They had a special 2 for 1 deal on Green Monsters today! I told Eric I made him a special treat this morning, but he wasn’t buying it. Has anyone out there been successful in getting their boyfriend/husband to try green monsters? I have yet to hear about a man that has tried them! If you have been successful- or haven’t- leave a comment below and let me know! I need to know the secret.
I spent the morning baking for my next media related review for Glo Bakery. I will admit, it is pretty stressful knowing that someone is going to be reviewing my baked goods for the world to see!
I also had a few setbacks in the kitchen today and I was feeling a bit stressed!
I made my Zucchini Breakfast Power Muffins and today I used paper liners. Big mistake! The muffins stuck to the liners like nobody’s business.
Then I realized I was out of lemons right when I was in the thick of things, so I had to leave and jet to the store.
And in my 3rd batch I realized I was out of soy yogurt! I had to use soy milk in a pinch. I know it doesn’t seem like much, but when it all happens within a span of 3 hours it can get a bit hectic. :)
Luckily I made sure to have some fun on the side:
I had to taste each muffin of course!
Flax ‘n Gl’oat Power Muffin:
Carrot ‘n Raisin Spice Muffins:
Sweet ‘n Spicy Zucchini Breakfast Muffins:
Yes, I ate all three muffins! Plus 1 more. Luckily they are super healthy right? :)
Unfortunately though, I have to re-bake all 3 muffins. The zucchini ones are stuck to the paper and I don’t feel good delivering these! So Eric will get the rest. The carrot ones flopped too I think because I cut the recipe in half and used soy milk. And lastly I didn’t like how the carob chips tasted in my flax muffins. 3 stikes, I’m out! :( I guess I will be back to the drawing board tomorrow.
Needless to say I spoiled my lunch and I am not hungry one bit! Opps!
I also did some more organizing in the kitchen while I was waiting for them to cook:
Eric installed this spice rack for the drawer, so I started to put my spices in it. Don’t worry I have more than that, I just took this picture before I filled it up :)
I also organized another cupboard and changed the height of the shelves. I made the bottom two shorter to fit all our supplements and medicine, and then I put the cookbooks on top.
NEW CHALLENGE ALERT!
Just when you thought you couldn’t handle one more challenge, Caitlin and I have teamed together to rock one out!
This time the goal is Glowing and healthy skin for the summer!
Caitlin wrote me last week looking for a glowing skin challenge! She was sick and tired of dull and sallow looking skin. I think her skin is gorgeous, but of course we are always our own worst critic, right?
See Caitlin’s post this morning for all the details!
Day: 33 (April 28, 2009): Today we are going to work on the legs! I hadn’t done some traditional leg lifts in a long time so I thought it would be fun to add to the BBBC Challenge!
Here is me doing the traditional leg lift. I did 3 sets of 50 per leg.
And here I am doing inner thigh lifts. A reader named Andrea recently reminded me that strong inner thigh muscles prevent running injuries. So I am bringing them back baby! :) I did 3 sets of 50 per leg.
And no, my downward dog has not gotten any better as of late:
DOH!
Damnit, I want to be flexible! I hope with time I can get better at it. I don’t know why this one pose bothers me so much! haha.
On this afternoon’s agenda:
- Treadmill workout
- Finish filing taxes online (I am getting a hefty return this year from my tuition in 2008- sweet!)
- Mail in GST Application
- Find headshots for interview
- Input receipts
- Shop 4 A Cause
- Read all comments from this AM post
Hope you are having a GLOWING day!!
Andrew shared my first green monster with me! I basically conned him into trying it using the “I bet you won’t” method…he is determined to anything that I say he can’t :) Believe it or not, he finished the huge glass and has had a few smaller ones since then. :)
I love your organized kitchen! I am such an organization freak – I’m so envious that you are baking and organizing all day. Good for you!!!
Kaneil, balanceisbest
Hubby REFUSES to go near a green monster. He looks at me like I’m insane every time I drink one. On the plus side though, now that we have spinach in the house more often he’s putting it in other things (salads, tomato sauce, on pizzas)… small victories!!
