Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The green alien has landed

Green Alien has landed
And it flew in on our new Vitamix blender.

That green smoothie is parsley, spinach, pear, apple and who knows what else. Oh, flaxseeds and liquid vitamins. It packs a powerful punch of vitamins and energy, and is the perfect way to drink some of those vegetables and fruits coming in the weekly CSA. I'm having one every day and am amazed at how much more clarity and energy I have.

Somedays, I go the berry route, with berries we picked and froze this past summer, yogurt and banana, but it's the green alien that's amazing me the most. It actually tastes good. I can drop in some fresh ginger and it has zing.

Vehicle of the Green Alien

As to the Vitamix, it's amazing. It purees everything into smoothness within seconds, including ice, and is living up to everything I'd been told by friends who swear by them. Did you know a Vitamix's blades go so fast that you can make hot soup in them? And we have. Running for 4-5 minutes, it actually heats vegetable puree to a point where it steams. Crazy talk, I know.

I'm doing the spinach to increase iron intake, but the greens are helping increase Vitamin D, which is really important for me this time of year during our short, dark grey days. And just the intake of this amount of vegetables is helping to reboot my system. There are a ton of resources on the web for more information, and googling "green smoothies" or "green juice" will get you there.

The question is, drinking these daily, how many days will it take until I look like this?


14 comments:

brett said...

That is so yummy looking. Yeah, we learned our lesson with a cheap blender when my jaw was wired shut. The very first time we tried to use it, it burped and died on some ice. Anna took it back and got a much more powerful shiny one I still use today. Well worth the extra money. I know I lost about 25lbs when on a complete smoothy diet. And the energy! Wait, is this me telling me to get off my tush and go make a smoothy? Maybe so.

Great post.

katherynei said...

That sounds fabulous! I bet the parsley adds a refreshing touch to the mix.

Johnice said...

Yay for blogging about green smoothies!!!

A Lewis said...

I had carrot, orange, banana at Jamba Juice the other day. I love that carrot taste!

Rozanne said...

That photo has inspired me to dust off my juicer. Mine isn't a Vitamix, which is def. the Rolls Royce of juicers. Mine is a Juiceman Junior, which, I believe, is the Ford Escort of juicers, but it works for my purposes. I recommend trying the Ring of Fire for amazing, insano amounts of energy and vim.

1 or 2 good sized beets
1 apple
1 orange
1/2 inch or so piece of ginger

It's beautiful and delicious.

P.S. How much trouble is it to clean the Vitamix? Is it a huge pain in the buttocks?

Unknown said...

I love that shade of green. It's just so pretty.

I am now in the midst of Vitamix envy. I adore kitchen appliances and any kitchen gadgets, for that matter. Now I want one! I have a juicer, but it extracts the juice so it doesn't make a thick smoothie like that.

Anonymous said...

VITAMIX IS AWESOME.It grinds the pulp and all so theres no waste and more nutricious.Just put dishwashing liquid and water and turn it on high to clean

Anonymous said...

I, too, love my VitaMix. I toss a whole organic lemon into my smoothie each morning. Very cleansing.

bemused said...

Well, dang, I wasn't convinced when you told me about your green smoothie last week but now I'm game to try one (besides, I love Kermit!). Seriously, I could use more clarity and energy. Ha, I can just imagine my family's reaction now. OMG, mom's gone off her rocker for good! LOL

Rozanne, I don't even have a Juiceman Juicer, just your standard blender. Does that mean I have the equivalent of a Yugo?

LeLo said...

Brett-I remember that!

Katherynei-That's exactly what the parsley does: it perks it up and is really fresh tasting.

Johnice-Hello fellow smoothie blogger!

A Lewis-That IS a great combo.

Rozanne-I remember your Ring of Fire photo. It's lovely. Do you cook your beets or juice them raw? As far as cleaning the Vitamix, it couldn't be easier. I do it right away so it doesn't sit, put a little soap and hot water in it, and run it on low for a few seconds. Rinse, done.

Fleur de Lisa, it's pretty cool, like Anonymous says.

All About Food-I've hear whole lemons are great in the Vitamix. I need to try that.

bemused-You have a Yugo. Nothin' wrong with that. ;) You could still try it.

Anonymous said...

My dear, I stumbled upon this update via Tastespotting and am now totally inspired! First... I need a blender/juicer. (Seriously? Hot soup? Clearly, this was invented by those awesome kooks at NASA that put a man on the moon.)

That green smoothie looks and sounds completely delicious, and I am green with envy. (See what I did there? Huh? Did ya?)

Kathleen Bade said...

Really!

Really?????????


REALLY??????!!!!!!!!

Spinach smoothie.....with apples.
You're sure?

Okay any excuse to go by a new kitchen appliance. I'm going to do just that.......and try this.
I have to.

Anonymous said...

On a recent visit to Mexico, my husband and I made the trip to a cafe daily for green juice. Their recipe was
1. green apple peeled and cored
2. green pear peeled and cored
3. cucumber peeled. we use the seedless cukes.
4. cilantro
5. pineapple juice
Put all ingrediants in blender. blend until smooth and add ice as desired. This juice is simply outstanding!!!

Mellisa said...

I rescued my mom's "vintage" Vitamix (stainless steel model that weighs as much as my microwave!) from my sister who was using it to grind paper pulp to make homemade paper.
I'm like a walking infomercial for the thing- love it!! Definitely need to try some of these green smoothies though!