The Green Smoothie

Okay, I am going to go a little "dietitian" on you all right now. I know many of you forgot I am one, what with all of my dessert and candy-loving talk. But I did spend a significant portion of my life studying the lovely topic of nutrition and healthy eating, so I feel that I must share my latest health idea with you. Mind you, I tend to shy away from things like this. So when 2 of my sisters-in-law told me about the Green Smoothie I admit I scoffed at first. But now I am a whole-hearted Green Smoothie drinker. I have provided this lovely picture of what I put into my green smoothies. I feel it is a delicate balance between healthy and disgusting-- I have only dared to stray from my original recipe once with horrifyingly disgusting results. So now I just stick with this:

1/2 banana (frozen)
1/4 cup blueberries (frozen)
5 whole strawberries (frozen)
1 3/4 cup very cold water
2.5 cups spinach

It looks disgusting, but I promise it is not. I got my sister (also a dietitian) on board. This is important now-- I AM NOT drinking this exclusively. No way. I drink this in the morning with my breakfast and later around 3:00 when I am craving a snack. All it is, is a healthy way to get a quick 5-ish servings of fruits and veggies in for busy people. This is the nutrition breakdown:

110 kcals
3.5 g protein
5.3 g fiber
90 mg calcium
2.5 mg iron
And a ton of vitamins and phytochemicals I didn't feel like listing.

If I haven't sold you I have one more pro-green smoothie thing to add. Since I have been drinking these my skin is softer and my hands don't crack and bleed in the cold. I'm serious! So there you have it. Take it or leave it :)

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas....

A little vintage




Some live poinsettias


Some homemade (eat your heart out Anthropologie, I saved $48 by making these myself!)


A fake tree decorated by Yours Truly


A real live tree with ornaments brought to you by expert sewer Marin Moncur (oh, the smell is yummy!)




Some live White Pine and Boxwood


And don't forget the wreath (I made the bow out of burlap-- copied straight from my Pottery Barn magazine)!


Candy Cane Cocoa (Courtney, you'll appreciate the alliteration) for the neighbors


And, of course, stockings (because, Merry Christmas to me, Pottery Barn had free monogramming and shipping!)


SO BRING ON SANTA! THE MONCURS ARE READY!

Friday Confessional #5

I am getting ornery in my old age. This is an e-mail I just sent to Gap:

I received this in an e-mail this evening:

"Recently, we notified you that we processed a return for Order #154YRTS. Please note that the return policy for merchandise purchased online is 45 days from the date of purchase. You’re a valued customer and we want you to be happy with the service we provide, so we have processed this return as a courtesy."

I just wanted to note that the reason for the return is that I was sent an item I did not order. I ordered some jeans for my daughter and was sent a "slim" size by mistake, so I exchanged them. I expect this situation to be an exception to the regular return policy in place. The order may have been made over 45 days ago, but I would not have had to return the item if I had not been sent the wrong one in the first place. Thank you for processing the return.

Sincerely,

Cara Moncur

I feel that I must explain. First I waited for Gap to ship me the right pants. It took forever. Then Gap sent me the wrong pants, and in order for me to exchange them I had to buy new ones and send the old ones back. By the time I got the new ones, it was right around Thanksgiving, so I sent them back when I got home from Wyoming. Apparently this process took more than 45 days. So I got this snotty little e-mail and I had to retaliate. Oh I'm so assertive* am I not?

*I think about 75% of the time "assertive" is code for grouchy :)