Green Reviews

So, it has been well over a month since my green smoothie experiment began - it’s time to review.

It’s always unusually calming to work in threes; three recipes resulting and three realizations.

I may like stinky cheese, but I don’t like stinky drinks.
My water bottle still smells.

I don’t know what it is about crushing up veggies and greens, but by the time I got to work the first day with my green power, it had done something wrong to my water bottle. Now, I didn’t toss this beverage in an old water bottle, this was a legitimate BPA-free Nalgene container - but something permeated through that plastic and it wasn’t pretty.

I found myself doing the old plug your nose and chug ordeal - that’s an okay look when you’re 5 and being force-fed cough medicine OR in first year of university when some “friend” bought you the most disgusting shot at the bar…but not in your mid-20s when you’re trying to exude a cool, “look how healthy I am” façade in front of your colleagues.

Without an exorbitant amount of fruit, it‘s yucky.
This conclusion is a direct result of a kale mishap. I started my trials with a spinach/arugula blend for recipe #1 (see below); it was vibrant and light - okay this wasn‘t so bad. I used a mixture of peaches, pineapples and melon to balance out the earthiness of the greens.

Well, kale is not spinach and it will not be overshadowed by measly berries and juicy fruit. Kale is a soldier on the front lines for leafy greens. The bright green colour of my previous smoothies was long gone, and was replaced with a deep purple/brown hue resulting from a blueberry/kale mixture. Okay, well appearances can be deceiving, let’s give this a try.

I just have one thing to say - you should not have to chew a drink.

Apparently, kale does not blend as willingly as some of the lighter greens - it turned into this sludgy, chunky mess that tasted nothing like the hearty greens nor the sweet fruit that accompanied it. Smoothie fail.

If my smoothie must be mostly fruit to make it edible, then I’m just going to have a fruit smoothie and enjoy myself.

Am I the only one that is unsatisfied with a drink as a meal?
My reasoning behind jumping on the green smoothie train was to find something that was convenient, fast and filling to get me through those tough parts of the day. These mixtures are supposed to keep you from feeling hunger pains, from feeling that 3:00 p.m. drag and from those doughnuts that always seem to look much more appealing than the apple you threw in your lunchbag. Well, I tried the drinks in the morning, at noon and at night and can’t say I felt much of a difference. Subconsciously, I’m sure I felt better about myself for ingesting so many healthy ingredients all at once, but in reality it was still a drink and, apart from my chewy beverage experience mentioned above, I have concluded that I’d prefer to eat my meals rather than sip them.

I suppose if you truly have problems stabbing a fork into a bowl of salad or grabbing some carrot sticks, then the liquefied versions will offer a solution. But, otherwise, I think it’s a bunch of hooey. There is something instinctively satisfying about biting and chewing to refuel - having the blender chew my salad first just didn’t do it for me.

Conclusions: Just eat a salad and be done with it.

Seeing Green

The Holidays are done, and "Happy New Year!" has been said all around. It has come time to make our claims, and state those dreaded resolutions for the next 12 months. For me, and probably for 99.999 per cent of people, those promises to ourselves are forgotten by the time the first Mimosa is sipped at breakfast on January 1st.


So, what is the expected resolution for a low-metabolizing food-lover?


“I am going to go on a diet, and only eat lean chicken, no carbs or sugar, and exercise everyday!”


Ha, get real!


A strict diet to kick off a new year is just a recipe for failure (mind the bad pun). However, as a girl who perpetually has food on the brain, any resolution I would dare to make is going to surround eating. I am going to try and make this New Year’s promise stick by doing two important things: instead of waiting until the bubbly haze of New Year’s Eve erases my grand plans, I made my resolution while it was still 2010 and, rather than making ambitious restrictions for 2011, I am going to add something to my weekly menu.


Problem - I have taken home a truckload of chocolate and candy this Christmas and, let’s be honest, I am not going to refrain from eating it. In fact, I am enjoying a chocolate mint treat right now. So, what I need to do is include something in my day that tastes great, is easy and quick to make, and will cut down the cravings for sweets without making me change my everything about my regular diet.


