Smoothies

I don't always make the wisest choices when it comes to food - something I'm trying to change! I do, however, manage to eat a healthy breakfast almost every day. It's later in the day when I break down and reach for the unhealthy snacks or second helpings that I don't really need. One of my go-to breakfast items is a smoothie. Especially during the week when I'm running short on time.

Smoothies are great. They're tasty, quick and easy to make, and can be consumed on the run. There are many benefits to starting your day with a homemade smoothie - it saves you time and money, ensures that you are hydrated at the beginning of your day, provides you with vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants and fiber, and helps boost your immune system.

Here are two of my favorite smoothie concoctions, as well as one basic recipe, to get you inspired.

Just throw all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth!

Coconut Blueberry Smoothie
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 banana, sliced
1/2 cup lowfat plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1/4 cup almonds

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
1 1/2 bananas, sliced
About 8 ice cubes
1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
(I think coconut would be delicious in this smoothie as well, but I have yet to try it)

Basic Smoothie Recipe
1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup liquid (milk, juice, etc.)
1 cup frozen fruit (use all one type or mix berries, peaches etc. have fun trying different combinations!)
handful of almonds or rolled oats (something to provide fiber and keep you full longer)
handful of spinach (it sounds weird, but I promise you can hardly taste it!)
If you're using plain yogurt, add a drizzle of honey, agave nectar or vanilla extract to get a bit of sweetness.

The possibilities for smoothies are pretty much endless. Just remember, a smoothie is only as healthy as the ingredients going in it, so use unsweetened fruit and 100% juices.

Here are some more smoothie recipes I've gathered from the internet to give you a small taste of how many different possibilities there are.

Sunrise Smoothie

Green Smoothie

Tropic Smoothie

Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

And besides, Audrey Hepburn is just gorgeous.

Holly: You know those days when you get the mean reds?
Paul: The mean reds, you mean like the blues?
Holly: No. The blues are because you're getting fat and maybe it's been raining too long, you're just sad that's all. The mean reds are horrible. Suddenly you're afraid and you don't know what you're afraid of. Do you ever get that feeling? 

Paul: Sure.
Holly: Well, when I get it the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name! 

Holly: You musn't give your heart to a wild thing. The more you do, the stronger they get, until they're strong enough to run into the woods or fly into a tree. And then to a higher tree and then to the sky.

Paul: You call yourself a free spirit, a "wild thing," and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well baby, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself. 

Holly: I'll never let ANYBODY put me in a cage.
Paul: I don't want to put you in a cage, I want to love you! 

Holly: Promise me one thing: don't take me home until I'm drunk - very drunk indeed.

This Moment

The City I Live In

Although I get lonely and I haven't really adjusted to living here, I think I could really come to love Chicago. There are a lot of things I love about it, I'm just lacking people to explore and experience the city with me. It really is a fantastic city, and I know that it's dirty and can be dangerous, but there is quite a bit of beauty here as well.

This is from the first week I got here. It was foggy and gloomy, but wonderful and new.

My dad and me. He was delighted that we live in walking distance from such a big and lovely body of water. If it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't have even thought to think about this. I tend to accept things as they are without much thought or question sometimes. This can be both good and bad.

This beach is literally a 10 minute walk away. Gorgeous.

These flowers are on our street, right outside the apartment. They make me smile every day when I walk by them.

One of the beaches nearby has paintings on the rock steps that go down to the sand. There's all kinds of different styles and pictures, even images carved into the stone somehow. This is one of my favorites.

These are part of a mural/mosaic under one of the bridges. They are so beautiful and really make what would be a creepy ugly space so bright and welcoming.

Currently

Loving: 90s music. It's all I've been listening to today. I have an excellent 90s playlist on my Spotify that I'm constantly adding to.

Thinking about: Going back to school for design. I want to make cookbooks and coffee table books as a career. Like, large books with really beautiful images but also really great writing. At least I think that's what I want to do. I'm looking into the Art + Design program at Colombia College here in Chicago.

Anticipating: Going home for a visit in July. I know it's a really long time away and surely there must be something to look forward to that's happening sooner than that. But I'm really missing my friends and family back home and I've been thinking about them a lot lately.

Reading: Julia Child's My Life in France. I love the Julie & Julia movie, so I decided I should probably read (one of) the books it's based on. Loving it! I read it with Meryl Streep's Julia Child voice in my head.

Eating: Too damn much. I really need to start making healthier choices. Blah. I have a smoothie almost every morning, which are delicious and healthy, but I eat way too much at lunch and dinner. I just need to work on that little thing they call willpower.

Wishing: I had girl friends here. I'm grateful for the few friends I've made here but I just really miss my girls back home. I miss watching chick flicks and having dance parties. I get along with all of the girls I work with but I just don't click with them.

Easter

I'm not real big on Easter. Despite my Catholic upbringing it just doesn't have any real significance to me. I also have some bad memories associated with Easter that I won't get into here. 

But I guess bunnies are pretty cute or whatever.

The thing I like about Easter is getting together with family to eat! We don't have a traditional meal that we serve every year. I think sometimes we have ham and the past few years my sister and her husband have hosted Easter lunch and made pork or some sort of meat and then the rest of us bring sides and dessert. This year, I'll be away from my immediate family for the first time. And I'll be working, which is actually fine by me. 

My niece (cutest kid ever) and me a couple Easters ago.

Here are some Easter inspirations that I will not be using, but I think they're adorable anyhow.

This Malted Mousse Cake looks amazing and I'll definitely have to try it sometime, maybe for another holiday or special occasion.

These cream cheese-filled jello eggs are a cute twist on traditional deviled eggs.

These rainbow jello eggs are pretty flippin' sweet too.

Cheesecake filled chocolate eggs! How clever is that?

This table-scape is absolutely gorgeous. Flowers definitely remind me of Easter, especially lillies and daffodils.

My mom decorates the house for every holiday and she likes to get creative with cute centerpieces. She's made something similar to this before. Peeps are definitely one of my favorite parts of Easter.

Chocolate covered marshmallow eggs are my other favorite Easter basket standard. This cheap brand is the best. We got the fancy kind one year and they were not even as delicious.

Photo a Day

25. Breakfast

26. Key

27. Your name

28. Trash

29. Feet

30. Toy

31. Where you relax