Board #1: Kiwi

Every week my husband and I try to pick a different "fruit of the week" in order to get a little variety in our grocery shopping.  This week we bought kiwis...and I decided to do inspiration boards to get pumped up about food...so here's my first one for kiwi.

Kiwi is extra special because I actually just started eating kiwi for the first time about 3 months ago.  Yep, I went 28 years without eating a kiwi.  Why? Because I didn't like the way kiwi flavored candy tasted, so I assumed the real fruit was gross too.  Then, 3 months ago I felt a UTI coming on so I went to my husband's shop to see if I could get some cranberry juice.  One of the girls who works there suggested kiwis since they are also a good food to eat when you have a UTI.  I was never aware of this!  Well, the girl had already cut up some kiwi and put it on a plate for me and I didn't want to look like an asshole so I stuck a little teaspoon into the soft, furry fruit, scooped out a little green chunk, and was totally....shocked. It was so delicious!  I really just couldn't believe how sweet and tasty it was.  I was so pissed at myself for avoiding these for so long.  What an idiot.  Needless to say, since then I have been buying a lot of kiwis (we also like to put them in the green smoothies!) Kiwis have become one of my favorite fruits actually.  Who would have guessed.  And after the kiwi, 100% pure cranberry juice (blargh) and different teas, I prevented a UTI! The very next day I felt better again.  Insane.

Top row from left: chocolate covered kiwi pops, kiwi fruit cupcakes
Row 2: kiwi and hazelnut spread crepes, kiwi coladas
Row 3: kiwis, kiwi sorbet

orange peelers

Ok i briefly did a little google search for some peelers.  This is all I came up with...still not totally motivated to start eating oranges all the time






If anyone has a better peeler please share XD

Clementines

I have nothing against oranges.  I think they taste great..and I love everything orange flavored.  However, I don't really eat oranges.  Why?  Because I'm lazy.  They are too hard to peel.  And when I do peel them, I get sticky hands.

Actually that reminds me I should check out some orange peeling helpers on the net...I know they are out there..maybe some cool tupperware thing or "as seen on tv" contraption.  But anyways, I wanted to say that a good solution for the time being for me is clementines.  I only started eating them because my husband bought them last month...and he would peel them and give me a few pieces.  Then I graduated to peeling my own and saw how much easier they were to peel than oranges!  And they are smaller so peel-time is decreased.  Plus, less mess.  Ya!!

So if you are like me and hate the hassle of oranges and don't have access to a nifty orange peeler...give clementines a try

Smoothies vs. Juicing

With the topic of smoothies still weighing on my mind this morning, I started reading a bit about the differences between benefits in juicing and smoothie-making.  Which is better?  Well from what it seems, they are both good, but for different things:

SMOOTHIES
-keep you fuller longer because of the fiber.  they take longer to digest. can act as a whole meal by adding lots of different stuff
-we all know why fiber is good...
-sugar is absorbed slower so your blood sugar level and energy remain stable
-they last longer in the fridge than juice
-cost less (takes less fruit to make a smoothie than juice)
-promote weight loss since you stay fuller longer

JUICE
-good for cleansing, and when you need an energy kick
-super easy to digest since there is no fiber, and that means you get your nutrients faster
-doesn't keep you full very long
-contains high level of antioxidants to help fight aging
-costs more than smoothies as you need more fruit to make the juice

So it seems like juice is great for when you want to give your body a break from digesting, and give yourself a quick boost of nutrients and energy...a great pick me up and cleanser as well.  And smoothies are good for when you want a full meal in an easy and quick way...and you have a lot of creative freedom to make combine different ingredients.

It seems from this information, that I will have to invest in both a blender AND a juicer...when we move to the new house of course ;)  Ahhh I can't wait.

Green smoothies

Luckily for me, my husband works at a vegan shop, which means I get lots of free and discounted vegan foods! My favorite, by far, is going in and getting a green smoothie (which I did today as well).  Our kitchen at home is pretty pathetic...we don't really have many tools to helps us make all the foods we could be making.  If you can believe it, we only have one pot.  How we've managed to go for this long with only one pot, or why we have gone this long with only one pot are questions I'm not sure I can answer O_o  But, we also don't have such luxuries as blenders.  This I can say is because unfortunately, since we are planning on moving to another country this year, we really can't buy extra stuff.  So, no smoothies at home..for now, smoothies at the shop will have to do! (We dream of the day we have our new kitchen and a nice shiny blender, rice cooker, and loads of other awesome kitchen stuff.  Netflix too.  And Whole Foods).  

Ok, so back to the point.  Green smoothies...are...AWESOME.  I am a lazy eater.  I eat junk and fast food whenever possible.  Very little greens.  I hate eating salads too.  So, the green smoothie is a life saver.  And it's sooo easy to make.  And.. I swear, I crave these things.  I feel better after drinking them, physically and mentally.  They just make me happy.  We usually just throw in spinach and whatever fruits are lying around (apple, kiwi, pineapple, banana) into the blender, along with a bit of water, and bam: delicious, healthy heaven in a cup.  It's that simple.  Here's some health info I found on incrediblesmoothies.com:

-Natural weight loss

-Increased consumption of fruits and veggies (particularly greens)

-Easier digestibility and nutrient assimilation

-Antioxidants

-Increased energy

-Mental clarity and focus

-Increased fiber intake

-Clearer skin

-Reduces cravings

-Rich with chlorophyll

-Helps maintain proper alkaline balance in body

You can change what you put in your smoothie according to your needs (weight loss, energy, calcium or iron rich, detox, improve digestion, etc).  Just do a little research on the net to find some recipes and start feeling the difference with these amazing drinks!