"Swamp Juice? For me?! Really!?"

Yes, that is the kind, supportive way Dave responded when I handed him his share of the green smoothie yesterday morning. The shocked expression, the faked gratitude for taking care of his health, the pretend exhuberance for indulging in the drink... ;-) To try make it better for him, I did pour it in a little Spiderman cup. I mean, c'mon! Who could turn down a drink held by Spidey?!

Well, what can I say... it wasn't one of my better Greenie Meanies. But hey! We keep on trying, right?! My pears weren't ripe, so I just used an extra apple - but that pear just helps with a nice mellow sweetness. And the spinach was a little old, so we went with fresh kale and Romaine instead... which was a little bit greener than the mild spinach green!

And really, all in all, still a rock-solid healthy way to start the morning! And I am running high on natural energy from it :) So, even if you try a recipe that flubs a little, keep at it! Experiement with variety, seasonings, temperatures, nuts... There are yummy healthy foods out there!

~Katie

PINEAPPLE!!!!

...Can you tell I'm excited about pineapple? :) I confess - it's one of my faaavorites!

I love pineapple, so I am super anxious to have one tonight :) Typically pineapples come in to season around March, so I am looking forward to many more pineapple delights in future months! But, Whole Foods had a delicious looking pineapple, so snag it earlie, I did. And I’m glad I did!

I could just sit down and devour a whole pineapple by itself for a meal!

Thankfully, pineapples are also chalk-full of good health benefits! Not only is it a super source of Vitamin C (awesome antioxidant and immune-system supporter) but 1 cup will provide over 100% of the recommended manganese for your day! Manganese is another antioxidant, and also helps with enzymes used in energy production. Pineapple also contains bromelain, which is being studied for its anti-inflammatory and digestive aide properties. And pineapples are on the "safe list" if you can't find organic! They aren't usually too heavy in the pesticide department.

Enjoy pineapple plain, in a smoothie, in a fruit salad, or diced onto a green salad to add some tart sweet juiciness, or puree it with some frozen banana for an icy treat! I’m sure there are many good recipes for pineapple, just try to get more fresh fruit and veggies somewhere!

(Ok, somewhat shameful plug - I love the silly TV show PSYCH and for whatever reason, they always have a pineapple somewhere in it! Ok, but my point here - they apprently are doing a Pineapple Recipe contest! If you come up with something, post it! Or check back and they'll post the submitted recipes. Click on the pic to go to their site)

So enjoy your pineapples and other fruits! Wanna split a pineapple? ;-)

~Katie

Jumping Jicama!

Oooo! I fooled you!! Jicama is actually pronounced "hic-a-mah" :) But Jumping Jicama just looks better...

Anyways!

I just wanted to introduce you to this food, because chances are, you haven't tried it!

Jicama is technically a root, much like a potato, but it's sweeter! Dave called it "the real sweet potato" this morning as he diced some up for my salad. (Though I still love the bright orange sweet potatoes - this is a different kind of sweet! Mild and crisp!)

I haven't found a whole lot of research on this food yet, but hey - variety is the spice of life! It does seem to be a somewhat fiber-rich food, having 6 grams of fiber in 1 cup; it also has the powerful antioxidant vitamin C. It's low calorie, fat free, and adds wonderful texture to foods. I would say, when eaten raw, it has a similar taste to raw corn... but I'm not sure how many of you have tried that food item, either! (Try it sometime! I like to cut it off the cob and add it to salads! Go organic, though, with corn!! Pesticides are crazy!) Another sources described it as a crunchy mild apple/pear combo. Either way, it's a fun crunch of gentle sweetness :)

You can snack on it plain or with a sprinkle of lime juice, or add it to any food that you'd like to add texture - sandwich, sauteed meals, wraps, green salads, fruit salads, slaw-like blends... be creative!

Happy Jicama Hunting! :) (Now, did you pronounce it correctly there? ;-) )

~Katie