"These are a few of my favorite things..."

This is going to be a random mishmosh of "things I love"

1.  my Magic Bullet Blender -- Okay, so it can't make an omlet, but it can do lots of other things
I like to buy frozen fruit (or freeze it myself, as in the case of bananas) and make smoothies for breakfast

I make a pitcher of herbal or green tea in the beginning of the week and throw it in the fridge, add in the banana and blend (so you don't get chunks of frozen banana), then add in any additional fruits. And serve! Use a little less liquid and you get a sorbet-like dessert (such as raspberry and orange juice with a little mint).

I also use it to make ridiculously easy, ridiculously healthy, and ridiculously tasty soups  (broccoli soup, pea soup, 'cream' of corn soup with diced peppers mixed in, sweet potato curry, etc.)

I also use it in my preparation of salsa (since I am a spaz when it comes to chopping up jalepeños without getting it on some delicate skin or my eyes).  I throw the jalepeños and garlic in the blender to make a nice even paste that spreads and coats the tomatoes evenly.  With the extra cilantro (as there is always extra cilantro), I throw it in the blender to make a cilantro pesto (with the residual flavor of garlic and jalepeños as well as some lime juice).

Which brings me to...

2. Wraps/Burritos
Okay, so where do you use cilantro pesto?  Voila!
On the left -- the "classic" tomato/mayo combo -- but this time with Miracle Whip, pepper, fresh thyme on a FlatOut Wrap; on the right with a spicy cilantro pesto (cilantro, garlic, jalepeño and lime juice) on the other half of the Flatout wrap.

I also love warming fruit and using them as burrito fillings -- apples (with Peanut Butter!), peaches, berries... you name it I'll do it.  I call them "poor man's crepes" but they're just as portable as a PopTart and much healthier. 

3. My kitties (yes, gratuitous addition that is unrelated to the topic at hand, but they are loving and supportive).
 

4. Local Raw Honey -- Not to knock agave (which is a fantastic sweetener to cook with), but local raw honey is fantastic.  A little drizzle goes a long way  -- like when roasting chicken, in some Greek Yogurt, in your tea, or on your toast.  The health benefits are being debated, but seriously... it is so good for so many reasons.  I even learned a fantastic facial scrub that is honey, green tea, apple cider vinegar, and sugar.  My face loves me for it. 

5.  You already know I love Ziploc's Twist & Lock containers as well as Rubbermaid's 1/2 cup container.  But did you also know that I love old yogurt containers (the big kinds that still have lids).  I bring them with me when I go to the farmer's market so I can transport delicate fruits without crushing them (like strawberries or cherries).  

6.  A really good Chef's knife.  Seriously, invest in one. 

7.  INFORMATION!!! I love books, I really do.  So here's one volume I think everyone should read at least once in their life:  On Food and Cooking:  The Science and Lore of the Kitchen.  It's not light reading (nor is it heavy lifting), but it's totally worth the read.  You'll have a new found appreciation for food when you know more of its secret properties.  I think Michael Pollan's Food Rules should also be on any dieter's reading list.

8.  The internets!  So many great resources despite it being one of the most common reasons for me being inactive.  But it's great to go to the Farmer's Market and find something I have no idea how to cook (for instance, sunchokes) and be able to find out everything I need to know about it.  There's also a wealth of fitness and health information out there.  So this one in moderation, versus a good Chef's knife being an all-the-time thing. 

9.  Stability/Yoga/Exercise ball -- while i might not be doing stability ball pushups, I love using it as a chair, using it to stretch my back, and to mess with my cats. 

10.  Additions without explanations

6 comments

Magic Bullets also fantastic for smoothies and foofie coffe drinks. nom nom nom nom nom

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hahah -- I wrote that they're good for smoothies -- as for those coffee drinks... depending on how you make them, all the added calories and caffeine can be bad for you...

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I am so interested in this facial scrub. I made an all over body scrub that was just awesome with coconut oil, sea salt, and vitamin e oil! More details!

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I forget the recipe, but it was basically honey, green tea, sugar, and apple cider vinegar... I forget the amounts, but it was enough to make a really viscous scrub.

I keep mine in the refrigerator. Extra fun!

I found this recipe (but I didn't use lemon juice):

Step 1 Add one teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar (DO NOT use regular vinegar) in a small or medium bowl.

Step 2 Add two teaspoons of already made and cooled organic green tea to the apple cider vinegar. Add a few squirts of real lemon juice (I use it in the bottle form, but you can use a lemon slice if you want, I just never have lemons around).

Step 3 Mix and then add five teaspoons of sugar and mix again.

Step 4 Add one teaspoon of organic honey and then add two more teaspoons of sugar. Mix well.

Step 5 Use your fingers to spread mask on face gently. Apply and gently exfoliate by rubbing in a circular motion. Do this for two to five minutes. Do not scrub hard. Let mask stay on face for about eight to ten minutes.

Step 6 Exfoliate gently while rinsing off. Store any unused mixture in a small glass jar with screw top (how about a clean baby jar?) How cute is that? Label it so no one will eat it! (eww yuck!) and refrigerate, use within 2 weeks.

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I love doing a chopped fruit mix like apples,pears, strawberries and a tablespoon or two of warmed PB drizzled all over for wraps! Super yum!

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I know i'm screwing myself by saying this -- but i bet that'd also taste good with nutella.

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<3 Robby