My Latest Craze

My 30th year in life happened without a hitch. It was actually amazing! Thank you to all of my friends and family who celebrated! I love you so much. The lovely cake was a gift in so many ways. My best friend, Jen, delivered the cake from the bakery aforementioned in the previous blog from the Upper Crust. It was all gluten free. Not usually being a huge fan of cake, my husband brought up an important revelation...the cake did not cause my stomach to sound like a water cooler. I am usually not a fan of cake because of the way it makes me feel. In the past, I've always blamed this on the texture in disguise of the fact that eating cake actually makes me feel like crap. I always thought this was due to the mass quantities of sugar, leading me to sometimes violently throwing up after consuming cake. This birthday cake was totally gluten free. I ate one piece with some champagne and felt fine. I ate another piece after we all came home from some celebratory activities and slept throughout the night. My husband has noticed that after eating bagels, pasta, and other mass quantities of gluten that I don't always feel my best. So, after discussing this magical cake, we both wondered if some of my issues related to cake might actually be related to gluten being the source to many of my evils. I thought about if for a week and decided to go gluten free. After a week, I felt great. Now after three, I feel amazing. To date, other than masked forms of gluten in my cooking utensils and pots and pans, I've knowingly consumed gluten on one occasion. I had a beer and some pizza. I felt like crap. I think we see a pattern here. So, it has remained out of my diet and I feel great. No more water cooler stomach. No more other issues not to discuss on a blog.
Now isn't that something to have a fiesta and sombrero over?

On to the latest craze. Yes I love sombreros. It was one of my birthday requests. But it has nothing to deal with birthdays or celebrating. It is a curious beverage called the "Green Monster." I had been reading about this drink on several of the blogs in which I follow. Always curious, I finally decided to try it. It is amazing!! Check out "Oh She Glows" and "Eat, Live, Run" for more stories. Here is the recipe I have been using:
1 1/2 Cups Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Handfulls Organic Spinach
2 Tablespoons Milled Flaxseed
2 Tablespoons Almond Butter
1 Frozen Banana

Fill blender with almond milk, spinach, flaxseed, and almond butter. Heat the frozen banana (still in its peel) for 30 seconds in the microwave. Peel the banana over your blender and add the peeled banana. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Consume and feel invigorated! Seriously the craziest thing that I've tried that gives me the most energy throughout the day! Trust me, I can attest as I am a teacher;)