Smoothie Saturday/Sunday- The Malt shop

Get out your bobby socks and poodle skirt (I know, I wasn't around either, I just saw it on Nick at Night)...we're going to the Malt shop. I'm getting old-school on you. But seriously as I love the flavor of malt (not as in Schlitz, but rather Carnation), this is one of my go-to faves. You can modify the base, but what is non-negotiable is the powdered malt. I have only used the original flavor and not the chocolate as I'm a purist sometimes (other times a renegade. Oh well, never mind).

So here's the Malt Shop:

• Greek yogurt ~ 1 cup
• Water ~1/2 cup
• Ice ~ 1/2 cup
• Malt Powder 1-2 T *secret ingredient*
• Stevia or other sweetener if needed (the malt has some sugary substance in it already)
  
• small sprinkle guar gum
• very small sprinkle xanthan gum
• 1-2 tsp sugar-free/fat-free CHEESEcake pudding powder *the other secret ingredient*... (notice how I wrote "Cheesecake" on duct tape and stuck it onto the package? I ran out and was using vanilla as a sub-standard "stand-in". (classy, no?)

My fave fave fave Greek Yogurt is Fage. Ridiculously expensive, but worth it for eating on its own. For shakes, smoothies and "ice cream" I will step it down a notch or two because you're essentially obliterating it anyway and the creaminess doesn't seem to transfer to the smoothie as you would imagine it to do. :-/ Odd, isn't it?


You will notice that I added way more ice and water and put in less yogurt- I was sparing calories at the expense of taste. Play with the ratios and see what works for you. It's the MALT that is the MAGICAL ingredient. It's so processed and naughty and evil, but yum-0-rama! Note: I have seen malt powder in health food stores in bulk. It's an odd beige-brown color, so I'm not sure it'll substitute. If anyone (like my arch nemesis/rival/person who keeps me on my toes, Protein Girl at Pimp my Protein Shake) tries it, let me know how it turns out.



I like mine thick and frothy. Ice doesn't bother me. As long as it's creamy AND icy- it's all good. If it's icy but not creamy, it's not going down the gullet. Often if it's too icy, I add a sprinkle more guar gum and it makes it creamier just like that. It its non-salvageable, sadly it goes down the sink and I start anew.



Mmmm, thick yum sticking to the sides of the blade. This is the infamous 1K Blender by the way (that has flown all over the world and cruised the seven seas). Sadly he doesn't know that his fleet has been grounded due to his master wanting to be more normal.


Smoothie-in-a-bowl. Really, this is the best way to eat a smoothie in my opinion. If you're not rushing out the door, this is the most civilized approach...not to mention the fact that you can let loose with toppings to sprinkle and the nut butters you can plaster on your spoon. I wouldn't recommend any nut butters with the Malt shop, and the only topping that I can think of to do it justice would be crushed Malted Milk Balls (or Maltesers for you Brits/Canadians)!! OMG!!! Why didn't I think of that sooner! Oh well, next time!

And now for the little Halloween portion of the post... (no, honest...it's really, really little)...

Here was part of my dinner. It's a shame that the background didn't come out better- it was FORBIDDEN rice (it's black) with chopped orange peppers...I was so proud of myself for coming up with such a Halloweeny conconction and took a photo of just the black & orange without the scary topping. Sadly it went to the Blogmuda Triangle.

Boo! Scared ya, didn't I?!

Egg White Ghost on Forbidden Rice & Orange Sweet Pepper. When I looked at the photo again I realized that the ghost also bore a slight resemblance to a polar bear or a siberian husky. Well, let me assure you, egg-art is harder than it looks! Having said that, Heather did a really cute job a few weeks ago. Maybe I need more practice! ;-)

Happy weekend, folks! Let me know if you make the smoothie and what you think- I'm always happy for additional thoughts and ideas!

Flashback Fridays- The Halloween Edition

Samantha's 2008 costume?...big surprise there


Celebrating H-ween by livin' la vida loca- orange and black sprinkles-woot woot!