Insert: The Green Smoothie


I do incorporate leafy greens into my diet already, but the idea of a veggie-like drink, with the sweetness of fruit and without all of the tomato acidity of a V8 cocktail, sounds like it is the right way to go to boost things up a bit. A green smoothie is typically 60 per cent fresh fruit and 40 per cent leafy green veggies, and can be made in a variety of combinations to suit a many different tastes. Supposedly, the fruit masks strong flavours from the greens - I will wait to pass my judgement on that after I try a few combinations.


Here are a few recipes that I found online and have selected to try over the next few weeks - taken from http://www.smoothie-handbook.com/green-smoothie.html

Peachy Arugula Smoothie

1 banana, peeled

1 orange, peeled and seeded

1 loose handful of arugula

2-5 ounces spinach

1 cup peaches, frozen

1/2 cup mango, frozen

1/2 tsp stevia (optional)

2 cups water

Arugula: I LOVE ARUGULA! There is a fair warning that this smoothie might be slightly bitter, but I already enjoy arugula so I’m not worried!

Beginner Blueberry Kale Smoothie

1 large ripe banana, peeled

2-4 kale leaves

1 cup blueberries, frozen

1 packet of stevia (optional)

1 cup pure water

Pour the water and toss the banana and kale into the blender. Blend. Then add the blueberries and stevia. Blend again until smooth. Enjoy! 1-2 servings

Kale: a SUPER green that helps with anything from digestion to weight loss to skin clarity.

Creamy Tropical Green Smoothie

1 large banana, ripe and peeled

1/4 avocado flesh

6 oz spinach, fresh (I’m just going to add until it looks right)

3/4 pineapple, frozen

3/4 mango, frozen

4 ice cubes

1 tablespoon coconut milk powder

1 packet of stevia (optional)

1 cup pure water

Pour water in first. Then place the banana and avocado closest to the blade with the rest of the ingredients on top. Blend until smooth.

Serves 1-3

Spinach: I don’t think you can try a green smoothie without heading into spinach territory.



My reading and research on these drinks has made me hopeful for two attractive outcomes: with all of the antibiotics and vitamins, they actually lessen the cravings for fatty and sweet foods, and the high-fibre greens are supposed to release the sugars from the fruits into your system at a slower rate. You feel full longer, and you get a longer lasting energy kick rather than a quick high and hard crash.

These drinks are a staple in the popular raw-food movement, and in many vegetarian and vegan diets. I think testing them in my meat-filled, sometimes fast-food indulging, diet will be the true test of the drink's ability to increase energy and decrease hunger.

I am going to give this test one month. I will be returning to my non-Holiday eating habits, save for a few chocolate mint sticks here and there, but will not consciously change much else about my eating. I will see how much of a miracle this bright, earthy drink is and I will report back.

A few other nifty benefits that I have been read about…

• Reduction in body Odor: I hope I am okay in that department already, but one can never be too careful
• Reversing grey hair: really...
• Amino acids: they are the “building blocks” of protein – amino acids combine to form a variety of proteins in the body. I‘m a bit fuzzy on the science behind this, but I guess this is why green smoothies are so popular amongst the veggie crowd (and of course, why Popeye's spinach habits made him so strong)
• An overall increase in vitamin C, K, E, B and iron

:

A New Endeavour

A little bird told me...

Look, if you are web-savvy and are not on Twitter yet, you better make your next surfing stop there and sign yourself up!  Not only is it a great way to get your news and current events spouted out to you in quick succession that can only fit into the busiest of lives, but, as I recently discovered, it can be a great place to find new opportunities.

I recently responded to a Tweet from one of the accounts I was following.  What did they ask for?  They were looking for writers for their new website - a FOOD reviewing website no less - DING DING DING!  That sounded like it was too good to be true; an EXCUSE to go out and eat! 

Now, I am not naive ... I realized that an Internet writing gig, for a new website at that, would not bring in the Loonies and Toonies.  But how could I resist?  I followed their instructions, sent a Direct Message to that account, and got an almost immediate response.  Within a week I had dragged a girlfriend with me for a dinner-date, and we found a great new spot to eat in T.O.  I am in heaven.

