Green Smoothies!

I don't log on to Pinterest very often, but when I do I'm always on there for hours at a time. It's what time management gurus would call a "time trap" for me. In any event, it's a great place to find wedding ideas, DIY projects, manicure ideas, thinspiration, etc etc. I found this really great green smoothie recipe that I made for myself this week. I modified the recipe because I didn't care for so much banana flavor, so I'll post the Pinterest recipe as well as how I prepared it.

Green Smoothie Recipe (Pinterest):

2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 cup of chunk pineapple
2 bananas
1 cup of yogurt
1 cup unfiltered water

My moderation:

2 handfuls of baby spinach
1 cup of chunk pineapple
1/2 cup chunk mango
1 banana
1 cup of organic vanilla yogurt
1 cup unfiltered water

Blend well & enjoy!

You will have have way more than one glass, so I just popped the rest in the fridge to enjoy the next day. If you try the recipe, please leave a comment!

Low Cal Smoothie Recipe

I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet. I love smoothies, but it's hard to distinguish what's actually good for you at most smoothie places. Most of them are loaded with sugar which defeats the purpose of having the smoothie in the first place. I made a black forest fruits smoothie today that turned out really good. Here's the recipe!

Blend:

1 cup of nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 cup frozen berries (I used a black forest fruits mix that had cherries, blackberries, grapes and black currants but you can choose whatever medley you'd like)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup vanilla soy milk

Sunday Dinner: Butternut Squash

Cajun seasoned salmon, sautéed spinach, butternut squash, & brown rice

One of the many luxuries of being free of a 9 to 5 is being able to cook healthy meals every night. (actually when I feel like it is much more accurate) Stopping by Sainsbury's for fresh ingredients is now as much a part of my routine as hitting the gym in the morning.

Sunday, I had my cousin over for dinner. I cooked butternut squash for the first time to go along with our salmon, sautéed spinach and brown rice. I love butternut squash because it has the consistency of a sweet potato, but it's still a vegetable...or a fruit. (I tried google to confirm either way and came out even more confused.) I'm always looking for ways to incorporate more and more veggies into my diet, and butternut squash is a great way to do it without being overpowered by the greens on your plate. 

The squash was really easy to prepare. It needs very little seasoning because it's pretty sweet on its own. Below is the recipe for the butternut squash I prepared on Sunday. I should also mention that it was a huge hit!

Butternut Squash Recipe:

2 packs of butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup of olive oil

Cinnamon

Honey

I put the squash into a ziploc bag and poured the olive oil inside. I sprinkled the squash with cinnamon, closed the bag, and shook it all up so the cinnamon coated every piece. I placed the squash on a non stick pan and baked it for 25 minutes (until the squash is soft) at 350 degrees. Once soft, I took out the squash and drizzled it with honey.

Great side to complement savory dishes!