supergirl smoothie

Whether you enjoy a supergirl smoothie for breakfast or post-workout there's a lot of good-for-you stuff going on. Let's start with the recipe, this makes 2 servings of approximately 16 oz. each.

In a blender combine:

3 c frozen fruit
2 scoops protein mix (see below)
1 c organic, low fat vanilla yogurt
3/4 c milk (dairy, soy, almond, your preference)
3/4 c juice

protein mix
Here's a little supergirl efficiency to speed up the daily shake making process. In a clean dry container mix 12 servings each of: whey protein, wheat germ (too many good vitamins and minerals to talk about here), ground flaxseed (omega 3 source) and crystallized vitamin C. Use the large scoop that comes with the protein to measure two scoops of this mixture into your shake. Obviously you can mix more or less of each serving depending on the size of your container. I like 12 servings of everything because it gets me through about two weeks worth of shakes.

frozen fruit
Select your favorite types of fruit so you enjoy the shake. At the same time, do your best to incorporate different fruits so you get the widest range of vitamins. I buy BIG bags of frozen fruits at Costco and then mix-and-match in a zip-lock freezer bag. Strawberries, peaches, blueberries, raspberries, honeydew, mango...

milk
I use rice milk, substitute organic nonfat milk, almond or soy milk - whatever makes you happy. The point is to get a bit of added protein and calcium.

juice
100% Pomegranate juice is my preference. Lots of antioxidants without the sour taste. Blueberry works, too.

Make the shakes in the evening and drink for breakfast - just store in the fridge. I've been known to forget my morning shake and it turns out it will keep until the second morning, no problem. So you can make them daily and share or whip them up every other evening. If you need it on the go use an insulated coffee mug to keep it cool for an hour or two.

Because I eyeball my ingredients quantifying the nutrition info is sketchy. My best guess is 350-400 calories per shake with 5-6 grams of fat, 11-12 grams of protein and 60(ish) grams of carbs. I think it's carb-heavy because of the juice. You can switch to all milk if you're getting you're antioxidants somewhere else, you won't hurt my feelings.

seasons

I love the smell of autumn. Blackberries ripening in the sun, leaves crunching underfoot. It’s glorious.
In an effort to eat along the lines of a less-processed, whole foods diet I’ve been paying attention to the seasons. I swear it makes time go slower, it’s a nice side effect.
Taking cues from Béa at La Tartine Gourmande — who seems to have a masters degree in enjoying life — I raided my parents’ plum tree this year. Me, my dad and a ladder. Sure we could reach just one more plum on that branch just — out — of — reach. There were a whole lot of plums left on that tree but we managed to get enough for me to bake and, for the first time ever, make jam on my own.
Plums to me equal Pflaumenkuchen. The whole gluten-free eating thing means I don’t get to have the real deal, but I’m hard-pressed to follow a recipe twice anyway, so improvisation ensued. I  used a modified version of a gluten-free tart found on La Tartine Gourmande and promptly ate an entire tart when it came out of the oven.

edible gluten free brownies

“Edible” is the key word in that title. Since receiving a verdict of “gluten intolerant” I’ve tried a plethora of gluten-free products and with the exception of one pasta, one cookie and one bread, I’d rather not eat them. This goes for most of the gluten free recipes I’ve tried as well. Don’t for a moment think that I’m a carb-hater. On the contrary, I appreciate a good, solid beer and soft, doughy bread with a nice crust. I’m persevering in my efforts, supergirl style, and was recently rewarded when I made a batch of brownies.

The super-easy batter was whipped up in a food processor. The result: surprisingly decadent, moist brownies, sans flour. How was this feat achieved, you ask? Black beans. Three cheers to Chocolate and Carrots for posting the yummy recipe!

lumps of coal

Loved the idea of “lumps of coal” for the kiddies this year. Maybe one or two big people, too. (Talkin’ to you, Bro.) Courtesy of eighteen25, they’re actually rice krispy treats died black… or in this case, an odd shade of grey-purple. I used the entire container of Wilton’s candy color and they’re not quite black. That’s okay, it will be fun to see the little guys’ reaction when I tell them Santa told me they were naughty this year… And then make it all better with their real presents. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

what are you eating?

What are you eating?! You'd be surprised how often I get this question. I work in a Better Off Ted style office and most of my coworkers eat Lean Cuisines for lunch and dinner. I guess that's why they can't identify my food - it's not precut, precooked and prepackaged. So, to save cubicleland from a sodium overdose, let's take a look at supergirl's lunch.

Pretty basic, bread, cheese, spinach, cucumber. What makes it supergirl worthy? 1) Superfast to prepare. 2) Doesn't bust the budget. All of the ingredients can be picked up at Costco and brought to work on Monday. You'll have plenty for lunch everyday AND you don't have to remember your lunch the rest of the week (did I mention my middle name is "efficient"?). Details: the bread is organic whole sprouted wheat, I like Silverhills Bakery "Squirrelly" bread. You can't tell it's sprouted, it tastes like a nice, nutty wheat bread filled with good-for-you fiber and other nutrients that usually get chopped out. Cheese, havarti is my favorite, I switch it up with cream cheese or low-fat Swiss. Pre-washed spinach (gotta get your iron supergirls) and baby cucs top it off. Slice the cucumber the long way to look extra fancy. I'm not an expert, but all-in-all you're looking at a 400+ calorie lunch that is packed with protein and fiber. What are you eating?