The Power of Green Smoothies! Go Green! Go Green!

 You can make a smoothie out of just about anything you want really, as long as you add enough water, milk, or some sort of liquid to bring it to that smoothie stage. It's not called a slushy, it's a smoothie, so it does need to be smooth without running out of the blender like an emerald disaster; which you would still need to drink to save both money and face. I'll tell you what I do, and if you choose to do that you can. I have always been successful in creating the perfect smoothies because I listened to the experts at the juice cafe several years ago, where I first heard about the majestic, most powerful, antioxidant, and detoxing drink known on the planet! Yes, you will poop. Count on the poop. It will happen.

As you know, or maybe you didn't know, everything in life boils down to having an amazing poop. If you didn't know that, and this is the first time you're hearing it, you need to pay really close attention, and go straight to your refrigerator and make yourself a green smoothie. If you don't have the ingredients or the blender to do this; go now and spend that money if you can. Get it done. Make it happen. You and your poop need to become separated...fast.

So, what's in a green smoothie anyway, right? Well, obviously, it would be green things. What could be in your fridge right now, that isn't molding, that is green? Mine? Well, we have spinach, zucchini, pears, frozen avocado, asparagus, cucumbers, olives, parsley, beet greens, romaine lettuce, and just behind the carton of milk, there's a bit of bell pepper left from last Friday's chili cook-off. I'm not a huge pepper fan, but you can add a little to a smoothie for a kick that will send your tastebuds into orbit! (nix the olives they don't really blend well.)

One of the main ingredients every single time is greens powder. You can get it at any drug store or health food outlet. You can buy them online, you can pick them up, either way, but I use a brand called Amazing Grass - I typically buy the Green Superfood with chocolate but sometimes just the regular too. The ingredients will be posted in a picture at the bottom of the blog.  Sometimes I add an egg or yogurt to the mix for both protein and to make that smooth texture, but if I'm adding an avocado I don't need to do that.  Each and every vegetable or fruit has its own benefits, its own power, its own healing abilities, and together they make a heck of a punch to the colon - stripping out the excess ugly poop that's been hanging around in your intestines for no good reason.  

Let's start with the recipe I had today, and see what benefits and goodies were packed into an 8-ounce (I tend to make enough for 2) drink that was both thick, sweet, raw, and full of power to both detox and builds muscle at the same time! Talk about weight loss! Drinking a green smoothie every day has been one of the main staples of my overall diet plan these past several months. I've dropped over 40 pounds and have about 30 more to go. It won't be long before I'm claiming my goal, and to be honest with you, drinking greens and praying to Jesus, who made the greens, has been the reason for the loss! You gotta want it to make it happen. Make it happen.

Green Smoothie Recipe:

Prep:  cut up the ingredients and add them to the blender or Nutri-Bullet. Add water until the ingredients are completely covered. You may end up adding more water at the end.   

• Spinach ½ cup 

• 1 medium pear 

• 1 medium avocado (I use frozen for the texture and coolness) 

• ½ zucchini 

• 1 tablespoon Green Powder 

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds 

• Cover in filtered water.

• 
  

BLEND at high speed until the mixture is completely mixed, in my Nutri-Bullet it’s about 30 seconds. If I need to add water I do. 

BENEFITS:  

Spinach: According to www.health.com  

Spinach also contains 45% of the daily need for folate, a B vitamin that helps form red blood cells and DNA. And spinach supplies 15% of the daily goal for both iron and magnesium, 10% for potassium, and 6% for calcium, along with smaller amounts of other B vitamins. Spinach also provides over 160% of the daily goal for vitamin A, and about 40% for vitamin C, which both support immune function and promote healthy skin. 

Pear: According to www.whatthafact.com 

There are many nutritional benefits of Pears, the nutrient contains in a pear is like this if we take a look at 100g of pear there is 42kcal of energy, fat presence is 0.2g, it carries 3% potassium and sodium, copper, phosphorus. It carries 3% of carbohydrates and 14% of dietary fiber, it contains 7% sugar which is why it tastes sweet. Also, it contains vitamin A, 6% vitamin C, vitamin B12, 2% magnesium, iron, calcium, and vitamin B6. Pear provides a very good source of fiber and is also a good source of vitamin B2, C, E. 

Zucchini: According to www.webmd.com  

Zucchini is packed with many important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It has high fiber content and a low-calorie count. Fiber plays an important role in digestion and may limit the likelihood of suffering from a variety of GI issues. 

Zucchini contains zeaxanthin and several other compounds that can play a role in preventing oxidative stress. This, in turn, may limit the likelihood of developing cancer. 