Well, bleeps, it's going to be a quick post because I can only find a few photos from Halloweens past that I have digitized and uploaded. Happy Haunting!

Charlotte truly was our Princess - 2008

Ooh, and 12+ years ago....Samantha's consume? Yup, some things never change

This photo of my bro, Steven, is so classic, it needs a replay on the blog

I have no idea what I was supposed to be...a desperate housewife when the ideal was Peg Bundy?

I was obsessed with all things dental even from a very young age

Here's my official PSA to the blogosphere...(can you see my finger wagging?)... remember to BRUSH and FLOSS after consuming your treats! Happy Haunting...

Q: Abby had a great Q the other day that I'm going to out-right steal: If you went trick-or-treating (embarrassing I know, as most of you are grown adults) what would you want to see most in your plastic pumpkin (or pillow case if you are really old school)? Calories, cavities, tummy aches have no bearing on our imaginary wish list... :-) Mine: Reese's peanut butter cups, M&Ms (all sorts), tootsie rolls, malt balls, atomic fireballs, See's Chocolate suckers *why oh why did they discontinue the Peanut Butter flavor!?!??!?, Abba Zabbas.

How to Enjoy Vacay and Not Destroy Your "diet" Part II

Dear SGET readers! I didn't mean to be cruel and keep you hanging from yesterday's post entitled "How to Enjoy Vacay and Not Destroy Your 'diet' Part I". To read it, click here. There was just too much to blab about in one post and I know you have about 496 other posts to read while drinking your AM java...Continuing on...

"How to Enjoy Vacay and Not Destroy Your 'diet' Part II:

8. Keep some healthy and filling eats in your fridge and on your person. I know that it sounds crazy to BYOF when you are on a ship surrounded by food, but I found myself breaking out a single-serving almond butter or a healthy granola bar in between meals- and they saved my bootay. I also stocked up on a few hard-boiled eggs, apples and some yogurt for the room fridge.

As usual, I brought way more eats from home than I needed. I’d say I broke into about 60% of what I brought. Lesson learned for next time: bring less. My motto when I'm packing my "food suitcase"... 'as god as my witness, I'd never go hungry again'. (bonus points if you name the movie)

911 foods - half of them resided in my purse- yes I have a BIG purse! Carrots were already consumed!

Stop Thief!! The Great Midnight Apple Heist!

Thank goodness I left my Blender at home or I could have been dragged to this place in Brooklyn, NY by the hubs

9. If you are able, sample, sample, sample. Here’s a scenario: You walk up to the Dessert Table at the buffet and there are 20+ options. I would rather poke my eyes out with sharp instruments than tell you that you SHOULD go to the dessert buffet and eat an apple, even though the ship thoughtfully provides an orchard of fruit for consumption as well. (This IS a good thing, really!). Here is what I suggest if you want something sweeter than a plum:

If you are able to sample (ask yourself honestly: can I have just a bite or two and be satisfied?), select 3-5 desserts that look absolutely amazing, and have just a bite of each. Reality check: oftentimes those desserts look WAAAyyyyyyyy better than they actually taste (why is that!?). If one dessert really floats your boat (DOH!), then finish the portion (thankfully the pieces are very small). Quoting Lara's wisdom from her guest post: "there is just not a food on the planet that will make you fat if you only eat two bites of it."

I'm a sampler- can you tell?

If you are not a sampling type (you must finish what you start), then scrutinize all the goodies on offer first, and take the one that looks like it’s the most food-gasmic item ever. Eat and savor it. Don’t look back. And remember that they offer dessert with lunch AND dinner, and often at afternoon tea and at the midnight buffet as well. Trust me on this one…it’s hard to turn them all down! We ended up eating sweets most lunches and dinners... much more than at home. Too much? Probably. But I was able to taste & sample, yet didn’t end up feeling stuffed.

