Making a Green Smoothie

I have read on Facebook about my sister Debbie’s daughters Samantha and Ashley making and drinking green smoothies. So I decided to give it a try.

I had all of these fresh ingredients so I combined orange juice, pineapple, strawberries and spinach (for the green bit). I thought with the sweetness of the pineapple and the strawberries that I really did not need any additional sweetener and I was right. The color was not very appealing but the taste was wonderful. And I even got Joe to join in for a try.

Sorry Samantha and Ashley I just don’t see me drinking this every day but once in a while I think it would be wonderful and a very nice change from a regular batido.

To your health everyone!

Chocolate Brownies

I was on Facebook yesterday morning when I came across this post by my cousin Steve Kowalczyk. I don’t think Steve likes to cook or bake but I think he likes eating brownies so I decided to try the recipe.

Below is the actual post:

Never buy boxed brownie mix again!   Follow the recipe below and make brownies for approximately .30 a mix!  Be sure to save this by clicking “SHARE”! You will be able to find it on your own timeline later! So simple, so easy. Not just frugal but cuts out the unknown ingredients. 1 Cup Sugar, 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour, 1/3 Cup Cocoa, 1/4 tsp Salt, 1/4 tsp Baking Powder. At Baking Time Add: 2 Eggs, 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil, 1 teaspoon Vanilla. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan.  OR use the amazing Pampered Chef brownie pan and bake it in much less time – depends on your oven, check after 12-15 minutes of baking and remove when brownies are done! Put mix in plastic bags or mason jars.
LOVE THIS TIP and want to hear more?  Be sure to LIKE my page so get some fabulous recipes, cooking tips and super secret FAN SALES!  Also visit my website at www.pamperedchef.biz/rachaeloSee More

I was confident that if Steve posted it on his timeline that it must be good and it is. And I made three batches of the dry ingredients and stored two of them in one of my new jars.

Of course I needed to change the recipe a little so below is my recipe.

Chocolate Brownies

• 1 Cup Sugar
• 1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 Cup Cocoa
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder

the following can be added with the wet ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
• 1/4 Cup chocolate buttons or chips or chunks
• 1/4 Cup desiccated coconut

At Baking Time Add:

• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8×8 or 9×9 pan. Remove when brownies are done!

Put dry mix in plastic bags or mason jars.

Thanks Steve it is a very easy recipe, it came out moist and chewy and was a hit with Joe and our friends Libby and David.

Extremely delicious!

Baby Bird Down and Cleaning the Lot Next Door

This afternoon when I was out pulling a few weeds, the blackbirds that have a nest in the one tree were having fits because I was outside. I looked around and saw a baby bird on the ground. No wonder they were carrying on so.

A little while later two blackbirds were attacking something on the ground. It was a snake and Joe saw it retreat into the next yard through the hole we had placed in our wall to drain our outdoor shower. (Note to self, get a grid to plug that hole) I asked David our neighbor if he would be kind enough to find someone to clear part of the empty lot next door that is growing too close to our house. Within 5 minutes David and a young man named Jose arrived are at our gate. For $20 he will chop back all the trees, vines and other vegetation for at least 3 to 5 meters along the full length of our property.

It was like a jungle, tall bushes, flowering vines, trees… you name it and it was growing bigger every day and finding the snake in our yard pushed me to get someone to clean it up….I will have him cut the tall branches of the almond tree to stop the nuts from hitting our roof, and he will put the little bird back up in the nest before he leaves.

He did a great job, the yard is beautiful, except for plastic bags, bottles and some construction materials that Joe will clean up next week. All in all a great day!!!