Zucchini is rich in vitamin B6. Research suggests that this vitamin can help with regulating blood glucose. The vitamin may even play a protective role against diabetes. 

Avocado: According to www.foodevolution.org 

Avocados offer an abundance of fiber, potassium (more than a banana!), and vitamins B6 and C. They’re also rich in folate, which can boost your mood! 

But any way you slice it, the nutrient avocados offer the most of is fat. In fact, one cup of avocado provides 21 grams of fat. The type of fat found in avocado, therefore, matters a great deal. And it’s mostly a mixture of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. 

Polyunsaturated fats are essential. This means they’re necessary for your body to function, but it can’t make them itself. Your body uses these fats to build cell membranes and the covering of nerves. And they’re also needed for blood clotting and muscle movement. 

Monounsaturated fats are similar to the fats found in olive oil. Some studies have linked them to reduced inflammation, lower risk of heart disease, and anti-cancer effects. 

 

Chia seeds: According to www.healthline.com 

According to the American Society for Nutrition, chia seeds provide insoluble fiber which helps keep you fuller longer and bulks up stool to prevent constipation. They also deliver healthy fats, protein, and cell-protecting antioxidants. Chia seeds are a good source of minerals, such as: 

• calcium 

• iron 

• zinc 

• copper 

• manganese 

• niacin 

• magnesium 

Chia seeds may help control blood sugar. A randomized controlled trial published in Diabetes Care determined that adding chia seeds to normal type 2 diabetes treatments improves cardiovascular disease risk and helps maintain good glucose and lipid control. 

There you go.  Green Powder is the bomb, you should and could use it daily. Water is also amazing, useful, needed, life-saving, and important.    Do this. Do it often.  Gain the power you need to go to the bathroom, get regulated, get healthy, get moving, lose the anxiety, get rid of the gut, you name it, the smoothie will probably deliver it; except financial stability. It can’t bring you that. Sorry, you’re on your own for that one.   

Love My Cheddar

 You know, it's so true - - I love my cheddar.  I could (and I do) eat a lot of cheddar soup, cheddar chunks, cheddar patty-melt sandwiches, you name it, if it involves cheese, I want my cheddar. I can take it mild and I can take it sharp too; just let me indulge a bit with grapes, olives, hot tea, and pretzels - - thank you, that was a really good fantasy; I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to do that. 

Today was a good cheddar day. It wasn't raining, it wasn't sunny, it was sort of drizzle-spitting if you will, and it was almost chilly but not quite; you know what I mean? People in Oklahoma just call it a Thursday, because you don't ever really know what you're going to get when you step outside the door, but today was definitely a cheddar day.  Some days I say that and it means I gather up the ingredients to actually make the cheese; I do that too, but it literally takes two solid months to perfect, so if I'm thinking of making my now world-class famous cheddar and broccoli soup, I had better be prepared to drive to Aldi and pick up the ingredients rather than going to the closet and finding the curds in their semi-settled state. I mean, don't get me wrong, you can make a good soup with cheddar that's only half hardened since when you put it into the saucepan at a medium to high heat it's going to melt anyway, but the taste needs to be right too! 

Today I went to Aldi for the ingredients and it hit me; Oklahoma has Aldi and so does Scotland! YES! I am going to be just fine when I move, just fine. I will, however, need to be sure and find a place that's close enough to an Aldi that I can walk or ride my bike. I have a backpack to wear for the occasion; I'm making plans! I am literally at my computer at night (and yes, during the day) making plans to walk to Aldi in Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline, Rosyth, Leith, just wherever it is that I'll be living; probably in the Kingdom of Fife, but you just never know. I will choose a place that's closer to Aldi rather than one closer to a bus stop. I have priorities.  Scotland has a store called Lidl too, and it's a great deal like Aldi, but c'mon, once you're an Aldi fan you're an Aldi fan for life; am I right? I know I am.

So, I bought the ingredients that I needed. I had the spices, I had the butter, I even had the heavy whipping cream, but I bought another carton just because I was about to use over a cup of the great stuff. You have to use the best so it turns out as good as you expect it to. If you chinch on it, you get what you put into it. No amount of seasoning will ever make up for using less than heavy whipping cream, don't try milk, don't even think about using half and half, just go all the way - - heavy whipping cream! Thank you.  Also, if you want to make the chicken broth you can, but they come in really handy dandy-sized boxes - - if you can get the damn lids off! They really know what they're doing when they box that stuff. You have to WANT into that box! 