10. Limit the booze intake. First of all- if you are under-age you won’t be drinking, so this doesn’t apply to you. But for the rest of us, drinking can be a treat and part of the festivities. I don’t need to tell you that a strawberry daiquiri can have hundreds of calories. Yup, it’s yummy, but really, is it worth those calories?

Luvie, aka Derek aka the hubs- such a booze-hound (Ha! Truth is that he would sleep all afternoon if he actually consumed the contents of the glass in front of him) :-D

Honestly, tea-totaling is your best bet, but if that's not an option, what are some calorie-kind alcohol-drinking options? Due to my love for the fine fermented grape, I simply cannot in good faith advise anyone I actually like to order a wine-spritzer. In my book that’s desecration of sacred nectar. But if you don’t have a problem with cruelty-to-grapes, by all means dilute your wine with soda water. There are countless other delish drinks that can be made by diluting liquor with soda water and/or a splash of juice. Hungry Girl has a ton of them that you can check out. You’ll want to keep the quantity in check as well. Too much booze leads to the WTF attitude, and heaven forbid that strikes as you are stumbling past the midnight buffet.

11. Don't miss out on the local flavor when you stop in port. Life is meant to be enjoyed and one of the pleasures of traveling is sampling local fare- whether it's a local bitter on draught in the middle of the English countryside, or the trout that was just caught in the lake around the corner. Not everyone likes to do this because it requires you to step outside of your usual, safe/tried & true foods. My philosophy: I'd rather eat something that I would never find/buy/make at home.

This sign is heaven for Dad & Hubs (this happened to be ON the ship- in the ship's pub!)

Ah yes, 'Fish & Chips'. For the record: I kick off the batter and eat some but not all of the fries- but only if they are really good & crispy.

A tad too decadent for me...This was the Hub's Cottage Pie- a savory, meaty wonder dish covered with mashed potato- comfort food at it's finest.


When in Rome...or Bath. Once we arrived in the UK, I met up with the lovely Lara. She & I had lunch at a Tea Room in Bath & spent the rest of the afternoon hanging out. She is such a great food blogger- she did a whole sweet post about our day and meals together!


Hanging out with the "locals" Lara and Matt- We spent a second day with Lara and got to meet Mr. Thinspired...we had such a blast!!

Local trout at a pub by the river Avon (Lara did a great re-cap of our day and meals here!)

In the hotel pub, sampling a half pint of the local ale

12. Cut yourself some slack. Yes, you might gain a pound or two. Perhaps more. But once you’re back home, you’ll be in your routine and *******all will be well. You will want to try to achieve a happy balance between enjoying your vacay and not sabotaging all of your healthy habits. I have had vacations where I really 'let loose' and spent weeks afterward regretting it and wearing my bigger clothes. Can you say GRrrrrr?. I’ve also been on trips where I was a perfect little healthy-eating angel, not to mention a grumpy beotch, because I was hungry and felt like I was missing out on life. And I was.

Now here's wear it gets tricky....I wrote all of the preceding while I was on the ship. Listen very carefully...if you can make it through 1-12, then in reality, #13 is the MOST IMPORTANT TIP!

13. Beware the Light at the End of the Tunnel. (It just might be an oncoming train.)

Here I quote myself from above : "12. Cut yourself some slack. Yes, you might gain a pound or two. Perhaps more. But once you’re back home, you’ll be in your routine and ******all will be well. "

Yes, 'all will be well', as long as you can come to grips with the fact that vacation is over and you need to get back to reality. Sometimes you don't want to admit that your wonderful vacation has ended...and you are tempted to extend it a few days or a week or so. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO DO THIS! Add in some jet-lag and the "back to school blues" and it truly is a recipe for disaster. Try to re-adopt your tried-and-true healthy strategies asap. Get back on that horse without delay. I speak from experience!

