joke's on me!

i've been itching to blog a "real" blog entry since the 1st of the year, but after the wrapping paper, cardboard boxes, ribbon, tinsel, and "i had too much sugar" holiday massacre that occurred at my house, it's taken me nearly a week since the kids went back to school to put my house back together {aka: when the house is put together, my life feels more put together!}.  well, finally, the house is done {yes, i DO realize there are endless piles of laundry so high i can't even walk in my laundry room . . . but, i choose to ignore that right now!} . . . so, finally, i have the time to sit and blog for a moment!  so, let me catch you up!!

aside from fiendishly working on CHA projects for Graphic 45 due next week {yikes.}, i made an under-wraps promise to myself to try to do Project 365 this year and take at least 1 picture everyday to document life in my world.  i actually did really well . . . and then {evil music in the background} . . . MY COMPUTER crashed when i tried to download my pictures & EraSeD every last one for the first 4 days of january from my camera's memory card!!! MAJOR uGh!!!! but, you can't keep me down, evil electronic devices!!!  no, no, no, i CAME BACK with a VenGeAnCe!!!! i think it's been 3 days and i've taken 60 pictures!!  yup, almost 20 pics a day!!  clearly, i won't keep that pace up, but, at least i didn't let a really crappy moment get me down!!

the other thing i've been doing a lot of is cooking in my kitchen.  i absolutely LOVE my kitchen.  it's filled with light, from a wall of 2 story windows, and a MEAN Wolf commercial range that is teaching ME how to cook!  so, after watching Food, Inc., it reminded me how well the food industry keeps vital information underwraps for it's own benefit.  SHAME!  i've been a consumer of local, organic, seasonal produce & meats for quite a few years now, mostly because i need to baby my body a bit with all the tummy troubles i have.  but, also, because i refuse to pay money for food that is laden with chemicals, antibiotics, and/or lacking essential nutrients because of the way it is grown.  i TRULY believe cooking good food for yourself & your family is essential these days, especially when it's one of the only controllable defenses we have against all of the toxins around us {some just a product of becoming such a technically advanced & reliant world}.  so, i thought i'd try every now & then to share a great recipe that is quick, easy, healthy, and SUPER YuMMy!  if you don't realize it already, you'll be amazed at how quickly you can whip up a great, mostly raw food meal that is filling & so tasty.

here's a great smoothie recipe that you can even fool the kids into thinking is a peach sorbet!! --

Peach Smoothie
{i mix everything in my Vitamix for just a few seconds & it comes out smooth & creamy. probably any high quality blender will do.}

cover the blades with a peach/white grape frozen juice concentrate {make sure you're not choosing one full of fake sugars}, add 6 baby carrots, a banana, a handful of frozen peaches, a 1 inch wide slice of cabbage (or 3 brussel sprouts), half a pear, half an apple, a Tbsp of coconut oil, and a tsp of honey.  you can add some ice is you'd like.  blend & serve right away. {if you'd like, you can add 1/2 tsp or so of flax seeds too.}

i usually serve it to my kids in an ice cream glass with a spoon so they think of it more like a dessert . . . they ALWAYS want more.  what!? more fruits & veggies!??  do you ThINk i say "no"!!?????!  you can always throw in more veggies or fruit depending on what you have.  sometimes i throw in a little bit of kale or spinach or broccoli, etc depending on what i have & who i'm feeding . . . the darker fruits/veggies will change the color of the smoothie to more of a green-brown, which my kids don't always go for!

now, go on and make some good choices, ok!!?!

much love,
natasha