Friday, March 26, 2010

My New Favorite Hang Out

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A quick update on my braces.  They are much better thank you very much!  Week One was painful and awkward.  Week Two was just….awkward.  I am still figuring out how to talk in them.  And right  now I only have them on my top teeth.  I get my them on my bottom teeth in early May.  Heaven help me!!

Chewing anything has been a challenge.  Well, one day last week on my way home from work, I was hungry and feeling sorry for myself when I saw it… “The Juice Shop” on Lawndale Avenue in Greensboro, NC! (  For all you locals, they also have shops at the Friendly Center in Greensboro, and at the Thruway Center in Winston-Salem, NC)   I have to admit that over the years I have seen this shop and have done a very good job avoiding it.  My kids have begged to stop in on more than one occasion and I have held strong and always said “NO….we don’t need the extra calories!”   I honestly had never ordered a smoothie before in my life.  I always thought of them like an ice cream shake and figured if I was going to indulge why not just stop at the drive thru at “Cook Out” and order a shake.  What do I need a smoothie for?  Oh, the years I have wasted!!

I ordered the “Arctic Orange” and it is so delicious that I can’t make myself order anything else and try something new.  It’s made with orange juice, bananas, strawberries, and non-fat frozen yogurt.  They swear the calorie count on all of their smoothies is between 375 and 425 calories, contains less than 2 grams of fat, and has 2-3 servings of fruit. I always order mine with protein and replace my lunch with it.  They are cold, smooth, thick and delicious and do a good job of taking away the “hungaries” and holding me till dinner time.  And of course the best part of all for me is that I don’t have to chew!!!

Are you a fan of smoothies?

What is your favorite kind?

Do you make them yourself?

Have any recipes to share????? 

I am going to need to dust off my blender!

11 comments:

micah said...

I don't drink smoothies in the winter, but now that it's warming up I need to dust off my blender too! Yum!

Allyson said...

I totally love smoothies! We had a Smoothie King on campus when I was at UK and I would go there for lunch a lot. I spent a lot of money on smoothies until I bought a smooth recipe book that gave me ideas that I would have never occurred to me naturally. This is brilliant and now that it's getting warmer, it will a great addition to your diet...especially on the day that your braces get tightened!

At least you're past pain for right now. Awkward isn't nearly as bad as pain AND awkward!

Karen said...

we are a smoothie family. I started them after Ethan was born and I went on the "fit for life" 'diet'. Fresh o.j. frozen strawberries and frozen banana (PEEL it before freezing! LOL!). Don't use yogurt or any dairy. DH will do blueberries, occasionally--he drinks them more than I do, anymore.

www.thewhitefarmhouse2.blogspot.com said...

I love smoothies. We have Orange Julius here. Yum! The secret is that they add a tablespoon of malt in the mix.

Tracy Watier said...

I am a fan of smoothies! And I'm glad my favorite place isn't more convenient or I'd have one every day! As it is, they seem so indulgent to me I'm happy to keep them as a once in a while kind of treat. Occasionally I'll make my own breakfast smoothie with with vanilla carnation instant breakfast + rice or soy milk + oj + whatever frozen fruit I have on hand. Very yummy.

Jane said...

I really like smoothies although I haven't made one in awhile. I guess it's time for me to dust off the blender too.
The one I made used a container of low-fat yogurt, frozen fruit and low sugar apple juice. The flavor of yogurt you use depends on the frozen fruit you want to add. No exact measurements, just added till I had a good consistency.
Have a great weekend.
Jane

Karen said...

Those first few weeks in braces are tough. Smoothies probably helped soften the blow though. LOL!

I'm always watching my diet, so my favorite "smoothie" is chocolate soy milk, a splash of orange juice and several frozen strawberries blended together. Honestly, it is delicious and doesn't have a lot of the fat and calories that you might find in a real smoothie.

Hope you get used to the braces quickly Lisa! :)

Les Cotrions said...

I adore them!!! With fruits and vegetables too! They're delicious and a mix of vitamines!
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Vale

CosmoGirl Carla said...

Mmmmm, love smoothies! Yeah, girl, you've been missing out! I make my own at home. Frozen strawberries (if I'm using fresh strawberries, I add some cubes of ice), banana, OJ, vanilla flavored low fat yogurt, and a squeeze of honey, blend up till nice and creamy - delish!!! I don't even measure, just eyeball it. If it's too thick, I add a bit more Oj - too thin, a bit more yogurt.

Glad to hear you're adjusting a bit more to your new braces.

Michelle said...

I make my own smoothies and use fresh strawberries and banana and then what ever fruit we have on hand..totally delicious!

RNSANE said...

Smoothies are wonderful and, the more varied the fruit, the better I like them.