When I got home from this trip, I had conveniently forgotten that we were still living out of boxes from the kitchen remodel. I did not return to making my morning shakes, and I was nibbling on more sweets than usual (exhaustion? nerves?). All this, while fighting a bug that I managed to dodge in the end. In addition, I knew that we had an upcoming weekend full of twice-daily restauranting in honor of my wonderful Aunt Rhoda's birthday. So I think that I let my guard down and let the vacay end up just a tad longer than anticipated :-) I will be sporting an entire collection of muʻu muʻus (aka sun-dresses and/or Maxi dresses) until I have lost a bit of the post-hol 'excess baggage'. Well, at least muʻumuʻus are bright and cheery...

One last hurrah (until the next one of course!) ... Celebrating Aunt Rhoda's Birthday!

Q: Do you have any good tips for staying fit while traveling? Anyone have a muʻumuʻu I can borrow?

How to Enjoy Vacay and Not Destroy Your "diet" Part I

First of all, the word “destroy” might be a bit dramatic. But a vacation/cruise can definitely “pummel” or even “beat the living crap” out of your diet, even if it doesn’t outright “destroy” it. Lot of “quotes” eh? But wait, there’s more!

I say “Diet” in quotation marks because we are not on restrictive“diets” anymore, right? We are “making healthy-living choices”. I try to eat healthy most of the time, but vacations are meant to be enjoyed (as are Tuesdays). And food is part of the equation.

As I just returned from a cruise, the subject is fresh in my mind, so here is the topic of the day: Surviving (while enjoying) a vacation/cruise.

First of all, it’s important to remember that a cruise can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many people. In this regard, I feel that it’s important to enjoy the food on offer, but not to approach it with the “last supper” mentality. If you do that, you will return home with extra L-Bs and perhaps a hefty dose of regret. Here are some ways that I have found to be useful when surrounded by amazing food 24/7…

1. Approach buffets carefully. The fewer choices you have, the less you will eat. Studies have confirmed this. The problem with buffets is that you have literally hundreds of choices. My advice: cruise (ack!) the buffet before you get your tray- see what’s on offer and then go in for the kill. Get what you really truly want, but only get about 4 or 5 items (trust me- it's way harder than you might imagine).

I know it seems sacrilegious to set a limit with all that bounty, but the buffet will still be there the next day. Be sure to include a good deal of healthy veggies and a dose of healthy fat as well as a bit of protein and carbs (complex if you have the choice). Having said that, you can survive with some nutrition-devoid white carbs for a few days. Your quinoa at home will forgive you.

2. Go to a restaurant instead of a buffet. If you do have the choice to have a sit-down, fixed meal, that is the better choice. But beware the kind waitress- she will bring you roll after roll and offer you extras to make you happy, so realize that it isn’t fail-proof. We accidentally stumbled upon a good strategy this trip: Order a boat-load (eek) of steamed veggies on the side. We got this every night. Sure, we ate other less-than-healthy foods (hello Beef Wellington), but the veggies helped to get in some vitamins and fiber to fill us up.

3. Don’t stuff yourself silly. I know that it sounds obvious to many of you, but when I was 90 pounds heavier than today, I thought that the “normal” way to walk away from a meal was Thanksgiving-Day-lay-down-on-the-couch-and-unbutton-pants-stuffed. This was simply unhealthy. The Japanese have a word (Hara Hachi Bu, FYI) for feeling 80% full- and for the Japanese, it's a goal for which to strive. Personally, some days I might be satisfied with less, some days more. You know when you pass that point of hunger satiation. Don't pass it too far. We all do this from time to time: let out a huge sigh after we've just finished a meal. Chances are that we ate too much. Once in a while, that's fine. Not daily.

4. Stay hydrated. Really, you do not need to chug your weight in water, but it’s nice that they do have water and iced tea dispensers in the buffet areas.

5. Move as much as your body will let you. Sometimes you need a day off. Or two or five. I have always found it incredibly helpful to move my arse most days of a cruise. Whether it’s walking around the 'promenade' deck (a deck that encourages walking round and round) or an all-out gym-sweat-fest, I recommend that you do something. I often have to force myself to get to the gym (especially if I’m jet-lagged like this last vacay) , but I feel 100% better once I’m done.

