Hungry Times Two

I love that feeling when a friend accomplishes something wonderful. Maybe because I'm a only child and thus friends often feel like family, or maybe it's just because we all need a little more raising up these days. So when I heard that a friend from the Nashville, TN area who co-founded and operates a catering business decided to share her culinary talents with the masses and create a line of bottled products, EV Originals,  I did a big ol' happy dance. Courtesy of EV Originals

Garden hobby-ing aside, I'm trying to eat more plant-based meals these days. After taking on a six-week fitness challenge earlier this year that included a vegetable and protein-heavy meal plan,  I'm working vegetables into my diet in ways that I never did prior. Example: this alien-colored smoothie.  A recipe from McKel Hill's Nutrition Stripped , the Creamy Ginger Green Smoothie has a few unpredictable ingredients. Sure, bananas are common. But throw in an avocado, spinach, ginger, lemon, dates and this curveball - tahini, usually reserved in the Adams household for batches of hummus -- and this ain't your average blended beverage. I didn't have dates so I swapped it for a few dashes of stevia for sweetness. I also included some extra grated ginger, as I am a ginger freak. We bought a whole root of ginger from the Charlotte Regional Farmer's Market from a vendor selling primarily Asian produce. I've frozen it and just take it out and gra...

Ever had good friends move away? I bet you have.  Ever helped good friends move away -- and then received all the condiments in their fridge?  I'm not so sure that's a thing. But I'll tell you -- It's a mixed blessing.