Wednesday, June 19, 2013

GREEN SMOOTHIE CONTEST! The Gersty!

Katie, a mom, scholar, and crafter, submitted a veggie packed smoothie, sweetened by an apple, and balanced by the bright acidity of lemon!



I am not YET a part of the Vitamix club, or the BlendTec club, both super high powered blenders.  But my Kitchenaid is no slouch!  Needless to say I did olley oop a couple ingredients, using a rather advance piece of equipment.  I shredded the carrot and apple and added them to the blender after the greens and water was blended.  I adding them with the celery, letting them kick it a bit, and then finally adding the banana.  I also added some ice to make it good and chilly wills.  As you can see, it has a gorgeous green color, which always makes me feel extra healthy.


This smoothie has GREAT TASTE.  It's a little sweet and the lemon adds a lovely tang.  Not to mention packed with a LOT of veg.  

Here is the recipe!

• 2 cup of fresh organic spinach, packed
• 1 whole apple (I don’t peel or core it! A lot of nutrients are in the skin and seeds. We buy organic so we don’t have to worry about pesticides.)
• 1 organic carrot, leave skin on
• 1 organic stalk of celery
• 1 ripe organic banana, peeled
• 2 tbs. of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
Blend for one minute, working your way up to the highest setting and enjoy!
(I blended greens and water, followed by shredded carrots and apple, celery, banana and added a handful of ice!)


The texture on mine was a little unique tasting, just a touch chewy.  I think the megapower of the Vitamix blends the apple and veg out a bit smoother.  In light of this news,  I also am implementing a pretty advanced financial strategy for obtaining one.  I am wondering if I shouldn't have shredded the apples and carrots?  Or if really...the Kitchenaid is just not powerful enough?  Should I blend longer? I am gonna play with prep a bit and give this one another try in the Kitchenaid. 


Thank you, Katie! I appreciate the deliciousness, and will only put quarters in my Vitamix jar.

I always want to enhance lives here on the GO Training blog, and I know your life will be better if you see some awesome crafts!  Katie is not just a smoothie queen, she is also the proprietor of a darling Etsy shop called The Good Life.  She is a swiss army knife crafter, one package with a lot of abilities.  You'll find screen printed onsies, scrabble tile jewelry, knitted wonders, and other fine goods.  I always love stopping by Katie's shop.



6 comments:

  1. Beth!

    Costco has the best prices on new Vitamixs, although they aren't the professional versions. Bert and I bought a refurbished professional one on the actual Vitamix website to save some dough and I wouldn't know the difference new vs.refurb. So we paid $375 instead of what would normally cost around $600. Just an FYI if you decide to investigate it further :). Way to go smoothie Katie, looking forward to trying this!

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    1. Seriously! I think that is the best option for me! Thank you so much for this info!

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  2. Bethy, if you're looking at investing in a Vitamix and saving some dough, you can purchase a refurbished one on the actual Viatmix website. That's what Bert and I did and it works beautifully. It cost us $375 instead of $600 and you still get a 5-7 year warranty. Just an FYI :). Way to go Katie, can't wait to try your deliciousness!

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    1. Yea buddy, thanks for input! Just so you know, all my comments get reviewed prior to getting posted! By my administrative specialist, that is also me:). I didn't want you to feel ripped off after penning two great comments! I love the feedback! But spammers get the hammer. So I have to monitor! Keep up the input. It helps me and others who stumble upon!

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  3. I love everything about this post! I too love how green this shake ends up looking. It really is a great way to get so many servings of veggies all at once! And I’m sure your fancy KitchenAid mixer can blend this “Thirsty Gersty” concoction up on no time. Just be sure to add the water! It makes a big difference and helps the blender do its job more easily. The lemon in this recipe definitely helps those who don’t like to feel as if they are drinking a garden. Sometimes I’ll throw a whole lemon wedge into the blender because there are a lot of nutrients in lemon skins (and veggies skin too, of course, hence, blending veggies whole).

    The great thing about blending your veggies and fruits is that, compared to chewing alone, your body is able to absorb so much more nutrients because the blended food is already broken down. However, it is important to be careful with fruits (and some non-green veggies) because these can have a lot of sugar. If you were to chew these fruits and veggies, your body would have more time to break these down. However, by blending or even juicing, the fruits and veggies are already broken down, so you run the risk of your blood sugar levels spiking!

    Well that's a whole other post. People think they are being ubber healthy by juicing or blending, but it can be dangerous! Not to mention, there is a big difference between juicing and blending! And now I’m rambling…

    Anyways, I just wanted to say I love your post and I love you! You inspire me to be a better version of myself! You rock Beth! And thanks for the shout out for my Etsy site! I'll hit you back here in a few days! ;-)

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    1. I love you to Katie! Inspiration party! This is great input. I appreciate your sharesiness. I love a salad, LOVE my salad troughs as I like to call them. But starting my day by getting in several servings of veg and fruit at breakfast, makes me feel that much more primed to keep making good decisions...like never getting a perm like I did in the eighties, but also related to health.

      The other grand surprise for me is how a solid green smoothie really satisfies the tumnus. I do NOT get hungry in an hour, and feel very satiated!

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