I've been obsessed with making blended smoothy drinks lately.

Do you make them- have any super awesome recipe blends that rock your world??

It began about a month ago. I had a desire for a chocolate milkshake. After consumption, although tasty, I felt generally "bleh". Yet I was still kind of in the mood for that taste/texture again a few days later. Well, I happened to be in a rush, and having not eaten, I intended to go to a drive-through restaurant. I also lacked sleep the night before, therefor needed caffeine too. While in my car looking at my immediate options, I decided to head to a Starbucks drive-through. My intention was strictly coffee, but I decided to give their Vivanno (banana, milk, whey protein and fiber blended together with Naked brand juice or Chocolate shot) a try. The "banana-chocolate" with a shot of espresso seemed to be a perfect solution to what I needed- a bit of sustenance and caffeine. My taste buds found it simple and yummy and it 'hit the spot'. Another time, I tried the "orange-mango-banana" with added Matcha; again, I enjoyed this simple concoction. I wanted more and wanted them every day, sometimes more than once. These drinks were becoming preferred over regular meals. On a side note, when I get into a specific taste/texture kick, it is all I want for several days on end.

Since I eat bananas, yogurt and other fruits on a daily basis and usually also usually have a drink made of juice and 'greens' (Barleans Greens ) and on occasion, any sort of meal-replacement powder mix (not for weight loss, but for nutrition when I don't want to eat, or to bridge the gap in nutrients when I think I need the extra vits/protein/fiber), I had the non original idea to blend those items together at home.

It is actually easier to blend all these items together and have it at once, than to incorporate them at different times throughout the day. I'm lazy like that. Sometimes eating is a chore. Sometimes it is all I want to do. Sure it takes more time to create a 'smoothy', but it is a welcome routine, a few minutes to center myself in the morning and again later on, if I wish. A mini-ceremony, if that makes sense.

My fave is blending together a medium banana, ice, milk (soy/skim, whatever i have), chocolate slim-fast powder (vitamins, protein, fiber, good strong chocolate taste--still searching for other taste/price/nutrient options), toasted wheat bran and instant coffee. (making espresso shots was an added effort I didn't want to engage in daily-- experimented with instant coffee, and it provides a genuine caffeine kick and pleasant balancing taste). Sometimes the milk is replaced with yogurt or more specifically black-cherry yogurt for a primarily cherry-chocolate taste. The banana flavor recedes with this option.

other concoctions include adding 'greens' to a banana/milk/ice/juice blend. Or adding other fruits (pineapple, blueberry, mango). I have tried various mixtures, all of which have turned out pretty yummy and nutritious. More ice makes for a thicker blend, which is my preference. I don't measure anything-- just 'eyeball' it. My boyfriend is often the recipient of these creations, which he accepts with amusement.

Adding a little bit of green tea is nice as well. I love maccha (or matcha), (WIKIPEDIA - Matcha)
but have only ordered it online.

I would like to find it locally. I like a high grade drinking maccha. The closest has been a drinking maccha-sencha blend from the asian market on Sheridan. Anyone know of a local retailer? Maybe I haven't looked hard enough as I rarely head into stores.

Alright, I'm off to create something else. The cooler weather makes me want to make soup too.

Have a good one, peeps!

(e:ladycroft) !!!

Happy HAPPY HAPPY 33rd Birthday! woOooOoOOooO!






Hope you have a wonderful day my friend! miss you!

• hugs*

And a few added thoughts on Chrome since last post:
Some of the things people like about Chrome, I find highly displeasing. I don't want snapshots of recently closed tabs to be displayed and listed on another page. I don't want a list of where I have recently been listed on a page. I don't want my bookmarks nor my browsing history to be used to autofill or suggest where I may want to go next in my browsing experience. Clearing history and browsing data is one thing, in terms of privacy, but having to look at, navigate around all that in a current session is visually annoying. Google also makes "suggestions" within the address bar outside of history and bookmarks, another visual annoyance. This is similar with Firefox, yet, I had used "about:config" to alter things to my liking with it. I am sure at some point, after the Beta version, Chrome will be configurable. Right now, there is little to be found (for this purpose) in the DLLs.
However, there is the option to use an "incognito window".. which does not keep track of anything privacy-wise. Google's auto suggest prevails in the address bar though.
"You've gone incognito. Pages you view in this window won't appear in your browser history or search history, and they won't leave other traces, like cookies, on your computer after you close the incognito window. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be preserved, however."

or is that gSold.

I just downloaded Google's browser, Chrome (beta). I have to try it. I can't not try it.

Posting here is the first act that I am engaging in with it.

Outside of browser use, which is normally Firefox, I tend to use all things Yahoo. However, over time, especially this past year or so, I have used less of yahoo and have increased my use of all things Google. There, I said it. I have always been both skeptical of and fascinated by Google. I can't seem to NOT pay attention to what is going on with them. I initially took on a beta gmail account a few years ago because my curiosity pertaining to the nature of their business along with the ever increasing privacy issues led me to want to experiment first hand (my concerns, among other things, was that Google was getting their proverbial hands into everything, heh).
While I still don't use it much for personal email, I use it consistently for subscriptions and business related projects.

