A Gift Idea: Hot or Cold, Not Lukewarm

Best travel mug EVER!

Update - this deal is no longer available, however, these are great mugs and worth they're normal $20 price tag.

I had hoped to post this deal for you a couple of weeks but just didn't have time and the sale ended. I'm sure you can relate. :) I was super excited to see that this sale was back for a limited time so I am determined to share it this time around.

Christmas Banquet 2013

Jared and I had the privilege of planning our church's yearly Christmas Banquet. I thoroughly enjoy planning, decorating, and cooking for banquets and things so I was really looking forward to doing it. We planned our previous church's Valentine's banquet almost every year that we were there and found that we worked well as a team. This is the first year that I have also had the opportunity to prepare the food besides planning and decorating. I had some awesome help in every aspect so I don't suggest trying to pull something like this off unless you can recruit some help at every stage.

Kale Berry Smoothie

Jared happened to see that one of our favorite chefs uses kale in his smoothies instead of spinach so I decided to give it a try this morning. It was delicious and refreshing after a my run. I forgot to snap a picture this morning, but it looks a lot like my Monster Spinach Smoothie.

• 2 cups fresh kale
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup unsweetened crushed pineapple
• 1 cup 1% milk (almond or coconut milk would yummy as well)
• 1 large banana
• 1 cup whole strawberries
• 8 ice cubes

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the kale, blueberries, yogurt, milk, pineapple, banana, and strawberries till smooth.
2. Add ice cubes and blend until ice has been crushed. Enjoy!

Servings: 2 (3 cups each)

Skinny Caramel Latte

I thoroughly enjoy a good latte but don't make it to a coffee shop very often for one. The other day I decided to try making my own. It turned out pretty good and I enjoyed it in the peace and quiet while the kids played in the other room.

Monster Spinach Smoothie

I discovered a delicious smoothie recipe. It's only 342 calories for roughly 26oz. It is really good after a morning run and loaded with nutrients. :o)

Monster Purple Spinach Smoothie

• 1 handful Baby Spinach (about 1 cup) 
• 1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple or Chunks 
• 1 medium banana (7"-8") 
• 1/2 cup lowfat yogurt (I used lowfat vanilla but am going to try Greek when I can get it on sale) 
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1/2 cup strawberries, halved 
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries 

Puree in a blend and enjoy!

I found the original recipe Pinterest (shown below). It didn't call for the berries but I add them because they're in season and supposed to be a great boost for runners. 

Green Spinach Smoothie

• 2 handful Baby Spinach (about 2 cup) 
• 1 cup Crushed Pineapple or Chunks 
• 2 medium bananas (7"-8") 
• 1 cup lowfat yogurt 
• 1 cup water 

Sweet Cream Lowfat Coffee Creamer

Coffee is an essential part of my day and I like my coffee with a hint of cream (not too overpowering though as I can drink it black when necessary). As I pulled the bottle of creamer from the fridge to fix Jared a cup of coffee, I thought to myself, "This feels really light I've probably only got enough for one cup." After sending Jared off to work with his coffee, I scoured the kitchen for something that I could use to make my coffee creamy without adding a lot of extra calories (since we are trying to lose weight right now).

Cranberry Punch

6 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (roughly 2 pounds)
6 quarts (24 cups) water
9 whole cloves
¾ cup Red Hot candies
1 ½ cups orange juice
6 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups sugar

1. In a large kettle, combine cranberries and 9 cups water. Bring to a boil; simmer 5 minutes until skins pop. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and strain cooked juice through a fine sieve or cheese cloth, squeezing gently.
2. To strained juice, add remaining water, sugar, red hot candies, and cloves. Bring to boil (long enough to melt candies). Add orange and lemon juices.
3. Serve piping hot or chilled.