Recipe: Carrot Cake Smoothie

I love smoothies, but I normally put the same basic ingredients in every one that I make: banana, almond milk, spinach, and protein powder. Blah. I'm getting sick of these, so today for lunch I decided to try something new. There are many versions of a carrot cake smoothie out there, but I threw this together with what I had on hand and it's delicious!

You can't tell in this picture that it's a pretty peach color!

Carrot Cake Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 c. unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of your choice)
1/2 c slightly cooked, cooled carrots (I microwaved sliced carrots in a bit of water for about a minute, then ran them under cold water to cool them off)
1 banana
1 Tbsp unsweetened coconut
1 serving vanilla protein powder
a few drops of vanilla extract
a few shakes of ginger and ground cloves
a healthy dusting of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional -- makes smoothies thick and fluffy)
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional -- keeps smoothies from separating)
6 ice cubes

Blend. Pour. Slurp. Enjoy!

And since I'm back on the Weight Watchers bandwagon, this whole smoothie is only 5 points (it could be more or less depending upon protein powder brands. I used Trader Joe's whey protein).

A facebook friend posted this video, and it brought tears to my eyes. This guy is an inspiration!

Football: A Personal History

Despite the Packers fervor that surrounded me, I never watched football growing up. I was this kind of punk/smart girl hybrid who read Bukowski, smoked cigarettes on my lunch break, and thought I was way too cool to go to prom (nevermind that no one actually asked me -- I was too punk rock for formals anyway). I watched exactly one Packer game in my youth -- It was Superbowl XXXI in 1996. I was a senior in high school. My dad and my uncle Tom were at the game in New Orleans. Brett Favre was in the prime of his career and Desmond Howard made a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Packers won.

Fast forward ten years. I move from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh, and it's the first time I've lived in a city with an NFL team. Everyone in Pittsburgh is obsessed with football. Everywhere you look it's black and gold. At first I ignored the terrible towels and the football potlucks at work. I saw Troy Polamalu at the airport once and didn't know what all the fuss was about. Brad and I took to calling Ben Roethlisberger "Toothlessberger." I met some friends who also didn't watch football, and I planned my weekly grocery store trips for when the Steelers were playing. The shops were always dead.

At some point during the 3.5 years we lived in Pittsburgh, though, something changed. It started when I realized what a great player Troy Polamalu actually was. I would watch the game, if it was on, when I was home. Then, the Steelers started doing very well. Then they were in the playoffs. Then they went to Superbowl XLIII, which was an awesome game, and they won. Students set sofas on fire in Oakland, and there were near riots on the streets of Pittsburgh. I discovered Casey Hampton, who may be my very favorite Steeler simply because he was given the nickname "Big Snack" by his teammates.

In Pittsburgh, with short hair; Ilsa in her makeshift
Big Snack jersey. Superbowl 2009.

It was official. I was a Steeler fan. My father was understandably disappointed.

Superbowl half time with friends, 2009. DORKS!

But after Brett Favre moved from the Jets to the Vikings, there were rumblings of this new Packers quarterback who was as good as Favre had been in the nineties. So I watched a Packer game, if it was on, when I was home. And the Vikings too, if I happened to catch a game. And before I knew what was happening, I full-fledged cared about football. I have a new favorite defensive player -- Clay Matthews -- although I still love Polamalu and of course, Big Snack.

I whip my hair back and forth! (Image Source)

Today, the Steelers will play the Jets and the Packers will play the Bears. The possibility of a Packers - Steelers Superbowl is imminent. It would be simultaneously the best and worst game for Brad and I: our two favorite teams! Who to root for? Of course there is a possibility that both of our favorite teams will lose today, making it the worst day in NFL football history. But I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl.

Somewhere inside of my psyche, that 17-year-old punk girl's head just exploded.

It's 2011

This is my office. It's in my spare bedroom. Working from home is awesome.

It's also very hard and in an effort to prove myself, I work far more hours than I would be working if I still went to an office.

On the plus side, I get to wear random assortments of clothing every day and burn scented candles without fear of upsetting co-workers with delicate olfactory senses.

Speaking of the plus side, I re-joined Weight Watchers yesterday. Years ago, I had a lot of success with the plan but stopped short of my weight goal. I was looking at some old photos the other day and realized that the 10 pounds that I've put on? Yeah. It's noticeable.

Happy 2011. This year is going to be awesome, I can tell already!

An Actual Conversation

This is what it's like when you work from home.

It's 7:30 am. I am headed into my office (read: our spare bedroom). Brad is getting ready for work. He's wearing jeans, which is somewhat unusual for a lawyer for a Tuesday.

K: Jeans again today?
B: At least I'm wearing actual pants.
K: Decides not to respond, after looking down at giant flannel pajama pants and legendary GnR shirt.

Not About My Weight

I never wanted to be one of those women who obsesses about her weight. I've lost a lot of it in my day and I've been up and down within about 5 pounds of my current weight ever since. This post, however, is not about my weight. It's about my mental and physical health. I've put on 3 or 4 pounds in the last month or so. I know why it's happened, and I'm not happy about it.

But this is not about my weight.



Reason One
It's been a full week and a half since my last run. I have been working out -- doing "bootcamp" DVDs in my living room, ellipticalling, lifting weights -- but less frequently and less intensely than I should be and than I need. I can feel it in my body and in my psyche.

Excuse #1: I started a new job and It has kept me very, very busy.

Excuse #2: I had a cold that I couldn't shake for over a week.

Excuse #3: It's cold and even snowy now and the days are so super short and I don't feel comfortable running alone in the dark. And months of consistent outdoor running have made me loathe the treadmill more than I can express. I want my trails clear of snow, 35-40 degree temperatures and daylight.


Reason Two
I've been eating a lot of crap. Not junk food, because I just don't really purchase or eat actual junk food. But carby, sugary stuff like my mom's Christmas cookies (she sent us a huge box in the mail), and popcorn that I pop on the stove in coconut oil with tons of salt, and slices of bread slathered with almond butter.

Excuse #1: It's Christmas time. Crap food is aplenty.

Excuse #2: Vegetables and fruit aren't in season right now (which doesn't really apply in this day and age but I'm going with it).

Excuse #3: I'm just SICK of eating healthy all the time. And my indulgences aren't all that bad. . .


Reason Three
I eat my stress. Here is a list of just a few things that have made me turn to cookies late into the night:

1. See above, new job.

2. See above, cold.

3. Impending trip to Wisconsin for the holidays. The list of reasons why this is stressful is so long that just thinking about it is stressful.

4. I may or may not have killed Brad's truck when I drove it up to Pittsburgh last week.

5. The truck we were planning to drive to Wisconsin for said stressful holiday trip.

6. I will now have to put up with Brad and his father making fun of me for the rest of my life about (maybe) killing the truck, and thereby earning the label of "incompetent woman."

7. Also, not sure where the money to fix (maybe) dead truck will come from.

8. This week, I got the worst haircut of my life. This is basically what I looked like driving home from the salon:

8. I've gained 3 or 4 pounds in the last month. And trying not to focus on my weight is stressful.

Tuesday By Number

5: Hours I was awake today before I took a shower.

4: Gingerbread cookies eaten.

3: Freelance articles edited.

2: Hours spent watching a terrible Lifetime movie.

1: More day of sloth before I start my new job.