Dad and Derek walking the Promenade Deck

Twice I did my go-to lazy-girls' workout...it's the In-Room No-weight L&S (Lunge n Squat) routine. This is a handy workout if you don't feel like being in public or even putting on decent workout clothes (or any at all for that matter). You will have a drip-fest and very sore glutes & quads the next day. All you need is about 20-45 minutes and about 5 feet of clear space in front of you.

New ships have full service gyms- this one had all major cardio and strength equiptment (except the revolving staircase) as well as Swiss Balls, a Bosu, stretch bands, 6-pound medicine balls and free weights. Keep in mind that a workout does not provide carte blanche to have an eating free-for-all, but it keeps you in the healthy mind-set and it’s good for your ticker and muscles.

I decided to give 100% effort but limit my time at the gym... I used to spend and hour of cardio and then lift weights: way too much! As Janetha said in this guest post, you can't out-train a bad diet.

6. Take the stairs. (assuming you have no medical issues with this). Some of these new ships have more than a dozen floors! That’s a workout in itself! I have a Stairs-Only rule on ships: I limit my use of elevators...even when playing "Dress-up".

Once on vacay with a girlfriend who knew about my Stairs-Only rule, I hopped into an elevator to go down to the bottom floor. She looked astounded and exclaimed “WHAT ABOUT YOUR 'STAIRS-ONLY' RULE!?!” I replied **“I make exceptions for going down”. You can imagine that comment became the TWSS comment of the trip. ;-)

Look! I practice what I preach- I'm climbing the stairs, even while playing "Dress-up!"

PS. I burned about 25 cals for each trip from the public rooms to our room (yes, I wore my heart rate monitor one day just to learn that fact). We are constantly "running up to the room" in between meals and activities. Tell me that doesn't add up over the course of a day!

7. Don’t “save” your calories for later. This strategy can backfire big-time. Just eat your normal brekkie , don't skip meals or snacks. Don’t go starved to any meal or you’ll find yourself face-planted in the bread basket. If you’re at the buffet you’ll take waaayyyyy more food than you really want or need. How to avoid pre-meal starvation? See #8…

{SORRY SGET readers to leave you hanging, but obviously I've got way too much to say about this topic for one measly post. Therefore I decided to break it down into two segments. Now go tackle the rest of your GoogleReader and I'll see you tomorrow for part II, and have a great day!!}

Deb

Some more bits of Advice...modified from The Happiness Project

Confession from SmoothieGirl: I lifted this article right out of a blog I read called The Happiness Project. Believe it or not (hubs believes!) I'm not really a Mary Poppins by nature and I have to really 'work' to see the glass as half-full rather than half-empty. (In fact, she is lovingly called "Mary Friggin Poppins" in our casa)...That is why I get T.H.P. RSS'd into my inbox daily.

Since the last few weeks has been filled with smart advice from my brilliant Guesties and this popped into my mailbox on wednesday morning, I felt like it was 'meant to be'. So I am sharing it with you, my beloved SGET readers. In true SmoothieGirl fashion, I'm adding my 2-cents and a health & fitness spin as well in green.

Excellent Tips for Living that My Parents Gave Me...from Gretchin Rubin

(Deb's note: I shortened it a bit...to see her original post, click here)

"Every Wednesday is Tip Day at The Happiness Project.
This Wednesday: Eight excellent tips for living my parents gave me."
--

"Stay calm"

Deb's take: don't panic at the disco, or the buffet. Take deep breaths and make smart choices. In yoga, holding difficult positions requires calm and deep breathing. This also applies to life in general. Try it.

--

“The things that go wrong often make the best memories.”

Deb's take: You may not remember that perfect Thanksgiving Meal from 2004, but you will remember when the turkey burned to a crisp on Thanksgiving 2005 and you had to go out for Turkey Burritos instead. Try to laugh it off. Is it ever really that bad?