But it was a starting point, a path to the dark side, a buying into a sort of monopoly; a growing reticence towards, 'all Google, all the time'. I don't search things, I "google" them. I don't check my email, I check my "gmail". Also, little by little I am using less of Map Quest and more of Google Maps. My homepage for several years used to be a highly personalized yahoo page, replete with news, science, comics, how-to's, movie listings and anything else I could possibly want. But I strayed to iGoogle (still customizable, but not necessarily 'better' than Yahoo, although I dig the simplicity of the way it looks, as is Googles schtick), but I had to try it, and I have stayed with it so far. I was bought.

so I've been dispensing systematically various web experiences for something Google related. First it was for gmail, then iGoogle, now Chrome.

What next, my first born?



So now I'm off to play with my shiny new browser. I rather hope it is a good experience, as Firefox 3 hasn't been terribly impressive so far.

anyone loving-hating Chrome?

Please Please Please Please PLEASE don't rain (much) this weekend.

Please!

I, along with (e:pyrcedgrrl) are having a monster garage sale at my place. This happens to piggyback on the Annual "Ten Mile Garage Sale" throughout Lewiston, Youngstown, Porter, Sanborn and part of Ransomville. This wasn't planned, as we had originally set the date for Memorial Day weekend, but neither one of us were anywhere close to being ready-- still aren't really, as there is still so much to clean, organize, set up, price, etc, but we'll get there. We have to! We have an ad in the paper along with a few online. One of which is CL.


So it should be an entertaining weekend (Friday 10-6, Saturday/Sunday 9-3. Early birds pay double!) I need to stock up on munchies and coffee. Or maybe a pitcher of icey mojitos, given the high temps that have been foretasted. Wow, I have never had a garage sale on my own. I used to help out with ones growing up, but the last one was in my early twenties, and by that point, I thought it pretty much sucked. It's only now, that I have decided to really clear out my home environment that it made sense to have a sale like this again. I'm glad to have a partner in this endeavor. I want to have FUN! So yes, it should be crazy big. It's the end result of mass accumulation over the years. So not only our stuff, but some added family items too.

Although selling is familiar to me, the garage sale format really isn't, any advice for this novice?

ok, gotta back to prepping for the sale.

Have a good one, peeps!

I have so much to catch up on.. but I'm just checking in to say that I am alive. Thanks to those who have inquired...

I haven't been writing much anywhere, for quite some time now. Strangely, I have done some writing with a.. PEN.. on PAPER. weird, right? Needed to vent and process through various things that which I would not air in public. Anyway, I've noticed to my dismay (and some amusement) that my penmanship has greatly deteriorated since embracing the electronic journal format some 7 years ago and even more so since joining estrip,almost three years ago. haha.

so yes, a monster post will need to be hammered out, if only for my own records.. prosperity and all.

again, proof of life ;)

Taken at Pointbreeze, Carlton NY 4-28-08

Stephen Colberts reaction when all Starbucks closed for three hours Tuesday evening. "#1 Threat"

"Stephen handled the three-hour caffeine crisis with great aplomb", haha

I couldn't get enough of last nights episode and have been searching for a video since then. Glad to see it go up on comedy centrals page so quickly.

Go to it! (this means you, (e:hodown))

MMW last night at Town Ballroom, very cool. The three men played two lengthy sets taking the audience through a wide spectrum of auditory textures. I really dig jazz-funk-fusion harmony.

This is my first time having the opportunity to see these guys perform. I was pleased that my date/friend "T" and I found a spot at the stage, (one because standing for over three hours it was nice to have the railing to lean against, and two, I could see what instruments were making which sounds) as it was nice to have the auditory experience of the night enhanced by being so close. Watching them play their variety of instruments, in particular Medeski's variety of keyboards (mellotron, melodica, clavinet, etc) that I wouldnt have seen if we weren't right at the stage. I nean, I could hear a harmonica type of sound when Medeski used this rectangular shoe-box size instrument that had a blow hose and some keys. I now know that it is a melodica after looking it up.

They are out of NYC and have local tour dates, but they bounce all over the globe. Pretty cool.





Now to buy myself some music!

Myspace:

Official Site:

but

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, (e:mrmike) !!



Have a blast, have a beer, have some damn good cake!

I've been waiting for this day.. for oh so long.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are without their writers, but..

We've got the return of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report!!!!

Ive been so lost without you wonderful guys! Ive been counting down the days..

I'm more excited about this than that of some people with the super bowl.

I think a celebration is in order, even if it is only me.

Beer, appetizers, obligatory cocktail weenies!

more like wine and pizza..

so yeh, tomorrow night- Monday January 7th at 11pm I've got a hot date with Jon and Stephen. yup





writers strike info:

traditions..

Firing up the hooka!













"Little Gnome Go Weeeeee"

then, "gnome tried to get in my throat"

"Forehead OWWWWWW, Brain is Falling Out!"

How was the 'ET on BMX bike down a rollercoaster ride'? haha









shortly after... my brain "tilted and tweaked"..
"Riding the waves of consciousness.. I am doing a backstroke in space. The metastasizing ball bobbing deep in my gut of thoughts, feelings, ideas are dismantling, to be sorted out and put back together again.. let the thoughts role..Spread out through the Universe it all comes back together as one pure, clean thought.. What is essential to me"