St. Patrick's Day...EAT GREEN!!!! (With some green smoothie recipes)

When St. Patrick's Day comes around each year, the "Irish" comes out in all of us! Today I'm sporting some lime green capris that I'm pretty sure won't be seen any other day this year. But on St. Patricks Day, if it's green, it works!

What about food? I'm all for adding a bit of green food coloring to "green" up your morning eggs or waffles. But why not have a GREEN meal without the food coloring?

Here are a few of my favorite green foods...add some to your plate tonight:

Granny Smith Apples
Green Grapes
Avocados (guacamole!)
Asparagus
Broccoli
Green Beans
Spinach
Kale
Cucumber
Zucchini
Sweet Peas
Kiwi Fruit
Limes
Green Peppers
Honeydew Melon

Here are a few GREEN (literally) smoothie/whole juice recipes:

CREAMY CUCUMBER JUICE
1/2 cup lowfat plain yogurt
3 cups green grapes
1/2 cup cucumber (with or without peel, chopped)
1 stalk celery cut into 3-inch pieces
Optional--1 oz. Wheat grass
1/2 cup ice

Blend away! The grapes really make it sweet, and surprisingly good!

GREEN GIANT VEGETABLE JUICE
1/4 cup water
3 cups green grapes
1/2 cucumber--peeled
1/2 cup frozen or fresh sweet peas
1 stalk celery--cut into 3-inch pieces
1/2 cup broccoli

Put all ingredients in blender, and blend! As long as you remember this is a VEGETABLE juice, it's actually really good. The grapes add the needed sweetness.

Lime Kiwi Smoothie
2 kiwis-peeled
1 large pear-seeded
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup ice

Add everything to blender, mix, and enjoy!!!

What are your St. Patty's Day traditions?

Oat-tastic Smoothie and More...

I've already established my love for all things smoothie...including my fabulous blender. And I REALLY love that so many of you share my love! I've received some reader mail with more amazing smoothie creations that I'm passing on to you....you'll thank me later! (Thanks, Mindy, Aly, and Laura!) One of these days, I'll be really organized and will take pictures. But for now, blend away!

Sugar-Free Oat Smoothie

1 1/4 cups strawberries, halved

1/2 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1/4 teaspoon sugar substitute

2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 1/2 tablespoons oat bran

1 tablespoon sugar-free pancake syrup

1/4 cup ice cubes

Combine the strawberries, yogurt, sugar substitute, dry milk, walnuts, oat bran, syrup, and ice cubes. Blend until smooth and frothy. Pure heaven, people!

Protein Smoothie

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup orange juice

4 frozen strawberries

1/2 packet of single serving size crystal light lemonade powder

1 large heaping scoop of vanilla protein powder (it doesn't matter which brand...just look for low sugar)

Blend until thick and smooth! This is a great post-workout drink!

Green Smoothie (Kale Apple Grape)

1/3- 1/2 bunch of Kale (any variety)
1-2 Apples: fuji, jonagold, golden, red- as long as they are ripe
1 cup Grapes: red or green, as long as they are sweet.
1 cup water

1 Banana &/or a squeeze of lemon to balance the flavor.

Blend well. Great way to get you green, leafy veggies in!

Thanks, ladies! Have a recipe you want to share? Leave it here, or e-mail us! (FitMePink at gmail dot com). And come back tomorrow for a PB giveaway!