--

"You like to have a few things that you really like, instead of lots of choices."

Deb's take: Very true with menus and food choices. Huge menus can overwhelm, especially if you are in an indecisive mood (brekkie or lunch; savory or sweet?). Sometimes it's nice to be given just a few selections... then your little brain doesn't spew smoke from having too much choice. Dad and I have expressed relief when handed a very simple menu. This really does only work if you can be flexible with your diet and don't have too many food restrictions or sensitivities.

"Be grateful, because you worked hard for what you got, and you deserved it, but others also worked hard, and people don’t always get what they deserve.”

Deb's take: Yup, you can diet your little brain out and do cardio til the cows come home, but not lose a pound. Or you can eat clean and still have high-cholesterol. Sometimes life sucks like that. Lesson learned: try hard and do your absolute best. That is the most we can ever ask of ourselves. If something isn't working, change it- do weights, change your diet a bit...see if changes help. And realize that the world still isn't always fair.

--“If you’re willing to take the blame, people will give you the responsibility.”

Deb's take: We all make mistakes, no matter how old or young. If we own up to them, at least we get the respect for being honest- with ourselves and others.

--“Enjoy the process.”

Deb's take: Goals are terrific, but you will definitely get more out of life if you enjoy the steps it takes to reach those goals. Try to enjoy cooking a healthy meal, or that Bootcamp class you are about to take. If you don't dread things that you need to do, life is better.

--“All you have to do is put on your running shoes and let the front door shut behind you.”

Deb's take: I do agree with this, but balance is key. As someone always striving to achieve a sense of balance and normalcy, I know that some days my body doesn't want to do a darn thing. Other days, you couldn't hold me back if you tried. Listen to your body. I TRY to listen to mine.

(yes, this is where the SmoothieMoving Magic starts) :-D Love my squeaky sneaks- they actually squeak so people giggle as I walk past! Oh well, they are comfy!

Finally, Gretchin's advice about relationships...

--My mother said: “In a relationship, it’s important that a person is kind, because eventually, if he’s not kind to other people, he won’t be kind to you.”

--My father said: “In a relationship, it’s important that a person be able to have fun, because you’re not going to have a happy life with someone who can’t have fun.”

Deb's take: who can argue with that!?

Tomorrow I will give you my spin on how to enjoy a vacation and not destroy your healthy-living lifestyle...

Do you guys find that happiness comes naturally or do you need to "work" at it? Have you ever read The Happiness Project? Are there any Non-guesties who have some great pieces of advice to share with SGET readers??

Pad Thai Smoothie

(haven't I mentioned that cat hair is good for the digestion?)

The Bangin' Bangkok: aka Drink your Pad Thai


Don't get all judgmental on me now! Don't knock it til you try it!

Ingredients:

• Water (~12 oz) , Handful Ice, Xanthan Gum (very small sprinkle) & Guar Gum (small sprinkle)
• Squirt of Sriracha Vietnamese hot sauce (or other hot sauce)
• T Peanut Butter
• Sprinkle Stevia
• Tsp Sesame Oil
• Scoop of Protein Powder
• 1/2 tub lite firm Tofu (or any kind of tofu)
• Chopped peanuts to sprinkle on top

Sorry, no photo of the finished product as it was consumed from an ugly plastic container on the way out of Gold's Gym. Truth be known, I was a tad nervous about this one...I thought it would be kinda gross, especially as my post-workout drink in the morning but it was really yummy, honest. The sriracha doesn't have a "flavor" in this shake, it just adds a kick. The blend of the nutty (PB), toasty (sesame) and sweet (stevia) really melded well together and consequently, I loved it. You don't need the spice if it's not your thang. I dare you to make it. Make that a double dog dare!

Flashback Friday- The Aunt Rhoda BIRTHDAY edition!

Flashback Friday!

