Thursday, March 28, 2013

Update in pictures

This post is long over due! I have been trying to write it up for a few weeks now but something always seems to get in the way. Since there is just too much to share at once I am going the easy route and doing bullet points :]

about a month ago I volunteered with the Red Cross at the base Elementary school for the Pre-Deployment fair that is put on every year.



 
 
I also volunteered for the 10k/half marathon about a week or two later. I volunteered on behalf of AESA.
 


I became the new volunteer coordinator at The Red Cross :]

{on my way to work with my backpack ha I bike}

{Our latest event today, March is Red Cross month}

I got a job at the gym! I am loving it :]


I am running for the Vice President of AESA (Atsugi Enlisted Spouses Association). They invited all the nominees to attended the Single Sailor Dinner they were putting on so we could get to know more people. Normally only those on each committee attend the events. I had a lot of fun with this one since I had desperately wanted to be apart of this committee (I didn't get to the sign up in time).





Sakura (Cherry Blossom) season is going right now! I have not edited any of these and since I don't know how to set the right setting yet the lighting isn't the best.







Almost forgot about my girls day to Yokosuka with friends :] Our bike ride to the train station had to be the funnest thing ever! It was crazy windy out so we could barely stay on our bikes. It was insane, best way to put it ha.





I could post random pictures of the dogs... but then I'm sure this would never load! I think I got everything for the last few weeks. Now that that is done I am going to go finish my Orange, banana, berry sorbet Frank made me in the Vitamix.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Hello!!

I hadn't planned on going so long between posts. I have a few things I wanted to blog about but was waiting to see if pictures would be up online that I could share. It was a few events here on base that I volunteered for.

Pretty safe to say I have been a bit busy. And it's just the beginning :) I don't want to post about too much yet. Maybe by the end of the week if I know more. Y'all can pray for me though! Just good vibes :)

Cherry blossoms are getting closer!! Plum blossoms are going right now and they are equally beautiful.

My mom has her plane ticket booked for October-November! We also found the other day Franks younger sister is for sure coming out in June for their cousins wedding.

There will be a bazaar a month for the next three months. Ohh I am excited! I just hope I can make them all.

I am also hoping I can make the fertility festival in April :)

It is so different and very exciting FINALLY watching our savings account grow!!!

Some random pictures...











Thursday, March 7, 2013

Monster Smoothie

EMILY'S MONSTER SMOOTHIE
 
Ingredients
 
1 cup almond milk
1 packet vanilla protein powder {Advocare}
1 cup green seedless grapes
1 cup pineapple chunks
1 banana
2 large carrots
1 cucumber, peeled
3 1/2 stalks celery {good way to use the small ones}
1 orange, peeled
1 green apple
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries
1/2 cup frozen peaches
1 tablespoon chia seeds
 
Directions
Place in blender in order listed leaving out chia seeds. Put on the Frozen dessert setting and let machine run until program finishes. Add in chia seeds. Turn to variable 1 then slowly work your way up until the seeds have begun to mix in. Enjoy!
 
 
I decided to make my own smoothie this morning using everything I had. It was amazing! I was a little nervous that I would be wasting A LOT of food if it wasn't good. Thankfully that wasn't the case :] I do wish I had spinach or lettuce on hand to add in. It's just not a juice or smoothie without spinach! This made 8 cups which I mostly split with Frank {I took a little more!}.

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Vitamix love

Last month I finally fulfilled a dream. I own my very own Vitamix! Yes the price was steep but I was able to get it on Amazon Prime so free shipping :] I used my blender and food processor out before leaving San Diego so I figured to save space and make a dream come true I would just get a Vitamix. It took a few months longer than expected, but it is finally mine!

The purchase also came with this awesome Vitamix cookbook that I have been getting great use out of. Since I am still unable to use my juicer {broke the pusher piece and the one I ordered isn't the correct one} we have been doing green smoothies every morning instead. I am loving them, but they do not fill me up like a huge thing of juice does. For now I am happy though.
 