After I arrived home and put all the other things away, other than the things I needed to make the soup, I remembered that I should probably have made sure I had a floret or two of broccoli lying around the fridge. I did! Whew! That's good. I mean, cheddar soup is good on its own, but yeah, it needs its bestie, floret broccoli, to make it all really spark! Ingredients gathered, chopped, mixed, heated, and stirred, and voila! Soup! I added a nice side of Italian sausages and a handful of grapes on the side of the plate. Tonight I only had one kid to feed, but the dogs knew I was thinking of them when I added an extra sausage to the pan. (Just so you know, I add a little bacon grease to the pan to saute the sausage, and I throw in a bit of basil, pepper, and onion powder too)

Done! I think it takes about 5-8 minutes tops to make the soup, and the sausage can heat up slowly during that time too; it's a good, fast, healthy, and oh so tasty dinner -- not expensive either. People should really consider soups more often. They're always on the menu at the restaurants, and they're not just for wintery cold evenings, but there's just something about a chilly night and hot cheddar soup that sounds so good - - I wish I could do bread with it. I'm not doing bread these days, just a few pretzels and even then I have to limit the carbs; hate that, but it's true. 

Enjoy the soup!  (Don't forget the cornstarch - - it makes the difference)

RECIPE:

Cheddar Broccoli Soup 

 

Prep: Cut up the broccoli into fine or semi-fine size. I use florets, some people like to add stocks. I add whatever stock is attached to the floret.  Cut up the onion into fine pieces or use onion powder, which is what I use.  Cut up the minced garlic or use garlic powder, which is what I use. 

 

Ingredients:  

• 2 cups of broccoli florets chopped 

• 4 cups of chicken broth (I use the box type, but you can make it if you choose to) 

• 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream 

• 2.5 cups of shredded cheddar cheese (a package may be slightly more, which is fine) 

• ¼ cup of onion – or a tablespoon of powder (no salt) 

• ¼ cup of garlic – or a tablespoon of powder (no salt) 

• 1 tablespoon of butter  

• ½ teaspoon of black pepper 

• ½ teaspoon of table or pink salt 

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch 

Instructions: 

1. Heat the stove to medium. 

2. Add broth, heavy cream, butter, seasonings, onion, and garlic. 

3. Let it heat up for about 5-6 minutes on its own before adding broccoli. 

4. Add broccoli and stir, turn up the heat to high (keep an eye on it) 

5. Bring to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes. 

6. Turn the heat off, but allow the liquid to simmer under its own heat for 2 minutes. 

7.  Slowly mix in the cheese, stirring continuously until it is all mixed. 

8. Add the cornstarch to thicken the mixture. 

9. Take off the stove, let cool, but stir a few times. 

10. Serve in 1 cup portions. (Should make 5 servings) 

Dogwinks - THANK YOU Squire Rushnell.

 About a year ago or so, maybe not quite that long ago, a great man and fellow author by the name of Squire Rushnell wrote to me; asking me if I would consider allowing him to add my dog Faith's story to his new book "Dogwinks".  Oh, but of course I would!  I love being asked questions like that; for me, it's a no-brainer. You want to talk about my dog Faith? You want to spread her great story and do so in a book that you wrote about her and other dogs? You bet! I couldn't say yes fast enough.  

Squire and I talked a few times over the next month or so, he was trying to get all the details of Faith's story so he could combine them, condense them, and add them into the book alongside other great stories about other great dogs who, like Faith, had amazing stories to tell. One of his stories about a sweet Beagle named Ruby is even being made into a Netflix movie.  I love that. Faith's story has always been a fan favorite too; and who knows, Squire may have friends out there who think Faith needs to have her story told on film as well. If that happens we'll be sure to throw director Michael Givens a bone, so to speak, so he too can be a part of the mix.  He's been a dear friend (wanting to get Faith's story in front of millions) so we hope he'll accept the challenge when or if it arises.

You can easily pick up a copy of "Dogwinks" at any of your favorite bookstores, you can buy it on Amazon, or order it online through another source, but please buy a copy! It's choke-full of great tales of dogs who met changes and challenges head-on, who took on impossible tasks, who served, and who survived.  Dogs (and other animals too) show us, humans, what it means to love unconditionally, and without restraint. This book is a solid tribute to 20 dogs including a Husky named Hunter who literally saved the lives of his owners. It's a wonderful book -- one you'll want to share and give as a gift to anyone who you know who loves dogs. (which should be like 1000 people right?)

Again, when someone wants to share the best part of your life with others, just say yes! It can only bring a smile to someone and of course, to you too! Thanks again Squire!!   You can do a little research on Squire to find out he's really cool, and he's been an author and producer for years and years. If you have an opportunity to do so, please pick up his other books too!

www.godwinks.com