My green smoothie blog was originally created for a number of reasons including to celebrate my countdown to my 44th birthday! I create a 44-day challenge for myself to make a new green smoothie each day for the 44 days. While I created the challenge for me, I found that many people had decided to take on the challenge as well.
While the live challenge has now passed, I invite you to consider taking on the 44-day green smoothie challenge now. Simply go back to posts starting in September 2008 and you can participate day-to-day.
I challenged myself to come up with and make 44 unique green smoothies by the end of 2008. Check out the overview video.
Why I did it?
1) I’m a big greenie fan and I’m looking for the ULTIMATE green smoothie that all ages will love
2) I want to help make green smoothies more accessible – bring greenies to the masses and help with the greening of America if you will … maybe I’ll even get my dogs Oso and Kona to try one!
3) I’m curious to see how the daily greenie will impact my diet (I love greenies, but currently don’t drink them daily)
4) I thought it would be fun – share with existing and new friends, integrate a bit of my life and travels into the challenge … just mix it up a bit!
Why 44 Days?
Well, I was 43 and turned 44 in early ‘09 – I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate this double-digit birthday by having a whole bunch of new green smoothie recipes to leverage moving forward ;-)
Please participate!
I’d love to get your comments, feedback and suggestions on future smoothies and juices. Also, would love to hear about your favorite juice bars or restaurants where you have found green smoothies. You can post on the blog or send me email at amya@vitalself.com.
Green Smoothie Basics
–”greens” such as kale, spinach, chard, lettuce are what a green smoothie green
–it’s a good idea to get a blender that is powerful & can blend up the greens so well you can’t see or taste any green chunks – I’ve heard good things about Blendtec, but I LOVE my Vita-mix –it can tackle pretty much any and all veggies.
–have a colander close by for washing all your greens and fruits
–have a cutting board
–keep a good amount of organic fruits in your freezer(blueberries, raspberries, mangoes, mixed, etc.—-frozen fruit: it’s not a problem to buy organic frozen fruit … it will make your smoothie colder and have a creamier consistency)
–get some flax oil or flax seed (Omegas) I’ll be using this a bunch throughout the 44 days – if you already take daily fish oil, you can skip this
–always blend fruit first and then add greens (blends nicely this way & allows you to add the greens to your liking …test as you go)
–add more greens as you go: if green smoothies are new to you, start with fewer greens than I do and add more as you get used to it
–if you want to make your green smoothie thinner, add more water … if you like thick … add less or none at all (I like mine thinner, so I always add 1 cup or more of water in all of my smoothies)
–freezing your fruit: if you have a lot of fruit and you are afraid that it may go bad, simple cut up and put in an airtight bag or container. It’s a good idea to peel your bananas first, other fruit – take out pits, seeds as needed prior to freezing
–you may want to try “green bags” – they help to absorb the gases which help your fruit and veggies keep longer. I had heard mixed results, but they seem to help. They are usually in the produce area. Make sure everything is dry before you put into bags – – you can use them 8-10x before you need to get new ones. I find mine at Wholefoods.
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