Spinach Smoothie aka “Popeye’s Delight”

I keep hearing about all these people who juice their vegetables.  I started out very skeptical of all the health claims, but lately I have been becoming more and more intrigued.  It seems like a great way to add greens to your diet.  I finally started to give in when I made my first-ever “green” smoothie tonight.  I know it’s not juice… but it’s a step a closer

I got my inspiration from The Flirty Foodie’s: “Lean N’ Green Spinach and Avocado Smoothie” and from Iowa Girl Eats: “Green Monster Spinach Smoothie.”  I had trouble picking one, so I used some ingredients from both.  Thanks ladies!

Spinach Smoothie aka “Popeye’s Delight”
Ingredients:

• ½ of a ripe avocado
• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ¾ cup milk (I used coconut, but any kind will work)
• 1 banana
• 4 cups spinach (or about 2 giant handfuls)

In a food processor, or blender, combine all the ingredients until it reaches your desired consistency.  Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy.

What are your thoughts on juicing?  Is a high-quality juicer worth the investment?

My belly really likes Things My Belly Likes!

Since July my life has changed dramatically.  Long gone are the lazy college days where I would sleep in, tan by the pool, and brainstorm my next blog post.

These days I spend so much time bringing home the bacon that I rarely have time to cook it.

Thank goodness my office has a Whole Foods across the street…

But after almost 5 months in the real world, I’m finally getting adjusted.  Recently I made food other than scrambled eggs for the first time in weeks…  And I realized my belly really likes Things My Belly Likes.

My First Guest Blog Post!

You’ll have to forgive me for dropping off the face of the blog-Earth the past couple weeks.  Monday morning I started working full-time as a Tax Associate for a large accounting firm… and I’m still trying to find my new routine. 

They’re very excited for my guest post.

But the good news is I haven’t been completely slacking!  I recently wrote my first guest-blog-post for Josh and Max over at Caveman College.  Their blog focuses on living Primal as a college student… which I know from personal experience can be very challenging!  I encourage you to check out my guest post along with the rest of their awesome site

Minimalism 3.0

“We spent as much money as we could, and got as little for it as people could make up their minds to give us. We were always more or less miserable, and most of our acquaintance were in the same condition. There was a gay fiction among us that we were constantly enjoying ourselves, and a skeleton truth that we never did. To the best of my belief, our case was in the last aspect a rather common one.” 


- Charles Dickens, Great Expectations


I recently found this quote on a blog I came across: Deconstruct the Girl.  It wasn’t posted to inspire minimalism, but that’s the affect it had on me.  So many of us spend money in order to impress our peers, in order to show how great our lives are.  But at the end of the day money spent, and processions bought, will never buy us happiness.  Collect moments, not things.  

I <3 Sardines…

Dearest Tuna,
You have always been a pantry-staple of mine.  You’re tasty, nutritious, and easy to pack for lunch.  However I’ve met someone new and my pantry now belongs to a new canned fish: sardines.  I’ll never forget the meals we’ve had together…

Regretfully Yours,
Becca

Mixing it Up: Strength Stats and Routine Changes

I used to set specific strength goals that I wanted to reach by a specific date.  (Example A, Example B, Example C) And while these goals were excellent for providing motivation, unfortunately they caused my form to suffer in order to reach them on time.  Ultimately they just put me at an increased risk for injury and gave me inflated strength measures.

So for the past couple months I decided to ditch the goals and instead focus on perfecting my form.  I started doing VERY deep squats and made sure everything I called a “rep” was indeed a full rep.

obligatory “ab progress” shot

Farmageddon: The Unseen War on American Family Farms

“An issue that can bring together enviro-lefties and free-market conservatives”

-Andrew O’Hehir

“It’s an eye-popping wake-up call revealing how the USDA and the FDA have increasingly waged war on America’s small farmers. “

-Kevin Thomas

 “You owe it to your children to empower yourself with the truth about food safety and food choice.”

-Joel Salatin

21-Day Sugar Detox

This weekend I attended my friend’s wedding and went home to have a belated birthday celebration with my family.  I kept things mostly Primal by mainly eating pit beef at the wedding and grilled salmon at my house, but both nights I indulged my sweet tooth when it came time for dessert.  I doubt caveman had access to multiple chocolate chip cookies and ice cream pie… but they were both delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed the sugary treats, guilt-free.

But unfortunately this morning I woke up with a serious sugar-hangover: which quickly reminded me how evil sugar is for your body.  After reading Deep Nutrition I learned that sugar causes insulin-resistance, stiffens collagen, jams hormonal signals, and slows neural communication.  These side-effects in turn lead to weight-gain, diabetes, premature wrinkling, arthritis, weakened bones, mood swings, headaches, dulled senses, and more.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Avocado

I love avocados.  They are delicious, they are nutritious, and like bacon – you can eat them with practically everything   (Example A, Example B)  This week Matt, from The Athlete’s Plate, inspired me to use avocados in a whole new way with his Avocado Stuffed Sweet Potato.  I tweaked his recipe to accommodate what I had and still managed to create something delicious.

Going Caveman: Making Friction Fire

Tomorrow is my 23^rd birthday and as a birthday present to myself, I signed up for a class on Friction Fire Making.  I thought it would be a fun way to experience the caveman lifestyle I’ve been promoting for the past year, as well as learn a necessary survival skill if I’m ever living off-grid.

So early Monday morning I drove to Fredericksburg, Virginia and spent the day with Tim MacWelch, the founder of Earth Connection, along with two other students: Paul and Bob.

friction fire making tools, notice there are no matches!