I will not repeat my full review here because I have provided you the link to the official site, but I must tell you what my dinner consisted of:

• Picos and Jamon - crispy bread sticks wrapped in ham, with thin cheese slices on top
• Huevos Escoceses - hard-boiled quail eggs, fried in a delicious crispy batter - REALLY GOOD!
• Crab Croquettes - crab cakes on a puree bed (not sure what it was exactly, and I should have asked, but it was starchy [in a good way] and green)
• Patatas Bravas with Chorizo - Fingerling potatoes and spicy sausage toss atop a tomato sauce base
• Ambar - Spanish beer

I think I am going to enjoy this new adventure!

I will not post every review on my blog, although I encourage you to check out the TOFoodReviews site for mine and others' reviews.  But, when I find those hidden gems I will most certainly pass the info along here for you as well! 

Stay Hungry...

'Tis the season to get chubby.

I am a particularly social person as it is, and the Holidays are no exception.  With a full schedule of parties and get-togethers with family and friends, food planning and healthy eating too easily fall to the wayside.  NEVERMIND the added challenge of walking into the grocery store and being confronted with about a gadrillion Holiday favours and flavours  - chocolates, cookies, cakes, pies, eggnog, bacon-wrapped everything, and so on.

In the past ONE week, I have been to a company Holiday party and two full four-course dinner galas, and there are only more to come.  From Halloween to Easter, the high-fat smorgasbord lives strong!

It is easy enough to blame all of this glutinous eating on the current season, and make that promise to get back on track in the new year - pft, don't kid yourself!  The over-eating is just a condition of bad habits that we carry throughout the year.  When faced with a get together, a celebratory or social situation, being conscious about food goes out the window. 

What are we supposed to do? 

First of all, you and I are in charge of our own behaviours.  Say it with me, "I am the one shoving potato chips, chocolate and cake in my mouth and I am the one agreeing to order a party-size pizza instead of going to the grocery store to get a fresh dinner for the group." 

You are going to go to parties throughout the whole year, and trust me, you're going to be eating.  A company party menu may be out of your control, but a Saturday night with your friends is not.  Instead of dreading the spread, use this as an opportunity to eat and share some good foods that are good for you. 

It is just as easy to put together a fruit tray instead of a pastry tray, provide lean meats instead of the typical high-fat antipasto spread of cured meats and HUGE portions of cheese, and to buy a bag of pretzels instead of chips.

Okay, before you start rolling your eyes, I just want to make one thing clear.  I am fully aware that it is okay to indulge every now and then, and parties are the perfect place to eat foods you my not have in your fridge all the time - like pancetta, cheesecake, or coconut shrimp - and I love to eat that too.  But, a social life can be a battleground for those of us who try to eat well.  If you provide healthy options for your friends and party guests, I guarantee you they'll appreciate it!  I certainly would!

The Dilemma of Deliciousness

I mentally organize my day by my meals.  Does anyone else even do that?  It is not out of some obsessive compulsion to control everything in my life, I promise.   

I love eating. 

Eating is always an experience for me.  I cannot wait until my next encounter with a morsel of some delectable tasty bite!  However, there are some evil-doers out to ruin my would-be-lifelong love with food ... c-a-l-o-r-i-e-s.  That which is most delicious is most dangerous.  I have to be conscious about what I put into my body.  I love food but have anything but a firery metabolism.  Irony at its finest if you ask me. 

Sometimes, I give up the things that I crave the most, and concentrate on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc. - they can also be quite yummy too, by the way.  I use up valuable chow-time to get a work-out in.

As with anything in life, it is about balance.  Okay, easy enough...so, what exactly are you going to get out of this from here on out? 

First, a little perspective ... do you ever notice that in the course of a day you'll be discussing current events, something interesting you just did, a new film you saw - whatever.  Then, you start to get hungry, and "food-talk" creeps into the conversation? Well, I hope to create the same kind of dialogue here.  I will share some of my other interests, and the general goings-on out there that catch my eye, but with some tasty treats sprinkled in. 

I want to whet your appetite and spark your interest in life and food, and maybe, motivate you to try something new!

Stay hungry....