ALMOND MILK
My first attempt... Not so good, I need the proper cloth or bag strainer to get all the residue out.

COCONUT BUTTER

First and possibly last attempt at making coconut butter. First off this bag wasn't enough for the tamper to even reach to help move things along so I had to run to the commissary to get more coconut. My second try I added too much and had to take some out. Then I hadn't realized that the oils were leaking out of the bottom! I had been wondering why it was so dry but I thought it was just condensation forming at the base. The blade piece had been knocked loose when I accidentally moved the canister while it was working. I should have taken a picture of the mess. Making my own is much cheaper than having to order some... but I really don't know when I want to try that again. It might be awhile.

SWEET GREENS SMOOTHIE

 
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, chopped
1 cup fresh spinach, washed
3/4-1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries {I am using mixed berries from Costco}
3/4-1 cup pineapple chunks. It was lacking something... could still be tweaked.
 
1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Smoothie program.
3. Press Start.
4. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.

This one wasn't a favorite of ours.... I may try to add more to it to see if that helps...


EVERYTHING SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup almond milk {or whichever you prefer}
1/2 cup grapes, red or green
1 medium orange, peeled, halved
1/2 peach, pitted {Since they are not in season we used frozen}
1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks, core included
1/2 medium carrot
1/2 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/2 cup fresh spinach, washed
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries {mixed berries}
1/2 banana, peeled, frozen
1 cup ice cubes

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Frozen Desserts program
3. Press Start.
4. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.

We really enjoyed this one! Frank was worried because of the broccoli, but you can't taste it at all!

STRAWBERRY {MIXED BERRY} & GREENS SMOOTHIE

1 cup water
1 cup almond milk {milk of choice}
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries {mixed berries}
2 bananas, peeled, frozen

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Frozen  Desserts program.
3. Press Start.
4. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.

Another top favorite!

IT'S EASY BEING GREEN SMOOTHIE

1 cup grapes, red or green
1 medium orange, peeled, halved
1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks, core included
1 medium banana, peeled
1 carrot, halved
2 cups fresh spinach, washed
1 medium apple, quartered
6 cups ice cubes

 1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Frozen Desserts program.
3. Press Start.
4. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.

So amazing! This was by far my favorite :]

TORTILLA SOUP

SOUP BASE
3 cups low sodium chicken, beef or vegetable broth
1 Roma tomato, halved
1 carrot, halved
1 stalk celery, halved
1 thin slice of onion peeled {minced onion}
1 garlic clove, peeled {minced garlic}
1 thin slice of yellow squash
1 thin slice of red bell pepper
1 thin slice of cabbage
1 mushroom
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon taco seasoning {chili powder}
dash cumin

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup diced, cooked chicken breast
1/2 fresh jalapeno
1/4 cup pitted olives
1/4 cup unsalted canned corn, drained
2 ounces baked tortilla chips

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Hot Soup program.
3. Press Start.
4. Allow machine to complete programmed cycle.
5. If adding optional ingredients, select variable 1. Remove the lid plug. Press Start.
6. Add chicken, jalapeno, olives, corn and chips through the lid plug opening.
7. Blend for an additional 10 seconds.

I was very excited about this. Since you can't really find vegetarian tortilla soup in restaurants I have only been able to taste Frank's. I had planned to cook up some chicken for Frank to add to his but never got around to it. Next time! For our soup we did not add chicken, jalapeno or olives {Frank doesn't like}. It was so so good :] Annoying part of it though is that my canister now smells of it and it won't go away. I need to soak the lid in vinegar, I did the canister and tamper and plug but not the lid. It smelled better for a little while but after I put the lid back on it was like I never did it. Thankfully it hasn't made a difference in my smoothies.

I also made almond butter this morning but was in a hurry and didn't get any pictures.

All of these recipes came straight out of the Vitamix cookbook.

Sunday, March 3, 2013