Hello SGET readers! Those of you who have been reading the bloggie while I was away will know about my fabulous Aunt Rhoda. If you do not, click here to read her wonderful advice and world famous zucchini boat "non" recipe (as she calls it!).

I am so lucky that Aunt Rhoda lives near me in the Los Angeles area now. This enables us to go to sushi or Indian lunches together on a regular basis. I can assure you that this is one of my favorite past-times.

As it turns out it was her BIRTHDAY on Wednesday and we are doing a Birthday Blowout Weekend for her this weekend, which will be so much fun!

Here is a trip down memory lane with my beautiful, wise, sweet and always thoughtful Aunt Rhoda or as I have always called her "Annie Rhoda"! Awwwww!

Classic Beach Beauty- Rhoda on the left- my Mom on the right

Rhoda on the left at my Bro, Steven and SIL Arizbe's wedding 2000, Uncle Carl on right

Annie Rho with Charlotte (in the cat tree) and Steven, my bro

Me, Annie Rho and Arizbe (my SIL, being a ham!!!!) ;-)

Uncle Carl and Annie Rhoda in Arley...English countryside for our 10-year wedding reunion

Annie Rho and U. Carl disembark from the train- we had our reception on the train in our 10-yr reunion as well as our original English wedding (future FBF no doubt!)

Annie Rho and bro, Steve-o-rino

Annie Rhoda cuddles my furbaby, Samantha

Beauty and Grace

Annie Rhoda at her wedding with my Dad, Marty. 2000

Current photo of the happy couple...Annie Rhoda and Uncle Carl.

Kisses and Hugs to the birthday Girl! MUUAAAHHH!!!

Why I'm glad I ditched my Blender on Vacay

For those of you who may not know the clinical insanity that is my relationship with blenders, I will give you a very quick summary: Quite simply, I’m obsessed with blenders. That’s why I’m SmoothieGirl. For the past several years, I have made 1-2 shakes for breakfast/pre- and post-workout, and usually another one later in the day as a “tide-me-over” snack that is very, very filling and satisfying (not to mention yummy-licious).

We have traveled by ship a few times and lo and behold- the cabins have American power outlets! Halleluja, the angels sing! So I have schlepped my blender with me time and time again. Let me just assure you that it is no small task.

Oh, the blender is rather small- it's a Back to Basics, and the blending container is also the drinking container- nice and convenient, right? Not when you are taking it on planes and having a zillion other things to pack.

In my recent attempt to move toward some sense of eating “normalcy”, I decided at the 11th hour of packing for the latest trip on October 8th, 2009 to try something wildly different. I would abandon my blender and pray that it would not make me abandon ship.

Here is the result of my little experiment….



6 reasons I’m glad I ditched my blender on vacay (Janetha gets bonus points for actually noticing that I included 7 reasons and not 6-that's one smart cookie!):

1. Ice ice Baby

I cannot tell you what a pleasure it was to be free from the constant tackling of our poor, unsuspecting room steward for buckets (literally) of ice every.single.day.and.night. Once a room steward actually pulled my husband aside and asked him, “What does she DO with all that ice?” Talk about embarrassing :-/.

2. TSA Terror

No, I am not a terrorist. But that did not stop me from sweating bullets (remember the scene from airplane when he's trying to land the plane and sweat was pouring off him like from a hose? Yeah, kinda like that) every time I walked through Security with my blender and blade attachments (you’re CU-RAZY if you think I’m checking THAT in my baggage and risk LOSS of my bag!). TSA always, ALWAYS insisted upon searching my bag after x-ray and a lengthy interrogation. I was lucky that they never confiscated anything but it didn’t stop my heart from racing every single time. After a while I learned to just hand them the most dangerous-looking parts and tell them exactly what it was for. “Hi I’m Deb and I’m a Smoothie-Holic”………………”Hi Deb”.

