Black Blueberry Breakfast

I've taken to making myself a smoothie in the morning so that I can eat breakfast on the train - and find a way to sneak more leafy greens into my diet!

And it looks something like this.

Forgive my chipped polish!

Yeah.  I get looks all the time.  I know, it looks totally gross and like you'd never willingly eat that.

But I swear to you it is SO SCRUMPTIOUS and yes, it keeps me full for the next two-and-a-half hours until I can snack on a cheese stick before lunch.

Here's what goes into my smoothie the night before and gets blended up first thing in the morning.

1 cup of purple kale
1.5 cups of curly leaf spinach
1.25 cups of almond milk, unsweetened vanilla flavor (for a whopping 38 calories - beat that dairy milk!)
1 cup of frozen unsweetened blueberries
1 medium banana (about 7-8 inches long)

That's it.  I blend it up in a blender kit we got for Christmas - it blends right in the container I drink out of, so it's super easy to clean.  Just run the blade attachment under the water before I run out the door, pop on the flip-top lid, and go!

Look, I wasn't initially keen on chugging my salad.  But I also recognize that leafy greens are super good for us and I try to incorporate them into two meals a day - at least!

My fitness and diet app tells me that my smoothie is about 252 calories - SCORE!

And I promise - it doesn't look like a typical yummy food - but try it once and you'll be sold!  No "spinachy" taste, no bits of leaf in your teeth.  Just sweet creamy blueberry-banana from start to finish!

Nom nom for now,
Amanda

Busy as a Bzzz-Bee Broth and my Local Grocery

Hi friends!

Sorry - I've been away too long!  There's really no excuse for leaving you hanging for so long; I won't try to make one.

In the weeks since I last posted, we've been *quite* busy at the Colbert Nest.  We started a few interior projects - like painting and assembling a new computer desk for the Mister, re-organizing our bathroom, and adding a new couch to our home!  Ps - I *love* the couch.  It really was a steal - $40 at Goodwill and the previous owner said it cost him $1200!  I believe it - the leather is really well-cared for, and it's a convertible futon on a solid wood frame.  Very classy for two young adults on a not-so-fancy budget.  :)

I will definitely update you on some of the design updates to our home in a post later this week - promise!

For now, I'd like to share what's cooking in my kitchen today!

I'm meal-prepping for the whole week - and let me tell you, it is *such* a time saver.  I've got a jam-packed schedule this week, and I really don't know how anyone gets by without making the whole week's lunches and dinners ahead of time.  Honestly, if you do - you're a saint.  A magician and a saint.


On the menu:
Steamed sweet potatoes  (4 servings)
Fresh carrots, celery, and cucumbers (8 servings)
Side salads for each day (5 servings)
Healthy Chicken Salad (4 big servings, or 6 sides)
Smoothies for breakfast! (5)
Dahl with Basmati Rice (3 servings)
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (12 muffins, I usually do one per meal)


So, that's like....a lot of food, yo.

AND I'm making my favorite lazy-day frugal food - Homemade Chicken Broth!!!

Or, as I like to call it - busy broth.  Because I make this broth in my crockpot, I can buzz around the house or run errands while it simmers.  Multi-tasking for the win!

I'm sure you know that a lot of the foods we eat these days are processed beyond belief!  I know it - I still eat it.  No guilt-shaming here, friends!  Still, I notice a serious difference in my body - my mood and energy levels, especially - when I eat whole, natural foods.

And my wallet notices, too!

Here's why:

First, I gotta give it up for my local
grocery store.  They stock a huge selection of produce at really great prices (with *amazing* specials).  Plus, the manager is maybe the friendliest dude ever.

Because I am blessed with just enough "free" time to prepare my veggies, I buy them whole.  That means:  no baby carrots, no pre-sliced whatever, almost nothing from a bag.  I buy whole heads of lettuce (this week: kale and leaf lettuce, and a bag of curly spinach), unpeeled carrots and whole celery (.79 and .59 special respectively), a red pepper (.42/lb special), sweet potatoes (1.95), 3 pounds of yellow onions (.69), cucumbers (.59 each), and a bag of Cuties (1.49).  I could go on - but I think you get the point.

Even better:  when produce is nearing expiration, my store bundles them into discount packs.  Five small zucchini for .59, three ears of corn for .89, shallots for .59.  I buy these up when I am making broth to supplement my mix.

Nothing - and I mean NOTHING - goes to waste from these veggies.  My carrot and potato peels, my celery scraps, my onion skins - they all go into my busy broth!

There's really no exact recipe to follow, so I'll just give you the rundown of what's in my crockpot today.

Busy Broth

Leftover green pepper
Fresh Corn
Shallots
Carrots (and peels from my meal prep)
Celery (and scraps from my meal prep)
Sweet potato peels
Purple kale ribs
Bones and cartilage from two whole chickens
Water to fill

Sometimes, I buy a rotisserie chicken to put into my soups or salads.  Other times, I buy a whole chicken raw and roast it or cook it in my crockpot.  Either way, I *always* save and freeze the bones/cartilage/skin.
This way, nothing goes to waste.  I basically get to make about 64 ounces of broth for free!  One man's trash, as they say.

What tricks do you have for saving at the grocery store?  Any resourceful recipes you use to stretch your budget?  I'd love to hear from you!

Nom Nom for Now,
Amanda