Happy Halloween!
Before I get to part 1 of the giveaway, I want to share a last-minute Halloween idea.
I present to you: Spooky Shakes…
They are more homely than scary, but let’s just go with it!
I spotted this on Martha and I thought it was a cute idea. To make: all you do is melt a tiny amount of chocolate (about 1-2 tbsp) and then paint chocolate ghost faces on the inside of the glass using the end of a popsicle stick. Easy.
Place the glasses in the freezer or fridge to set the chocolate. For the shake, I blended vegan vanilla ice cream (I love almond or coconut varieties), with a splash of almond milk and some ice, served with a cinnamon stick. You could even make a healthier shake by blending frozen bananas with almond milk. The chocolate faces stay intact thanks to the cold smoothies.
Now, for part 1 of the giveaway…
Today, I’m celebrating YOU – the kick-butt, Green Monster chuggin, recipe-lovin’ Oh She Glows community! On October 31, 2008, I started the blog on a complete whim, not thinking I would ever have the attention span to stick with it, but here I am 4 years later still smashing my head against the keyboard daily and chasing my dreams. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who read the blog each day and my hope is that you find as much inspiration here as I’ve found in all of you.
Now, to celebrate!
1) Blendtec Total Blender & Twister Jar
Blendtec has been gracious enough to donate one of their coveted Total Blender Classic Wildside machines (picture above) valued at $454.95 USD! Whoa baby. I’ve reviewed the Blendtec before on the blog and I can attest that it’s a great machine.
About the blender: “Total Blender Classic Series® is the all-in-one appliance that makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, bread dough, dressings, salsas, and more! It replaces up to 9 other appliances with one fast easy-to-use machine, at a fraction of the cost. This package includes the new precision tuned 4″ blade in the large nearly 3-quart total capacity BPA-free jar. The new large blade / large jar combination powers through tougher blending tasks and larger recipes with ease, and in less time.”
In addition to the blender, they are also giving away a Twister Jar (shown below) valued at $119.00 USD!
About the Twister Jar: “Blendtec’s newest innovation, the Twister Jar, is designed to blend your thickest recipes such as: Nut Butters, Hummus, Baby Food, Dips, Thick Shakes, Dressings and more! Best of all, it’s compatible with all Blendtec Home Blenders.”
Update: The giveaway winner is….
Thank you for sharing your touching (and often hilarious!) “lessons to my younger self” comments. If you are ever feeling down and need a pick me up, just read through the comments. It’s amazing to see how many of us have struggled with the same life lessons.
The lucky winner of the Blendtec machine is #3659 – Alicia Woulfe! Congrats! I will email you shortly to collect your mailing address. Thanks to everyone for participating!
How To Enter:
Giveway is now closed.
Oh, also–I just repinned your Healthy Carrot Apple Ginger Soup recipe. It looks absolutely scrumptious!
Happy Anniversary/Halloween!!! :)
To my younger self: Nobody is judging you as much as you think they are. I was so self conscious as a kid and one day… I asked myself why? and snapped out of it!! I do get sidetracked sometimes and can get anxious about things and then I get into my head for a minute and talk myself out of it :) We are always a work in progress that’s for sure, but I can tell I am happiest when I am challenging my inner voice.
I’d tell my 16 year old self that eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to eat nothing but raw fruit and veggies, that being the skinniest person isn’t going to make you the happiest. I’d tell her you can eat really good, nutrient-rich food and be happy, healthy and whole, just as you are.
I would advise my 16 yr old self to learn to love who I am and focus on being healthy, rather than being obsessed with being skinny and crash diets. So much happier once I got that lesson figured out!
Live your life the way YOU want to, now how others expect you to, no matter how hard it is.
I would tell my younger self to not worry so much about the little things, and to enjoy every minute of life as it comes!
Sweetie, when you put on that face cream, what ever you do, don’t forget about your neck! It needs the love, just as much as your face!
My advice would be to take care of your body! Be selective in what you eat to fuel your day! Fill yourself with the best whole foods. Use your body- push it to build muscle and strong bones. Feed your mind- learn all you can about living a happy, healthy, successful life! Do everything you can to meet your goals, but most importantly, love yourself along your path!
I would tell my younger self to give herself a break! I There is no such thing as perfection, you have plenty of time to achieve all of your dreams, and you don’t have to know exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life right now. You are young; take a deep breath and enjoy being young.
My advice to my younger self: it is always a good idea to eat more veggies!
Try to be present in the moment and take each day one minute at a time. The stress and the worries about the future and past don’t make anything improve.
To my younger self. Don’t wait until later in your life to start eating a whole foods plant based diet. Start right now. Exercise daily. Love every minute of your youth because it is fleeting. Laugh every day!
I would definitely advise my 16 year old self to get good with change, because there is alot comin!
I’d tell my 16 year old self: There is no better time than now. Waiting to be smarter, prettier, stronger, skinnier, faster, funnier, better, will all hold you back. Perspectives shift and you can always find a reason why you aren’t “good enough”. The world opens up when you believe in your own power. You’ll be as great as you push yourself to be right now and the way to be your best is to go for it — in everything.
I have also tweeted this contest!!
I tweeted!
I would tell my 16 year old self to not eat Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies for lunch everyday – and that spinach is actually good!
“Dear little Lauren, what you eat defines who you are. Do all things through love, not depravity. Dark chocolate is sometimes the closest thing you can find to the sublime, and home-made peanut butter is heaven. Your wonderful body is worth the food it craves.” :)
I would tell my younger self to follow instinct instead of second guessing for a possible better decision. Take on all your dreams despite what others may say to you to digress from those dreams. Make youreslf happy before taking on others happiness. In terms of cooking build the kitchen of your dreams the your cooking will bring the people. :-)
i’ve also pinned your avocado pasta on Pinterest!