Groovy Recipe: Superhero Smoothie Boost

I am not SuperMom.  

I am TiredOverworkedStressedOutPartiallyBrainDeadMom.

My daughter is SuperheroOnOverdrive Kid, aka The Naked Tornado.  It's nearly impossible to keep up with her.

I need help.

Since a month-long, expenses-paid vacation in Tahiti isn't going to happen, and the Super Nanny isn't knocking at my door, and coffee just isn't cutting it, I decided that I needed to find a super-awesome, super-nutritious boost for my daily smoothie (the kid's, too).  While discussing this with my SuperMom sister-in-law one day, she mentioned that she had been thinking of making her own protein powder, but wasn't sure what to put in it, how much to measure, if it would be cost-efficient, etc.  "Well, you'd probably want to use, like maca, and probably chia, and some flax seed.  Maybe some kind of supergreens concentrate or something?" came rambling out of me.  And then, because I have oodles and oodles of  free time, I offered to experiment on it for us.

It only took two adjustments to come up with this, and I'm pretty happy with it.  It's 100% vegan and NO SOY.  I definitely feel the effects of the ingredients: physical energy, mental focus, and, um... healthy bowel movements.

Look, that last bit is really important, even if it's not lady-like to discuss.

Superhero Smoothie Boost

(can also be added to fresh juice)

*Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

1/4 cup raw chia seed

1/2 cup raw maca powder

2 tbsp raw flax seed

2 tbsp concentrated greens powder (I used MacroLife MacroGreens)

I used a spice/coffee grinder to very finely grind the chia seed and flax seed.  Combine all ingredients together in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.  Shake all your frustrations out on that jar.

Simply add a tablespoon to your smoothie while blending, or to fresh juice (just make sure to really stir it in well).  For children under 12, add only 1/2 teaspoon.  If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have medical concerns - please speak to your care provider first!

Nutritional Info

per tablespoon; approximate

Calories: 41

Fiber: 3.5 g

Fat: 1.5 g

Protein: 2.5 g

Iron: 18% DV

Plus, a ton of potassium, magnesium, vitamin C, B vitamins, vitamin A, and minerals.

I make our smoothies with a handful of frozen spinach or kale, two handfuls of frozen fruit, coconut water, and local raw honey.  You can't taste the boost at all, but you definitely feel the effects.

Go on, SuperMom!

And Then We Became Me

When I first began seeing my therapist, shortly before Babydoll's Daddy passed away, I was struggling with the idea of no longer being half of a couple.  His passing was imminent and we had been us for so long, I didn't know how not to be us.

I was sitting on her couch, legs tucked under me and tissue clutched in hand, when I asked her: "When will we become just me?"  She looked at me, with a slightly sad smile and said simply: "It's going to take awhile.  But you'll get there."

Nearly a year later, I have gotten to the point where I am mostly thinking in terms of "me" and "I" instead of "us" and "we."  It's been hard.  It's been shitty.

It really fucking sucked, to be blunt.

When I started this blog, after the birth of our daughter, I would have never guessed the direction it would take.  The point of my writing, then, was to track our progress as a family in becoming healthier, happier, and tighter.  It was more for me, than anyone else.  A place to store recipes I came up with; the transitions we made in what we ate; the struggles we faced as new parents and then as parents of a toddler; my personal struggles with being an impatient person, a working mother, a Judgy McJudgerson, basically an unhappy lady.

Lord, if I'd only known then the extent of unhappiness I could feel, I'd have kept my damn mouth shut and just stuck to ranting about GMOs and toddler terrorism.

The thing is, I've learned a lot and done a lot in a year's time.  I've had a few breakdowns and more than a few rebounds.  What cancer did to our family, and what I allowed BD's mother to do to our family, as bad as that all was, I'm a better person for it.  That's the point, right?  God wouldn't have thrust so much upon me if I didn't have a few things to learn.  It was an opportunity to grow.  I have made peace with that.

I still miss him.  Every day, I miss him.  I still love him.  I've come to terms with who he was and who we were as a couple, and I've sorted through the guilt and grief associated with that.  That was a real bitch of a process, let me tell you.

What you don't know, until you lose someone you really love, is the extent to which you can miss them.  It's unfathomable.  It's consistent.  It sometimes takes over your whole being.  It becomes an extra body part, in that you always carry it with you, no matter where you go or what you do.  You forget what it was like to NOT miss them.

So, anyway.  Just some things that have been floating around in my brain lately.  Thanks for hanging out with me.  Have a great day!