3. Do not Disturb

I was always terribly concerned that I would awaken or alarm our neighbors, so I had an elaborate home-made “sound tunnel” in which I blended my shakes. Sure, it may have looked like an ordinary canvas carry-on travel-bag, but it served as the “Cone of Silence” on many a trip. Once I forgot my “Cone of Silence” and had to resort to running the hair-dryer while blending my smoothie….you know, so the neighbors would think I was doing my hair. Then, I actually had to do my hair! When I stepped out of the room, they looked at me with such disappointment...'just a modified bob? We were thinking Dolly Parton or Amy Winehouse!'

4. Water, water everywhere

Well, in order to make a shake, I had to procure lots of water. Either that meant buying it ($refinancing the house, hello!) or taking it from dispensers in the food court or gym. Why did I feel like a common criminal taking water?! Even if I worked out in the gym where I was topping up my Sigg, didn’t I somehow EARN it?!

5. Baggies, lots of baggies (but not THAT kind)

Oh man, the baggies: two or three kinds of protein powder (what if I wanted chocolate and not vanilla, soy and not whey?), then of course the xanthan gum, guar gum, , PB2, Cinnamon, Cacao Nibs, cooked and dehydrated wheatberries, cooked and dehydrated rhubarb (yes, really), stevia. The list goes on. If I told you that my blender had its own little carry-on bag, I would not be lying.

6. Hygiene- I’m a fan

The fact that I constantly used blender containers meant that I needed to do some washing up. Let me just say that having the bathroom double as a kitchen was LESS than thrilling for someone who is quite fond of keeping bacteria and viruses (spirochetes and fungi too) away from her person as much as possible. While as fastidious as possible, the ick-factor was starting to get to me.

7. You’re Cold as Ice

(Not to be confused with #1 Ice Ice baby), I have noticed that I am no longer frrrrreeeeezing everywhere I go, all the time. In the past, I complained that ships (and all public places for that matter) go totally overboard (sorry) on the A/C. There’s an energy crisis, people, let’s embrace 78-degrees okay? I have been well-trained to carry one scarf and a sweater or jacket on my person at all times. After about 3 days sans blender/smoothie, I realized that I was dragging all of my spare clothes around the ship and never actually using them. My theory: I’m not ingesting 3 pounds of ice per day- surely that would have an effect on core body temp, no?

Six reasons I had Blender-Separation Issues:

I haven’t gone all Pollyana on you, and in all honesty, there WAS a downside to not taking my lil’ Blender…In no particular order, here are my top 6 reasons I missed my Blender on Vacay:



Ready?



Here they are…





1. Hunger
2. Hunger
3. Hunger
4. Hunger
5. Hunger
6. Hunger



‘Nuff said.

Bottom Line:

It’s nice to be able to know that I can survive without the Blender (really, really nice!), but it really, truly does help me with my afternoon hunger. I didn't seem to be suffering in the mornings, when I normally would ingest two shakes...food for thought (shameless and unstoppable punster at work).

So there you have it. It’s still a love-hate relationship.

AND SOME THANKS ARE IN ORDER!!!

How sweet is Averie from Loves Veggies and Yoga to send me a lovely care-package? I got some vegan macaroons, flax balls (donut holes) and PB drops- do you notice a few small bites have been taken?! Must test them ya'know! :-) Thank you for the time and effort to send these Averie!



And this next one was from my sweet friend Lara from Thinspired who I met up with in the UK over vacay...SUCH a great idea: coffee infused hazelnut spread! Can't wait to replicate this pup in my V-mix when I run out! Thank you Lara!



And the next one: Thank you for not infecting me with H1N1, the Croup, the Plague or whatever it is that you have, Luvie. Notice how he's wearing a mask like the Japanese do...seriously genius- I wish we did this in the states. In Japan, it is TOTALLY COMMON to see people wearing masks when they are sick. It is to protect the people who are NOT sick. Love that.

Notice Sam is mid-meow. Why do I love taking photos of cats mid-meow? My college roomie says it's because they look like they are ROARING!! I am Kitty, hear me ROAR! :-D




Is there anything that you absolutely must travel with when you go on a trip?