Hey Angela! I have a question – do you work anymore or are you just doing the blog/bakery full time? Thanks!
I made my Dad one and get drank it! The trick was to not tell him what was in the smoothie and put it in a travel mug so he couldn’t see the beautiful….yet sometimes frightening shade of green!
My BF loved them more than me! I made the first batch for a week or so then he started making them! I only say ‘loved’ because lately he’s been juicing for us. He’s such a healthy boy without trying or forcing himself to be. Even when we juice I prefer more fruit and he goes straight for the beets, celery, parsley, etc. I think he does it because he knows the health benefits. But we usually make ours with: hemp milk, a banana, spinach, flax seeds, and Jay Robb’s Vanilla (the protein powder alone makes it yummy!).
oh…really good challenge! I’ve always looking for skin improvement tricks! :D
Will you post detail about it later or it’s just what Caitlin is going to do is the guideline?
i just made my first green monster, and my fiance was there to witness it all! he even had the first sip..and went back for more! although, he did say that it was a bit too “planty.” you can read it here:
http://ashleyandcharlie.blogspot.com/2009/04/green-monster.html
My BF loves them! I do add a lil honey to his…he has a sweet tooth. :)
I think the secret is an opaque glass…no one would ever know! ;)
I was never good at down dog either, until I started taking yoga with a good instructor. Start on all 4’s (hands + knees), and focus on straightening your back. Your back must absolutely be straight for this pose. Keep your knees tucked into your chest/stomach until you have lengthened your spine completely. Then slowly push your feet back. It also helps to put a prop under your heels for added support. If your heels don’t touch the floor, that’s okay, but a straight back is imperative to the stretch. When you look up the pose on yogajournal.com, you will notice the same. When you look at tohers in yoga class, they will not look right.
No, my boy hasn’t tried a green monster, either. Shall I steam my spinach before blending?
One day my husband saw me take a green monster out of the fridge and drink it- he said “OMG you drink that stuff? I thought it was for cleaning!!” So needless to say -I have no tips on getting your hubby to drink one :)
sara
Hi Angela!
I love your site, it’s nice to read about someone in my area (I live in the GTA too, but in Durham!) About your muffin cups problem: I was at the Good Food Festival this past weekend (you should definitely check it out next year, it’s great!) and bought a bunch of stuff from the company Chef Select. They make parchment paper, as well as parchment paper muffin cups. I have used the cups before and they’re great! They don’t stick at all. Plus they’re compostable! At least in Durham, we can put parchment in our green bins. Hope that helps!
I love how you’re able to stay so optimistic and not get frustrated by your minor setbacks when baking. It’s so true that baking should be a purely fun way to experiment with foods and never something to get upset over… you never know what you might end up creating from a so-called “mistake”!
Way to go on all the organizing! That’s definitely on the top of my summertime-rainy day agenda!
I want to do the Green Monster challenge in May, one everyday instead of the processed cereals I’ve been eating!
Yeah, I second what the other commenter said about down dog. The point is totally not to get your heels on the floor. You’re not ‘bad’ at it if you can’t do that. It’s the straightness of the back that matters, as well as your strength and comfort while doing it. Down dog is a resting pose during sun salutations and other series’ of poses, but it takes a lot of doing it for it to feel restful. Perfect yoga technique doesn’t come right away, don’t worry!
What I usually do is make my husband feel guilty about throwing it away. I usually say I accidentally made too much and I don’t want to throw the rest away. He probably drinks just about a cup of it. Thanks for your post.
Yes I made one for my Hubby and he loves it! I made mine with spinach and berries with the usual ingredients. xxx
I love that St. Ives apricot scrub… I use it all the time! Smells so wonderful and fresh.
Angela…
Quick Question…
Do you juice the kale/spinach first and then add to smoothie?
Or do you put all the ingredients in a blender to make it?
I am confused on how to make and am dying to try!!!
Thanks!
Hi Angela! My boyfriend LOVES the green smoothies! In fact, he’s started making them himself with kale and spinach almost every day. We both want a juicer, but for now it’s GM’s!!