saw on the right side of the screen "60 Day Juice Fast - How Much Juice Daily"  It was like manna from heaven.  Angels sang, and I clicked on the link from Raw Raw Life..  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D707pPrBWGc  The lady is super enthusiastic, and engaging to me.  She clued me in to using my mason jars and having my juice on the ready.  I also would probably not thought to drink as much water as she suggests, because I would have felt like the Green Smoothies would keep me hydrated.  Plus, who does not like someone that titles one of her videos "Juice Fasting & Detox - The Beginning Sucks"????  Adorable!

Thursday morning, I woke up and made breakfast for husband.  While I was doing that, I used the largest cup that came with my Nutribullet to make some green smoothies.  In each smoothie, I put...

1 banana
1 huge fist full of kale
4 strawberries
1/4 cup of blueberries
1 drizzle of EVOO
Water to the "max" fill line, and put it on the base and blend it to liquid.

It was nicely serendipitous that the large Nutribullet cup is just about a perfect fill of a large Ball jar, so three Green Smoothies made three Ball jars FULL of my daily Green Smoothie intake.

Not being used to carting my Ball jars yet, when I had to go into Fayetteville, I forgot to bring my extra jars.  I used my phone to search for a juice bar.  I wound up at Berry Natural, (https://www.facebook.com/BerryNatural) which I feel blessed to have encountered, even thought it was VERY much more expensive than I had thought it would be.  I pulled into the drive through, and a lovely young woman with jet black hair popped her head out of the window to help me.  I explained that I JUST started a Green Smoothie fast, and she asked me what I use at home.  I told her what I had used, and that I was worried that there might be powders and things that I did not want in the smoothie.  She told me that she would not put anything into my smoothie that I did not want in it "I promise."  Then, she smiled.  I wound up with a 20 ounce smoothie with pineapple, strawberry, banana, and kale (they were out of blueberries) with Coconut Water.  I was SO GOOD!  It was also 12 dollars.  UGH!  No wonder people think that  Green Smoothie fast is cost prohibitive!  Being caught unawares is cost prohibitive.  Improper prior planning is cost prohibitive.  Green Smoothies are not expensive - once you get the blender or Nutribullet.

As of right now, I have spent about 3 bucks per bag for 2 bags of kale, and $2.69 per bag for 2 bags each of frozen strawberries and frozen blueberries.  Bananas have run me about $7.00 for 4 bundles of bananas.

So...
Kale                                       $ 6.00
2 bags blueberries                  $ 5.38
2 bags frozen strawberries     $ 5.38
Bananas                                 $ 7.00
TOTAL SO FAR                   $23.76

I made my 3 Ball jars of smoothie this morning, and would guestimate that I have 3 or 4 more days worth of stuff.  So, a total of 4 or 5 days worth of food for $ 23.76.  Not too shabby!  That's like only 2 professionally made Green Smoothies.  :-)

Day number one brought a bad headache, for which I took Aleve.

t