That Was a Fast Month and A Very Random Giveaway

I lost track of time, but sometime in the past week, my 30-day breakfast smoothie challenge ended. For the record, this is how I make them: About a cup of milk plus a handful of blueberries, half a banana and some more random fruit (whatever is in the fridge: strawberries or raspberries or watermelon, etc) and a dash of vanilla. I add a scoop of the Powder (Amazing Grass Green Superfood, from Whole Foods); a tablespoon of Chia seeds (the very same that are used in Chia Pets!) and about a teaspoon of flax just for the heck of it. This all gets throw in the blender and whipped in a smooth, drinkable frenzy.

These are my thoughts on it:

• It took a couple of days to get used to the taste of the powder. It tastes like how those health food stores smell: Earthy and pure and green and somehow repugnant at the same time. In the beginning I thought there was no way that I would get used to taste. I was prepared to declare my losses and surrender to a daily breakfast of croissants and pretzels. But around Week Two, the taste didn’t bother me at all. And this is coming from ultra-food-picky me. In fact, I have come to enjoy it. Not as much as I would enjoy, say, a Jamba Juice Cremsicle Smoothie, but Jamba has the advantage of adding lost of sugar and no healthy powders.

• I will be sticking with these smoothies for breakfast for the foreseeable future. The thing is, I am not really a breakfast fan anyway. Cereal and yogurt do nothing for me, and I had to give up my peanut butter-on-toast breakfast after we had the Mouse Issue and started using peanut butter on traps. Instantly peanut butter toast became not appealing. If we go out and during the weekends, I am into pancakes or omelets and all that, but I am not the type to make such things during the week. I am very much a creature of habit so I love not having to think about what I am going to have for breakfast each morning.

• Sadly, I am not really a fruit eater either, so it feels great to get a few servings of fruit each day. Also, I am very much a momentum person, so starting the day out healthy helps me continue eating healthy for the rest of the day. And even if I don’t finish the day healthy, the next day’s smoothie sort of represents a fresh start, literally and figuratively.

• The Energy Question: I am not sure if these magical powders have me bounding with excess energy. My days starts at five a.m., and chasing after the girls all day depletes my energy rather quickly. I am tired a lot, and have a feeling will be for the next 15 years or so. So this begs the question: Should I be spending all this money on fancy powders that don’t make me feel like I can run a marathon? The answer is yes. I am sure there are other benefits to this powder than just what I can feel or point a finger at. Like depression pills: We resent the pills if they don't make us feel euphoric but that belittles what the pills actually are doing for us. The powder is undoubtedly healthy and adds much needed nutrients to my diet. Now that I think about it, my nails might be a bit stronger.

• More on Chia: Chia is an edible seed that is considered a super food. It is commonly used in Mexico, and researchers say it was used by Aztec warriors to sustain them in battles. When you add Chia to water and let it sit for 30 minutes, it forms a gel. Researchers say that this also happens in our stomach, which makes us feel full and slows the breakdown of carbs into sugar. I do think there is some truth in the theory that it makes you feel full: I usually have a snack between breakfast and lunch, but with the shakes with Chia seeds I am not hungry for it at all. I probably should have a snack anyway, but since I am usually on the go with the girls and not always around a kitchen cabinet, I am happy to skip it. The only drawback is that the Chia seeds stick in my teeth, so I must be near a toothbrush immediately following the shake.

So all in all, I consider this a success. That whole theory that it takes three weeks to make-or-break a habit rings true once again. In the spirit of that, I am on to my next 30-day challenge: Starting next Monday I am going to do the 30-Day Push-Up Challenge!

OK, and now for the random giveaway. Anyone want the first season of Nip/Tuck on DVD? I hear it’s a great series, but I don’t have the time or inclination to invest in it. I was going to say the first one to say they want it gets it, but I guess it is more fair to have you leave a comment and then I will put the names in a hat and pick one. That is fair, in case more than one person wants it! It is opened, but in new condition. Holidays are coming, so it might make a good stocking stuffer. And you can’t beat free.

Pictured above, we went apple picking on Sunday, and the girls really enjoyed it. Madeline took a bite out of every apple that she bagged, so I had to separate all them when I got home. We have so many apples. I have made apple breads and cakes and gave a bag to my friend yesterday and we still have mounds to get through.